Perplexity has officially entered the web browser market with the launch of Comet, an AI-powered browser designed to challenge the dominance of Google Chrome and redefine how users interact with the internet. Announced on July 9, 2025, Comet is initially available exclusively to subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan, with broader access planned through an invite-only rollout.
What Sets Comet Apart
Comet is built on the Chromium platform, ensuring compatibility with Chrome extensions and one-click migration of bookmarks and settings from other browsers. At its core, Comet integrates Perplexity’s AI search engine as the default, delivering AI-generated summaries and answers sourced from across the web.
The browser’s standout feature is the Comet Assistant, an AI agent accessible via a sidebar. This assistant can:
- Summarize content from web pages, emails, and calendar events.
- Automate routine tasks like booking meetings, sending emails, managing tabs, and navigating web pages.
- Perform contextual actions such as making purchases, comparing products, and streamlining research—all without switching tabs or copy-pasting information.
Comet departs from traditional tabbed browsing by offering a workspace interface that tracks what users are viewing, reading, and working on, surfacing related content and suggestions in real time. This design aims to collapse complex workflows into seamless, conversational interactions, as described by Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas.
Privacy, Compatibility, and Agentic AI
Comet employs a hybrid AI architecture, balancing local processing for sensitive tasks with cloud-based APIs for more complex operations. Privacy is a priority, with options for local data storage and strict tracking modes. The browser also features a native ad blocker, distinguishing it from Chrome’s increasingly restrictive ad-blocking policies.
Agentic AI is central to Comet’s vision: the assistant not only answers queries but also understands user intent, automating multi-step, repetitive tasks to minimize manual effort.
Availability and Outlook
Currently, Comet is available for Windows and Mac, with plans to expand to additional platforms. The browser is restricted to Perplexity Max subscribers at launch—a price point of $200 per month—before a gradual invite-only expansion. This premium positioning targets power users and professionals seeking advanced AI-driven browsing capabilities.
With Comet, Perplexity is making a bold move to challenge Google’s search and browser hegemony, betting that deeply integrated AI and agentic automation will define the next generation of web browsing.