Perplexity Makes Comet AI Browser Free Worldwide
Key Points
- Perplexity makes Comet AI browser free worldwide, ending the $200 a month barrier.
- Comet is built on Chromium and embeds Perplexity’s conversational AI throughout the browsing experience.
- A side‑panel assistant can summarize text, create shopping lists, and access personal email and calendar data with permission.
- Core features are free; advanced tools remain behind Comet Plus and Max subscription tiers.
- The free model aims to capture more browsing time and compete with AI integrations from Google, Microsoft, and other rivals.
- Deep AI integration raises privacy considerations, as the assistant can view extensive browsing activity.
- Early usage examples show the assistant handling calendar scheduling, grocery orders, and data visualization from documents.
- Perplexity is extending Comet to mobile platforms to broaden its reach.
Perplexity has announced that its AI‑powered Comet browser is now free for all users, ending the previous $200 a month subscription barrier. Built on Chromium, Comet embeds Perplexity’s conversational AI directly into the browsing experience, offering a side‑panel assistant that can summarize text, generate shopping lists, and interact with personal data such as email and calendar with permission. While core features are free, advanced tools remain behind Comet Plus and Max subscription tiers. The move aims to capture more browsing time and compete with AI integrations from Google, Microsoft, and emerging rivals.
Comet Goes Free
Perplexity has removed the price tag that limited access to its Comet browser, making the AI‑enhanced product available worldwide at no cost. Previously, full access required a $200 a month subscription to Perplexity Max. The company says the free offering will remain unchanged, signaling a strategic shift toward broader user adoption.
How Comet Works
Comet is a Chromium‑based browser that weaves Perplexity’s AI throughout every page. When the browser opens, users are greeted by a chat window that serves as the home screen. From any website, a side‑panel called the Comet Assistant can be launched, allowing the AI to watch user activity and offer assistance. Tasks demonstrated include summarizing large blocks of text, creating grocery lists on shopping platforms, and pulling information from personal email and calendar data—provided the user grants permission.
Free Core Features, Paid Enhancements
All of the primary capabilities, such as on‑page assistance and basic AI interactions, are now free. More advanced tools are reserved for paid tiers. Comet Plus bundles curated journalism from major publishers, while Max subscribers gain access to features like the Background Assistant, which lets the AI run for extended periods.
Strategic Goals
By offering the browser for free, Perplexity hopes to capture users’ browsing time rather than just search queries. The constant presence of an AI side‑panel could shift user behavior from traditional tab browsing to conversational interaction with the web. The company is also expanding its reach to mobile devices to compete with AI‑integrated browsers from Google, Microsoft, and newcomers such as Opera’s Neon AI browser.
Privacy Considerations
The deep integration of AI means the assistant can see more of a user’s browsing activity, raising questions about privacy. Perplexity emphasizes that data access requires explicit user permission, but the trade‑off between convenience and data exposure is noted as a point of discomfort for some users.
Potential Impact
Comet aims to redefine the browsing experience by turning the browser into an active assistant rather than a passive viewer. Early tests described in the source show the assistant handling tasks like calendar creation from email invitations, populating shopping carts with recipe ingredients, and generating charts from scientific papers. While performance was generally impressive, occasional lag and the need for clarification were observed.
Outlook
Perplexity’s free rollout positions Comet as a contender in the burgeoning AI‑browser market. Success will depend on the stability of the free version, user trust in privacy practices, and how effectively the product can draw users away from established browsers that are integrating their own AI features.