Comet Browser Launch by Perplexity: A New Era in AI-Powered Browsing

AI search startup Perplexity has announced the global release of the Comet browser, which is now accessible to everyone at no cost. Previously limited to users subscribing to Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan, the browser now includes an integrated assistant designed to help users summarise content, answer queries, and explore the web.

This development positions Perplexity to compete directly with established browsers such as Google Chrome and Apple Safari, as well as newer players like Dia, while also ahead of OpenAI’s forthcoming browser.

For users without a subscription, Comet provides an assistant and a range of AI-enhanced tools, which include:

• Discover for tailored news and content suggestions
• Spaces for organising projects
• Shopping to compare prices and monitor deals
• Travel for information on flights, hotels, and destinations
• Finance for tracking budgets, expenses, and investments
• Sports for updates and live scores

A new subscription option, Comet Plus, priced at $5 per month, will soon be available as an AI-driven alternative to Apple News. Subscribers to Pro and Max plans will automatically gain access to Comet Plus.

The Pro plan from Perplexity, costing $20 per month, offers advanced AI models, capabilities for image and video generation, and file analysis.

Max subscribers, paying $200 per month, enjoy:

• Priority access to the swiftest AI models
• An AI-powered email assistant that composes replies, manages inboxes, and schedules meetings
• Early access to experimental features

The most recent feature addition is a background assistant, which Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has called “a team of assistants working for you”.

According to the company’s statement, this assistant can perform multiple tasks in the background while users work or take breaks. These tasks can encompass sending emails, booking flights, or adding event tickets to a shopping cart, all monitored through a “mission control” dashboard.

The inclusion of the background assistant underscores Perplexity’s ambition to advance agentic AI beyond its competitors. By making Comet available for free, the company aims to boost user adoption before bigger rivals introduce similar capabilities.

Nevertheless, analysts indicate that the success of Comet will hinge on its ability to consistently provide tangible productivity improvements, persuading users to transition from their current browsers.