Meet Comet: Perplexity’s ambitious new AI-powered browser
Perplexity launched Comet, its first AI-powered web browser, on Wednesday, aiming to challenge Google Search’s dominance in online information retrieval.
Comet is initially available to subscribers of Perplexity’s Max plan, priced at $200 per month, and a select group of invitees from a waitlist. The browser integrates Perplexity’s AI search engine as its default, prioritizing AI-generated summaries of search results. This places the company’s core product prominently within the user experience.
A central feature of Comet is “Comet Assistant,” an AI agent designed to automate routine tasks within the browser. This assistant can summarize emails and calendar events, manage tabs, and navigate web pages. Users access Comet Assistant via a sidecar that appears on any web page, allowing the AI agent to interpret page content and answer related questions. This design enables real-time contextual interaction.
Perplexity has introduced multiple initiatives recently, but Comet represents a significant strategic move. Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, has emphasized Comet’s importance, signaling its role in the company’s competitive strategy against Google. Perplexity aims to directly reach users with Comet, circumventing Google Chrome, currently the most widely used browser. Google itself has incorporated AI integrations into Chrome and developed “AI mode,” an AI search product with functional similarities to Perplexity’s offerings, indicating a broader industry trend toward AI-enhanced browsers.
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Srinivas stated in March that a primary goal for Comet was to “develop an operating system with which you can do almost everything,” intending for Perplexity’s AI to assist users across various applications and websites. He further noted in June that becoming the default browser could lead to “infinite retention,” potentially increasing query volume on Perplexity’s platform.
The browser market is competitive. While Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari hold significant market share, The Browser Company launched Dia, an AI-powered browser with features similar to Comet, in June. OpenAI has also reportedly considered developing its own browser and has recruited former members of the Google Chrome team within the last year, indicating expansion into this sector.
Comet could gain an initial advantage if a substantial portion of Perplexity’s existing user base adopts the product. Srinivas recently reported that Perplexity processed 780 million queries in May 2025, and its search products are experiencing over 20% month-over-month growth. While challenging Google Search is a formidable undertaking, launching a proprietary browser constitutes a direct competitive approach. However, convincing users to switch browsers may prove more difficult than shifting them away from Google Search.