Short answer: Perplexity limits each file you attach to a search thread to 40 MB, and Free, Pro and Max accounts get a weekly upload allowance that refills on a rolling basis, with Max getting more than Pro. Perplexity does not publish the exact weekly number. Files inside a Project follow different rules: up to 5,000 files, 2.5 GB in total and 100 MB per file, the same on every plan.
Most people look this up after Perplexity stops taking attachments in the middle of real work, usually with a pop-up that suggests upgrading to Max. Below are the limits as Perplexity's own help center describes them, what each plan changes, why the upload limit gets reached even when the files are small, and when paying for a bigger plan stops being the right fix for a set of documents you question every week.
Perplexity file upload limit per file and per thread
Perplexity sets different rules for a file you attach to a single search and a file you keep in a Project. The thread limit is the one most people hit, because it is tied to a weekly allowance.
| Where you upload | Max file size | How many | Counts against |
|---|---|---|---|
| A search thread (Free, Pro, Max) | 40 MB per file | Weekly allowance, rolling, larger on Max | Weekly upload allowance |
| Images in a search | 40 MB per image | Same allowance as files | Weekly upload allowance |
| A Project (every plan) | 100 MB per file | Up to 5,000 files and 2.5 GB per Project | Project file and storage caps |
| Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max threads | 50 MB per file | Up to 30 files per upload | Enterprise limits, files deleted after 7 days |
| Perplexity Computer (Enterprise) | 200 MB per file | Per task | Enterprise limits |
Perplexity's help center says Project limits apply to everyone regardless of plan and that there is no restriction on file type. Once a new upload or a file pulled in through a connector would push a Project past 5,000 files or 2.5 GB, Perplexity rejects it.
Perplexity upload limit by plan
The per-file sizes are fixed. The plan changes how many uploads you get each week and which models read them.
| Plan | US price | Thread uploads | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Small weekly allowance | 5,000 files, 2.5 GB, 100 MB per file |
| Pro | $20 a month or $200 a year | Larger weekly allowance | Same |
| Max | $200 a month or $2,000 a year | Higher allowance than Pro | Same |
| Enterprise Pro | $40 per seat a month | Separate limits, 30 files of 50 MB per upload | Same |
Third-party sites quote fixed daily numbers such as 3 to 5 uploads a day on Free or 10 a day on Pro. Perplexity's own article does not describe a daily cap at all. It describes a weekly allowance that refills gradually, so treat any fixed daily figure as an estimate from someone's account at one point in time.
What is the Perplexity upload limit per day?
Perplexity has no published daily upload limit. Free, Pro and Max share a weekly allowance that refills on a rolling basis: each upload drops out of the count about one week after you attached it. If you upload 40 files on a Monday morning, that capacity comes back the following Monday morning, not at midnight.
That rolling design explains a common complaint. Someone uploads a batch of reports at the start of a project, works fine for two days, then hits the limit on Wednesday with only a single file. Nothing reset on Wednesday. The Monday batch is still inside the seven-day window.
What is the Perplexity file upload limit for Pro?
Perplexity Pro allows files up to 40 MB each in a search thread and up to 100 MB each in a Project, with a weekly upload allowance that is larger than Free but smaller than Max. Pro costs $20 a month or $200 a year. Perplexity does not show the remaining allowance anywhere in account settings.
When a Pro account runs out, the next attachment triggers a pop-up that may suggest upgrading to Max. The help center is explicit that this message means the weekly allowance is used up. It does not mean uploads were removed from Pro.
Why does Perplexity say the upload limit is reached?
Four things count toward the allowance that people often miss:
- Images. Screenshots you paste into a search count exactly like PDFs.
- Connector files. Files attached from Google Drive or another connected app use the same allowance as direct uploads.
- Re-uploads. Attaching the same proposal to five threads counts five times.
- The rolling window. Last week's uploads are still being counted until their seven days are up.
The fix that costs nothing is to move documents you reuse into a Project. Project files sit under the 5,000-file and 2.5 GB caps instead of the weekly thread allowance, so the same contract does not get counted every time you ask about it.
