You.com review — Joute 2026

The 20-second summary

• AI search engine with research, agent, and chat modes — highly customizable
• Price: freemium, €18/month (Pro)
• Joute score: 7.5/10
• Obsolescence risk: 5/10
• Who it's for: users who want an AI search engine with more modes than Perplexity

Verdict: You.com is a solid AI search engine, but Perplexity owns the category now. Hard to justify switching.

What is You.com?

You.com is an AI search engine launched in 2021. It ships several modes: classic AI search, chat mode, agent mode for multi-step tasks, and creative features. It positions itself as an alternative to both Google and Perplexity.

What works

Multiple modes

You.com ships distinct modes for different needs: Research for deep dives, Create for content generation, Code for developers, and Agent for complex tasks. More flexibility than Perplexity.

Customization

You can configure preferred sources, active apps, and response detail level. More configurable than its competitors.

Solid free tier

The free tier gives access to basic AI search with no apparent request limit.

What doesn't work as well

Perplexity took the lead

Perplexity has established itself as the reference for AI search engines. You.com struggles to clearly differentiate its offer.

Less polished UX

You.com's user experience is less fluid than Perplexity or ChatGPT with search.

Hard to justify Pro pricing

€18/month against Perplexity Pro at €18/month too, with no clear advantage.

Comparison table

Pricing

• Free: free, limited access
• Pro: €18/month, full access to modes and models

Who it's for

Yes if: you're curious about different AI search modes. You find Perplexity too restrictive in modes.

No if: you already use Perplexity and it's working — switching doesn't gain you much.

Karpathy obsolescence risk

Score: 5/10. You.com hasn't managed to establish itself as the leader against Perplexity. Competition from Google AI Search, Bing Copilot, and Perplexity is fierce.

Final verdict

You.com is a solid product in a brutally competitive category. If you're looking for an AI search engine, start with Perplexity. Go with You.com if you want more modes and customization.

Joute score: 7.5/10.

FAQ

Is You.com free?

A free tier exists. Pro at €18/month gives access to all modes and premium models.

You.com vs Perplexity — which one to pick?

Perplexity for simplicity and source quality. You.com for more modes and customization.

Sources

• You.com official site - verified May 2026

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