Vellum is a personal AI assistant that runs as a native Mac app on your machine or in Vellum Cloud, with iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack surfaces that share one memory. Perplexity Computer is a cloud-based agent orchestrator from Perplexity that coordinates 19 different AI models to run multi-step workflows in the background, accessed through Perplexity's web app and Slack on paid Perplexity plans.
Last updated: May 2026
Vellum is a personal AI assistant that runs as a native Mac app on your machine or in Vellum Cloud, with iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack surfaces that share one memory. It builds a structured, persistent memory of your work and people automatically, and executes real actions across 50+ services through managed OAuth.
Perplexity Computer is a cloud-based AI agent orchestrator from Perplexity that coordinates 19 different AI models to plan, delegate, and execute multi-step workflows in the background. Available to Perplexity Pro and Max subscribers through the Perplexity web app and Slack, with hundreds of OAuth-managed integrations.
Channels
VellumNative Mac app, iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack. Every surface shares one memory.
Perplexity ComputerAvailable on the Perplexity web app and Slack. No native desktop or mobile apps for Computer specifically.
Hosting
VellumRun on-device as a native Mac app, on Vellum's managed cloud, or self-host on your own VPS.
Perplexity ComputerFully cloud-hosted by Perplexity. No self-host option. Tasks run in Perplexity's infrastructure across orchestrated models.
Integrations
VellumNative agent skills plus 1-click integrations with 50+ services through managed OAuth.
Perplexity Computer400+ OAuth-managed integrations including Gmail, Slack, Notion, Salesforce, Snowflake, Databricks, and Outlook.
Memory
VellumBuilds a persistent, structured memory of your work and people that gets sharper with every conversation and correction.
Perplexity ComputerEach Computer task is a scoped workflow you describe. No persistent personal memory layer that compounds across tasks.
Modularity
VellumBuilds its own skills, learns your tone, and adapts based on what you reward and correct.
Perplexity ComputerPersonalized Skills system to tailor Computer's behavior. Multi-model selection happens automatically per subtask.
Open Source
VellumOpen source under MIT license. Full codebase available on GitHub.
Perplexity ComputerProprietary. Closed-source SaaS from Perplexity. Source code not available.
Pricing
VellumFree Base with 10 free credits + referral credits. Pro from $50/mo for configurable compute, storage, and assistant email.
Perplexity ComputerIncluded on Perplexity Pro ($20/mo) and Max ($200/mo). Computer for Enterprise on Enterprise Max plans, priced custom.
Privacy
VellumRun locally on Mac, in Vellum Cloud, or self-host. Vellum never has access to your data on any deployment path.
Perplexity ComputerCloud-hosted by Perplexity. Data processed across the 19 orchestrated models per Perplexity's data and provider policies.
Schedules
VellumBuilt-in scheduling for daily briefings, weekly reports, and hourly checks that just run on a cadence.
Perplexity ComputerRecurring tasks supported. Computer executes them autonomously and persistently over time, like a daily research briefing.
Security
VellumCredentials live in an isolated vault and never enter the language model, so prompt injection can't exfiltrate keys.
Perplexity ComputerCloud sandbox with enterprise controls. Connector permissions and access policies managed at the Perplexity account level.
Setup
VellumUp and running in 5 to 10 minutes: download the Mac app, sign in, connect your tools. No terminal needed.
Perplexity ComputerAvailable immediately on any paid Perplexity plan. Sign in, connect tools, start tasks.
Storage
VellumVellum Cloud: 3 GB RAM and 4 GB storage by default. Mac app runs on standard Mac hardware.
Perplexity ComputerCloud-hosted by Perplexity. No published minimum specs for Computer specifically.
Computer runs in Perplexity's cloud only during the lifespan of a workflow you have kicked off. When the workflow completes, the orchestrator is idle until the next task.
Vellum is fully managed cloud. No session to keep open, no laptop to babysit. Scheduled jobs and background tasks run in Vellum Cloud whether you are at your desk or asleep, and you wake up to work that already shipped.
Computer is accessed through the Perplexity web app on desktop and through Slack. No native Mac app, iOS app, voice, email, or Telegram surfaces.
Vellum ships as a native Mac app, an iOS app, and a web app, with voice, email, Telegram, and Slack surfaces. Every surface shares one memory and identity, so you can switch from desktop to phone without losing a beat.
