Perplexity AI

AI-powered answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources

scite

AI platform for discovering and evaluating scientific articles with Smart Citations

Perplexity AI

Moderate

15/25

scite

Caution

11/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionPerplexity AIscite

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Perplexity AI: US-based AWS infrastructure; no regional data residency options currently

scite: US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option. Processes publicly available scientific literature.

2/5

US-based AWS infrastructure; no regional data residency options currently

2/5

US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option. Processes publicly available scientific literature.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Perplexity AI: US Delaware corporation subject to CLOUD Act; GDPR compliance via DPA

scite: US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction. GDPR compliance for EU institutional customers.

2/5

US Delaware corporation subject to CLOUD Act; GDPR compliance via DPA

2/5

US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction. GDPR compliance for EU institutional customers.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Perplexity AI: Enterprise plans offer zero data retention; no use of enterprise data for AI training

scite: Processes published scientific literature. User account data and search history retained per standard practices. No sensitive personal data processed.

5/5

Enterprise plans offer zero data retention; no use of enterprise data for AI training

3/5

Processes published scientific literature. User account data and search history retained per standard practices. No sensitive personal data processed.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Perplexity AI: SOC 2 Type II certified; HIPAA BAA available for enterprise

scite: No SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications disclosed. Institutional SSO support. Standard security practices.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified; HIPAA BAA available for enterprise

2/5

No SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications disclosed. Institutional SSO support. Standard security practices.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Perplexity AI: Strong for research-focused business use; US hosting limits EU data residency suitability

scite: Research tool processing public literature. Minimal regulatory risk. Institutional SSO and access management support academic compliance requirements.

3/5

Strong for research-focused business use; US hosting limits EU data residency suitability

2/5

Research tool processing public literature. Minimal regulatory risk. Institutional SSO and access management support academic compliance requirements.

Total Score

15/25

11/25

Best For

Perplexity AI

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget.

scite

Best for teams on a tight budget.

Detailed Comparison

Perplexity AI vs scite: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Perplexity AI (Perplexity AI, Inc., US) scores 15/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-powered answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources. scite (scite, US) scores 11/25 with a Review Required (Caution) trust badge. AI platform for discovering and evaluating scientific articles with Smart Citations.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Both score equally at 2/5.

●Perplexity AI (2/5): US-based AWS infrastructure; no regional data residency options currently

●scite (2/5): US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option. Processes publicly available scientific literature.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 2/5.

●Perplexity AI (2/5): US Delaware corporation subject to CLOUD Act; GDPR compliance via DPA

●scite (2/5): US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction. GDPR compliance for EU institutional customers.

#### Data Retention & Training

Perplexity AI leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●Perplexity AI (5/5): Enterprise plans offer zero data retention; no use of enterprise data for AI training

●scite (3/5): Processes published scientific literature. User account data and search history retained per standard practices. No sensitive personal data processed.

#### Certifications

Perplexity AI leads with 3/5 vs 2/5.

●Perplexity AI (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified; HIPAA BAA available for enterprise

●scite (2/5): No SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications disclosed. Institutional SSO support. Standard security practices.

#### Regulatory Fit

Perplexity AI leads with 3/5 vs 2/5.

●Perplexity AI (3/5): Strong for research-focused business use; US hosting limits EU data residency suitability

●scite (2/5): Research tool processing public literature. Minimal regulatory risk. Institutional SSO and access management support academic compliance requirements.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Perplexity AI	scite
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	No

Overall Verdict

Perplexity AI has a clear trust advantage, scoring 15/25 compared to scite's 11/25. Perplexity AI particularly excels in data retention & training, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Perplexity AI or scite?

Perplexity AI has a TrustKit score of 15/25 while scite scores 11/25. Perplexity AI currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Perplexity AI and scite compare on data residency?

Perplexity AI scores 2/5 for data residency (US-based AWS infrastructure; no regional data residency options currently), while scite scores 2/5 (US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option. Processes publicly available scientific literature.).

Are Perplexity AI and scite GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Perplexity AI has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and scite scores 2/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

Explore Each Tool