Choose Elephas if you want a native Mac app with system-wide AI access, need to work with your personal documents, and value privacy with local processing options.
Choose Perplexity Spaces if your focus is web research, you need real-time information, or you want to organize research projects with AI-powered search.
Elephas and Perplexity Spaces represent two different philosophies in AI-powered knowledge work. Elephas focuses on making your personal documents accessible through a native Mac experience, while Perplexity Spaces excels at organizing web research and real-time information gathering into focused project hubs.
What is Elephas?
Elephas is a personal AI assistant designed exclusively for Mac users. It creates a "Super Brain" from your documents—PDFs, notes, web pages, and integrations with Notion and Obsidian. The killer feature is system-wide access: press a keyboard shortcut from any app to query your knowledge base.
Key characteristics:
Native Mac app with ⌘+Space system-wide access
Integrates with Notion, Obsidian, Apple Notes
AI writing assistance in any text field
Multiple AI model support (GPT-4, Claude, local models)
Answers cite your source documents
What is Perplexity Spaces?
Perplexity Spaces is a feature within Perplexity AI that lets you create dedicated hubs for specific research topics or projects. Each Space centralizes related searches, uploaded files, and custom instructions, with AI-powered search that cites web sources in real-time.
Key characteristics:
Web-based with desktop and mobile apps
Project-based organization for research topics
Real-time web search with source citations
Upload documents to add to Space knowledge
Deep Research mode for comprehensive reports
Feature Comparison
Feature
Elephas
Perplexity Spaces
Platform
Native Mac App
Web + Apps
System-Wide Access
✓
✗
Web Search
Limited
✓ Real-time
Personal Documents
✓ Auto-sync
Manual upload
App Integrations
Notion, Obsidian, etc.
Limited
Offline Mode
✓ (local models)
✗
Deep Research
✗
✓ Multi-step analysis
Web Research vs Personal Knowledge
The fundamental difference: Perplexity Spaces excels at finding and synthesizing information from the web in real-time. Elephas excels at making your existing knowledge accessible from anywhere on your Mac. If you need to research current events or find new information, Perplexity wins. If you need to leverage documents you already have, Elephas wins.
Deep Research Mode
Perplexity's Deep Research feature is a standout—it conducts autonomous, multi-step research across hundreds of sources to produce comprehensive reports. This is powerful for students, researchers, and professionals who need to quickly understand complex topics.
Pricing Comparison
Elephas
$9.99/month
✓ All features included
✓ Bring your own API keys
→ $99 lifetime option available
Perplexity Spaces
$20/month (Pro)
✓ 300+ Pro searches daily
✓ Deep Research mode
→ Free tier with limited Spaces
Who Should Use Each Tool?
Choose Elephas If You...
Use a Mac as your primary computer
Want AI assistance available system-wide
Need to query your personal documents
Use Notion, Obsidian, or Apple Notes
Value privacy with local model options
Prefer a one-time purchase option
Choose Perplexity Spaces If You...
Focus on web research and current information
Need Deep Research reports
Work across multiple devices/platforms
Want AI-powered web search with citations
Organize research into project-based Spaces
Need team collaboration features
🧠 Before You Decide: Consider This Complement
While Perplexity Spaces optimize how you launch apps, there's a gap neither fills: managing the knowledge you accumulate across all your tools.
Elephas takes a different approach — instead of launching apps, it creates an AI-powered "Super Brain" from your documents. Every answer cites YOUR files, not internet guesses. It's the perfect complement to whichever launcher you choose.
⚡
System-Wide Access
⌘+Space from any app to query your knowledge base.
📎
Cites Your Sources
Every answer links to the actual document. No hallucinations.
🔗
Syncs Your Apps
Connects to Notion, Obsidian, Apple Notes automatically.
Best for:Knowledge workers managing multiple projectsUsers who want AI that knows their context
Best for daily workflow. System-wide access. Personal document AI. More affordable with lifetime option.
WINNER FOR WEB RESEARCH
Perplexity Spaces
Best for research projects. Real-time web search. Deep Research mode. Source citations.
For Mac users focused on personal knowledge management, Elephas is the clear winner. Its system-wide availability and deep integration with your existing documents make it invaluable for daily productivity.
For researchers and information seekers, Perplexity Spaces excels. Its real-time web search, source citations, and Deep Research mode make it the go-to tool for understanding new topics quickly.
Power users might benefit from both: use Perplexity Spaces to gather research, then bring those insights into Elephas for long-term reference and daily use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elephas better than Perplexity Spaces?
They serve different purposes. Elephas is better for Mac users who want system-wide AI access to their personal documents. Perplexity Spaces is better for web research and organizing information from online sources.
Can Perplexity Spaces work offline?
No, Perplexity Spaces requires an internet connection as it relies on real-time web search. Elephas offers offline capabilities with support for local AI models through Ollama.
Does Perplexity Spaces integrate with Notion?
Perplexity Spaces allows manual file uploads but doesn't have direct integrations with apps like Notion or Obsidian. Elephas offers native syncing with these productivity apps.
What is Perplexity Deep Research?
Deep Research is a Pro feature that conducts autonomous, multi-step research across hundreds of sources to produce comprehensive, expert-level reports. It's ideal for complex research tasks.
