Sonar Pro
Sonar Pro is Perplexity's search model with deeper web retrieval across more sources. It returns citation-rich answers for complex research queries within a context window of 200K tokens.
import { streamText } from 'ai'
const result = streamText({ model: 'perplexity/sonar-pro', prompt: 'Why is the sky blue?'})Playground
Try out Sonar Pro by Perplexity. Usage is billed to your team at API rates. Free users (those who haven't made a payment) get $5 of credits every 30 days.
Providers
Route requests across multiple providers. Copy a provider slug to set your preference. Visit the docs for more info. Using a provider means you agree to their terms, listed under Legal.
P50 throughput on live AI Gateway traffic, in tokens per second (TPS). Visit the docs for more info.
P50 time to first token (TTFT) on live AI Gateway traffic, in milliseconds. View the docs for more info.
Direct request success rate on AI Gateway and per-provider. Visit the docs for more info.
More models by Perplexity
| Model |
|---|
| 127K | 1.9s | 57tps | $1.00/M | $1.00/M | $5/K* | — |  | 02/19/2025 | |||||
| 127K | 2.1s | 120tps | $2.00/M | $8.00/M | $6/K* | — | | 02/19/2025 |
About Sonar Pro
Sonar Pro is the enhanced tier of Perplexity's search-augmented model family. It shares the same foundational architecture as Sonar, running a live web search on every inference call. The difference: it retrieves and processes significantly more sources per query. The result is longer answers backed by a broader evidence base.
Base Sonar handles straightforward factual lookups efficiently. Sonar Pro is built for queries that demand cross-referencing. Examples include regulatory changes across multiple jurisdictions, technical comparisons of competing frameworks, or market analysis pulling from diverse sources. The model evaluates more candidate sources, weighs conflicting information, and produces longer syntheses with richer citation coverage.
Sonar Pro keeps the same developer experience as base Sonar: a single API call returns a web-grounded, cited response with no external search configuration. The context window of 200K tokens supports extended multi-turn research sessions. If you already use base Sonar, upgrading to Pro is a model identifier change with no code modifications.
What To Consider When Choosing a Provider
- Configuration: Sonar Pro searches more sources per request than base Sonar. This increases both response quality and latency. Profile response times under realistic query loads before setting user-facing timeout expectations. Web search calls bill separately (N/A per thousand when listed for this model).
- Zero Data Retention: AI Gateway does not currently support Zero Data Retention for this model. See the documentation for models that support ZDR.
- Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.
When to Use Sonar Pro
Best For
- Complex research queries: Require synthesizing information from many web sources into a single answer
- Competitive analysis and market research: Breadth and depth of source coverage drive answer quality
- Technical due diligence: Compare frameworks, products, or approaches across multiple authoritative sources
- Regulatory and compliance research: Needs to cross-reference policies across jurisdictions or evolving standards
- Knowledge work: Detailed, well-cited answers justify the higher per-token cost over base Sonar
Consider Alternatives When
- Simple factual lookups: Base Sonar provides sufficient accuracy at lower cost
- Chain-of-thought needed: Sonar Reasoning Pro adds structured deliberation over search results
- Minimal latency required: Base Sonar's lighter retrieval is faster for time-critical paths
- No web grounding: Pure code generation or creative writing doesn't benefit from search
Conclusion
Sonar Pro fits when answer quality depends on how many sources you consult and how fully they're synthesized. It delivers the depth that research and due diligence workflows expect while keeping the zero-configuration search experience that defines the Sonar family.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Sonar Pro differ from base Sonar?
Sonar Pro retrieves and processes more web sources per query, producing longer answers with broader citation coverage. Base Sonar is faster and cheaper for simpler factual queries.
Does Sonar Pro include citations?
Yes. Like all Sonar models, responses include inline citations referencing the web sources consulted. Sonar Pro typically cites more sources per response due to its deeper retrieval.
Is there an API difference between Sonar and Sonar Pro?
No. The API interface is identical. Switching from Sonar to Sonar Pro requires only changing the model identifier. You don't need code changes or configuration adjustments.
What is the context window for Sonar Pro?
200K tokens. This supports extended multi-turn research sessions where context accumulates across exchanges.
What does Sonar Pro cost?
Check the pricing panel on this page for today's numbers. AI Gateway tracks rates across every provider that serves Sonar Pro.
How do I authenticate with Sonar Pro through AI Gateway?
Use your AI Gateway API key with the model identifier `
perplexity/sonar-pro`. AI Gateway handles provider routing and authentication automatically.When should I use Sonar Pro instead of a reasoning variant?
Use Sonar Pro when you need broad source coverage and detailed synthesis but don't need explicit step-by-step reasoning. For queries that benefit from chain-of-thought deliberation over search results, use Sonar Reasoning Pro.