# Vellum vs Perplexity Computer > Personal AI assistant vs cloud-based multi-model agent orchestrator > Last updated: May 29, 2026 > Comparison: https://www.vellum.ai/compare-assistants/vellum-vs-perplexity-computer ## Overview 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, Slack, and Microsoft Teams 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. ## The contenders ### Vellum Website: https://vellum.ai Vellum is a personal AI assistant that runs as a native Mac app on your own machine or in Vellum Cloud, with iOS, web, Slack, and Telegram surfaces in sync across both. It builds a persistent, structured memory of your work and people automatically, and executes real actions across 50+ services through managed OAuth. Why choose Vellum: - Runs as a native Mac app on your own machine or in Vellum Cloud, with iOS, web, Slack, and Telegram surfaces in sync across both - Persistent, structured memory that builds itself as you go, with no uploading, tagging, or training required - One-click managed OAuth across 50+ services like Google, Slack, Notion, GitHub, and Linear, executing real actions on your behalf - Free Base plan, with Pro from $50/mo for pay-as-you-go credits, configurable compute and storage, and your assistant's own email and subdomain ### Perplexity Computer Website: https://www.perplexity.ai/products/computer 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. Why choose Perplexity Computer: - Multi-model orchestration coordinates 19 different AI models, picking the best one per subtask - 400+ OAuth-managed app integrations including Gmail, Slack, Notion, Salesforce, Snowflake, and Databricks - Background long-running workflows that complete even when you close your browser - Included on Perplexity Pro and Max plans with no separate subscription required ## The scorecard ### channels Vellum: 7 native surfaces, one memory iOS, native Mac app, web app, voice, email, Telegram, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Every surface shares one memory. Vellum runs natively on Mac, iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Every surface shares the same memory and thread history, so you can start a task on your Mac and pick it up on your phone or in a chat. Perplexity Computer: Channels Available on the Perplexity web app and Slack. No native desktop or mobile apps for Computer specifically. ### hosting Vellum: On-device, managed cloud, or self-hosted Run on-device as a native Mac app, on Vellum's managed cloud, or self-host on your own VPS. Vellum gives you the full range: run the native Mac app entirely on your own hardware, use Vellum Cloud for managed uptime and cross-device sync, or self-host on your own VPS for full infrastructure control. Perplexity Computer: Hosting Fully cloud-hosted by Perplexity. No self-host option. Tasks run in Perplexity's infrastructure across orchestrated models. ### integrations Vellum: 50+ managed OAuth integrations Native agent skills plus 1-click integrations with 50+ services through managed OAuth. Vellum connects to 50+ services through managed OAuth: Google, Slack, Notion, GitHub, Linear, and more. Your assistant acts in real services on your behalf without you handling tokens or API keys. Perplexity Computer: Integrations & Skills 400+ OAuth-managed integrations including Gmail, Slack, Notion, Salesforce, Snowflake, Databricks, and Outlook. ### memory Vellum: Persistent, structured personal memory Builds a persistent, structured memory of your work and people that gets sharper with every conversation and correction. Vellum builds a structured memory graph of your projects, people, and preferences across every surface. It compounds over time through use and explicit corrections, so each conversation picks up where the last left off. Perplexity Computer: Memory Each Computer task is a scoped workflow you describe. No persistent personal memory layer that compounds across tasks. ### modularity Vellum: Adapts to you personally Builds its own skills, learns your tone, and adapts based on what you reward and correct. Vellum adapts at the individual level: it learns your communication style, builds custom skills from your instructions, and updates its behavior based on your feedback. Each assistant is shaped by the specific person using it. Perplexity Computer: Modularity Personalized Skills system to tailor Computer's behavior. Multi-model selection happens automatically per subtask. ### open-source Vellum: Open source under MIT Open source under MIT license. Full codebase available on GitHub. Vellum is open source under the MIT license. The full codebase is on GitHub and can be self-hosted, audited, and extended. Perplexity Computer: Open Source Proprietary. Closed-source SaaS from Perplexity. Source code not available. ### pricing Vellum: Free Base, Pro from $50/mo Free Base with 10 free credits + referral credits. Pro from $50/mo with configurable compute, storage, and assistant email. Vellum offers a free Base plan with 10 credits and a referral credit system. Pro starts at $50/mo and comes with configurable compute, configurable storage, and a personal assistant email and subdomain. Perplexity Computer: Pricing Included on Perplexity Pro ($20/mo) and Max ($200/mo). Computer for Enterprise on Enterprise Max plans, priced custom. ### privacy Vellum: Local or cloud, always yours Run locally on Mac, in Vellum Cloud, or self-host. Vellum never has access to your data on any deployment path. Vellum gives you three deployment paths: native Mac app on your own hardware, Vellum Cloud with per-customer isolation, or self-hosted on your own infrastructure. On every path, Vellum never has access to your data. Perplexity Computer: Privacy Cloud-hosted by Perplexity. Data processed across the 19 orchestrated models per Perplexity's data and provider policies. ### schedules Vellum: Built-in scheduling, always running Built-in scheduling for daily briefings, weekly reports, and hourly checks that just run on a cadence. Vellum has native scheduling for recurring tasks: daily briefings, weekly reports, hourly checks. Scheduled tasks run in the cloud whether or not you have a session open. Perplexity Computer: Schedules Recurring tasks supported. Computer executes them autonomously and persistently over time, like a daily research briefing. ### security Vellum: Isolated credential vault Credentials live in an isolated vault and never enter the language model, so prompt injection can't exfiltrate keys. Vellum stores every connected service credential in an isolated vault that never touches the LLM inference layer. Prompt injection attacks cannot reach your API keys or OAuth tokens. Perplexity Computer: Security Cloud sandbox with enterprise controls. Connector permissions and access policies managed at the Perplexity account level. ### setup Vellum: Up in 5 to 10 minutes Up and running in 5 to 10 minutes: Web app and/or download the Mac app, sign in, connect your tools. No terminal needed. Vellum setup takes 5 to 10 minutes: use the Web app and/or download the Mac app, create an account, and connect your tools via one-click OAuth. No terminal, no config files, no infrastructure to provision. Perplexity Computer: Setup Available immediately on any paid Perplexity plan. Sign in, connect tools, start tasks. ### storage Vellum: Storage Vellum Cloud: 3 GB RAM and 4 GB storage by default. Mac app runs on standard Mac hardware. Perplexity Computer: Storage Cloud-hosted by Perplexity. No published minimum specs for Computer specifically. ## Where they split ### Always-on hosting 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. ### Works across every surface 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. ### Memory that compounds 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. ### Data privacy 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. ## Lingering questions ### When should I choose Vellum over Perplexity Computer? 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. ### When does Perplexity Computer make more sense than Vellum? 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. ### How much do Vellum and Perplexity Computer cost? 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. ### How does memory work in Vellum vs Perplexity Computer? 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. ### What integrations do Vellum and Perplexity Computer support? 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. ### Does Perplexity Computer work on iPhone or only desktop? 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. ### Where does my data live with Vellum vs Perplexity Computer? 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. ### Is Vellum or Perplexity Computer better for non-technical users? 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. ### Can I run Vellum or Perplexity Computer on my own machine? 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. ### Can I use Vellum and Perplexity Computer at the same time? 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. ### What's the difference between Vellum's memory and Perplexity Computer's subagent workflows? 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. --- Full comparison index: https://www.vellum.ai/compare-assistants Try Vellum: https://www.vellum.ai