Each Computer task is a scoped workflow delegated to subagents across 19 models. The next task starts fresh, without inherited context.
Vellum builds a structured, persistent memory of your work, people, and patterns automatically. Every conversation makes the next one sharper, and that memory follows you across every surface.
Computer is fully cloud-hosted by Perplexity. Data is processed across the 19 orchestrated models under Perplexity's data and provider policies.
Vellum is available as both Vellum Cloud and a native Mac app on your own machine, and Vellum never has access to your data on either path. Credentials live in an isolated vault the model never sees, so prompt injection cannot exfiltrate keys.
See how every personal AI assistant stacks up across the categories that matter.
OpenClaw
Hermes
Claude Cowork
Choose Vellum if you want a persistent personal AI assistant that builds memory of your work and people over time, runs proactively in the background, and shows up across native Mac app, iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack with one shared memory. Vellum runs on a Free Base plan with Pro from $50/mo, while Perplexity Computer requires a Perplexity Pro plan at $20/mo or Max at $200/mo.
Perplexity Computer is Perplexity's cloud-based agent orchestrator that coordinates 19 different AI models to run multi-step workflows in the background. If you already pay for Perplexity Pro or Max and primarily want to delegate research-heavy, multi-model workflows like competitive intelligence reports or end-to-end content production, Computer's orchestration pattern covers that workload well.
Perplexity Computer is included on Perplexity Pro at $20/mo and Perplexity Max at $200/mo, with Computer for Enterprise on Enterprise Max priced custom. Vellum offers a Free Base plan, plus Pro from $50/mo with pay-as-you-go credits, configurable compute and storage, and your assistant's own email and subdomain.
Vellum builds a structured, persistent memory of your work, people, and patterns automatically across every session, shared across native Mac app, iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack. Perplexity Computer operates per task: you describe an outcome, the orchestrator delegates to subagents across 19 models, and each task is scoped. There is no persistent personal memory layer that compounds across Computer tasks.
Vellum connects to 50+ services through managed OAuth with one-click setup, including Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, GitHub, Linear, X, and Telegram. Perplexity Computer connects to 400+ apps via OAuth, including Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Notion, Salesforce, Snowflake, and Databricks. Vellum's set is curated for personal-assistant workflows across consumer and prosumer tools, so the connectors that ship are the ones that show up in daily use.
Perplexity Computer is currently available through the Perplexity web app on desktop and through Slack. There is no native iOS or Mac app for Computer specifically. Vellum ships as a native Mac app, an iOS app, and a web app, with voice, email, Telegram, and Slack surfaces, all sharing the same memory.
With Vellum, your data lives on Vellum Cloud with per-customer isolation, encryption at rest, configurable retention, and custom LLM credentials so model API keys stay under your control. Vellum never has access to your data on any deployment path, whether you run the native Mac app on your machine or use Vellum Cloud. With Perplexity Computer, data is processed in Perplexity's cloud across the 19 orchestrated models under Perplexity's data and provider policies.
Both target non-technical users. Vellum is built for every human, with a native Mac app, an iOS app, and a web app, plus voice, email, Telegram, and Slack, all syncing one persistent memory. Computer runs inside the Perplexity web app and Slack on paid Perplexity Pro or Max plans, where users describe research and execution workflows for the orchestrator to deliver. Vellum is the broader fit for ongoing personal AI that follows you across surfaces and remembers what you're working on.
Vellum runs as a native Mac app on your own machine, with iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack surfaces in sync. If you want continuous 24/7 background work without keeping your laptop open, Vellum Cloud handles it on the Pro plan from $50/mo with pay-as-you-go credits, configurable compute and storage, and your assistant's own email and subdomain. Perplexity Computer is cloud-only and runs entirely in Perplexity's infrastructure. There is no self-host option.
Yes. They serve different jobs. Some people use Vellum as their always-on personal assistant across surfaces and use Computer when they want a high-budget multi-model research workflow delivered as a finished output. Most people consolidate on one over time once they see how Vellum's persistent memory and multi-surface presence cover the day-to-day.
Vellum's memory is structured, persistent, and assistant-managed: it builds up an understanding of you across every conversation, surface, and action, and that memory is the same whether you reach the assistant from Mac, iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, or Slack. Computer's subagent workflow is task-scoped: you describe an outcome, the orchestrator decomposes it, subagents execute across 19 models, and the workflow ends. Future tasks start fresh, without inherited context.