Does Perplexity Max increase the file upload limit?
Max raises the weekly number of uploads, not the size of each file. A thread attachment is still capped at 40 MB and a Project file at 100 MB. Max also adds the most capable models and more Labs usage, which matters more for heavy research than for document questions. At $200 a month it is ten times the price of Pro.
When a bigger Perplexity plan is the wrong fix
Perplexity is built around the web. It searches, reads and cites live sources, and your files sit next to that search as extra context. For an analyst checking a market against a few internal reports, that combination is excellent and hard to beat at $20 a month.
It is a weaker fit when nearly every question is about your own material: client reports, past proposals, your newsletters, your methodology. In that pattern the web results are noise, the weekly allowance gets spent re-attaching the same files, and the answer comes back in Perplexity's neutral research tone rather than yours.
That is the job MentalClone is built for. You upload your documents once into a permanent private library, up to 100 MB per file, and each answer draws only on the files that best match the question, in your own register, with a plain "that is not in your documents" when it is not. There is no weekly upload allowance: both paid plans include unlimited documents and messages, and you can let a client ask questions through a private link. If you are also comparing assistant workspaces, the Claude Projects alternative page puts Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini side by side on file limits and sharing.
The honest trade-offs: Perplexity Pro at $20 is cheaper than MentalClone Starter at 199 PLN a month (about $54) or about $27 a month billed yearly, Perplexity reads the live web and MentalClone does not, and a Perplexity Project holds more files per workspace than most people will ever upload. MentalClone reads text PDFs up to 120 pages and scanned PDFs up to 40. Plans are on the MentalClone pricing page.
How Perplexity compares with other AI tools on file limits
| Tool | Entry paid price | Main file limit | How the limit refills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity Pro | $20 a month | 40 MB per thread file, 100 MB per Project file | Rolling weekly allowance |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20 a month | 80 files every 3 hours, 25 files per project | Every 3 hours |
| Claude Pro | $20 a month | 20 files per chat, 30 MB per Project file | Usage limit per session |
| Gemini (Google AI Pro) | $19.99 a month | 10 files per prompt, 100 MB each | Rolling usage limit |
| MentalClone Starter | 199 PLN a month (about $54) | 100 MB per file, unlimited documents | No upload allowance |
The per-plan detail for the others is in the ChatGPT file upload limit guide, the Claude file upload limit breakdown and the Gemini file upload limit article.
One practical note for analysts. If most of what you keep uploading to Perplexity is screenshots of rival pricing pages and product announcements, a competitor monitoring tool that tracks price and website changes collects that for you, so the weekly allowance goes to the documents only you have.
Questions people ask about the Perplexity upload limit
How many files can I upload to Perplexity?
In a search thread, as many as your weekly allowance allows, each up to 40 MB. Perplexity does not publish the weekly number for Free, Pro or Max. In a Project you can store up to 5,000 files and 2.5 GB, each file up to 100 MB, on every plan.
What is the Perplexity file size limit?
40 MB per file or image attached to a search thread, and 100 MB per file stored in a Project. Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max accept 50 MB per file in a thread, up to 30 files per upload, and Perplexity Computer takes files up to 200 MB.
When does the Perplexity upload limit reset?
There is no fixed reset day or time. The allowance refills on a rolling basis: each upload stops counting about one week after you attached it. Capacity returns gradually, in the same order you used it.
Is the Perplexity upload limit per day or per week?
Per week. Perplexity's help center describes a weekly allowance for Free, Pro and Max that refreshes on a rolling basis. Daily figures quoted on other sites are estimates, not published limits.
Do images count toward the Perplexity file upload limit?
Yes. Images you attach or paste into a search draw from the same allowance as PDFs and other files, and so do files attached from connected apps such as Google Drive.
Does Perplexity keep my uploaded files?
Files stored in a Project stay until you remove them. On Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max, files attached to a session are kept for 7 days and then deleted. For files attached to ordinary threads on Free, Pro and Max, Perplexity covers retention in a separate security and privacy article, so check it before uploading anything confidential.