Hajra Naz
Perplexity has launched Comet, its first AI-powered web browser, marking a major step in the company’s push to challenge Google Search as the default gateway to online information.
At launch, Comet is only available to users on Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan, along with a limited group of early-access testers who joined a waitlist. The browser centers around Perplexity’s AI search engine, which is pre-installed and set as the default. This puts the startup’s core product—AI-generated summaries of search results—at the heart of the browsing experience.
A Smarter Browser, Built Around an AI Assistant
The highlight of Comet isn’t just the search engine but a new integrated AI agent called Comet Assistant. It lives inside the browser and is designed to handle routine digital tasks. According to Perplexity, Comet Assistant can:
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Summarize emails and calendar events
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Manage browser tabs
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Navigate websites on your behalf
Users can access the assistant by opening a “sidecar” panel on any web page, allowing the AI to view page content and provide context-aware answers without switching tabs or copying links.
Read More: Perplexity Launches AI Tool to Create Dashboards and Spreadsheets Instantly
A Strategic Play to Bypass Chrome
Comet represents a deeper strategic move by Perplexity to reach users directly, without relying on Google Chrome, the dominant browser globally.
CEO Aravind Srinivas has repeatedly emphasized that Comet is more than a search tool. Back in March, he described it as a step toward building an “operating system” where users can accomplish nearly anything across the web using Perplexity’s AI. In June, he framed browser dominance as key to achieving “infinite retention,” keeping users inside the Perplexity ecosystem for longer and driving more usage of its AI tools.
It’s a bold ambition, but Perplexity isn’t alone. The AI browser space is getting crowded. In June, The Browser Company launched Dia, another AI-powered browser with similar features. OpenAI is also rumored to be developing its browser and has hired former members of the Google Chrome team. And Google itself has rolled out new AI-powered features for Chrome, along with AI Overviews, its Perplexity-like search experience.
Hands-On With Comet: Mixed Results from a Promising Assistant
In testing, Comet Assistant stood out as the most unique aspect of the browser.
The sidecar tool is especially convenient. It can see the content of whatever page you’re on and answer questions without needing to switch tabs or copy and paste. It worked across websites, documents, and even social media posts and YouTube videos—automatically pulling in context and responding quickly.
It even performed well at summarizing inbox emails and flagging calendar events. For example, it could scan messages from tech companies and suggest which ones might be newsworthy or remind users of when to leave for meetings based on traffic and transit options.
Read More: Which AI Chatbot is the Winner: ChatGPT Plus or Perplexity?
But that usefulness comes at a price. To unlock the full experience, users must grant Comet access to their Google accounts, including email, calendar, contacts, and more. The level of required access may raise privacy concerns for some users.
The assistant also falters when it comes to complex or high-stakes tasks. For instance, when asked to find and book a long-term parking spot at San Francisco International Airport for under $15 a day, Comet initially returned good options. But when it tried to book a spot, it entered incorrect dates, failed to recover from the mistake, and continued the checkout process regardless. The assistant struggled again when prompted to find alternatives.
These types of hallucinations remain a common problem in AI agents, and Comet is no exception. Similar issues have been seen with OpenAI’s Operator and Perplexity’s own earlier shopping assistant. Until these agents improve reliability on task execution, they remain helpful for light tasks but unreliable for anything critical.
A Strong Start, But Challenges Ahead
Despite its flaws, Comet could give Perplexity a real edge in the evolving browser market, especially if the company can convert even a small percentage of its growing user base. According to Srinivas, Perplexity handled 780 million search queries in May 2025, and is growing more than 20% month-over-month.
Still, convincing users to switch browsers may be even harder than getting them to change search engines. Google Chrome and Apple Safari still dominate the market, and user loyalty in this space is notoriously difficult to break.
Comet may not dethrone Chrome or Google Search overnight—but it represents a significant move toward Perplexity’s larger vision: making AI not just a tool, but the interface to the web.
