Perplexity, the startup behind the development of the AI-powered “answer” engine, has just debuted its very own web browser. Called Comet, the browser plugs Perplexity’s AI search tools and personal assistant into the browsing experience in a way that Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas says “makes the entire browsing session a single, continuous conversation.”
Right now, Comet is only accessible to those who sign up for the service’s Perplexity Max package, priced at $200 per month. It will later expand to more users on an invite-only basis. Using Perplexity as its default search engine, the system generates AI-written responses to user questions based on web content. It may also help users complete tasks like buying products or booking hotels.
The launch also intersects somewhat with Google’s current dominance in the search market (though that alone is hardly an advantage). Perplexity joined forces with Motorola this year to preinstall its assistant on the new Razr phones. Perplexity would likely not exist were it not for Google’s antitrust trial, Srinivas told The Verge in an interview in April. “They could have coerced a lot of OEMs,” he said.
Comet is based on Chromium, the open-source browser project supported by Google that underpins popular browsers including Chrome and Microsoft Edge. “It’s highly unlikely that Google will be required to divest Chrome, but if the court decides it is too much of a risk to the market, then we could look at buying Chrome,” Perplexity offered as part of potential antitrust remedies.
Srinivas previously said that the “best way to build an agent is probably to open a browser.” Beyond integrating with Perplexity’s search, Comet comes preloaded with an AI assistant that can answer questions about what’s on your current screen — similar to how Google’s Gemini integrates with Chrome.
It lives as an adjunct in a sidebar in Comet, and along with summarizing or explaining text, can take on agent-like tasks such as setting up meetings, sending emails, or making online purchases. Perplexity will be “continuing to add features and capabilities for Comet,” Srinivas says.
At present, Comet is only available on Windows and macOS. It also includes a handy “one-click” feature that allows users to import their current extensions, settings, and bookmarks.
