AI search startup Perplexity is making a bold move in the browser wars. The company has announced that its Comet browser, previously reserved for high-paying subscribers, is now available globally for free.
Until now, Comet was accessible only to users of Perplexity’s top-tier $200-a-month Max plan. With this shift, anyone can download and use the browser, which comes built with an integrated “sidecar” AI assistant. The assistant can summarise articles, answer user questions, and help navigate the web — essentially acting as a second brain while you browse.
The timing is significant. Comet’s release puts Perplexity head-to-head with established browsers like Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari, while also positioning it ahead of OpenAI, which is preparing to launch its own browser. The company is also trying to fend off newer players like Dia that are targeting the same AI-powered browsing niche.
For free users, Comet isn’t just a standard browser with AI tacked on. It comes loaded with dedicated tools across different areas of daily life. A “Discover” feed delivers personalised news and content recommendations. “Spaces” helps with organising projects and research. The “Shopping” tool compares prices and tracks deals, while “Travel” assists with flights, hotels, and destination planning. Finance-focused users get budgeting and expense tracking tools, while sports fans can check live scores and updates directly within the browser.
To deepen its offering, Perplexity will soon roll out Comet Plus, a $5-per-month add-on positioned as an AI-powered rival to Apple News. Existing Pro and Max subscribers will get Comet Plus bundled in automatically.
The company’s tiered plans are designed to appeal to different user groups. The $20 Pro plan unlocks access to advanced AI models, image and video generation, and file analysis. Max subscribers at $200 per month get premium benefits such as priority access to the fastest AI models, an AI-powered email assistant that drafts and organises replies, scheduling support, and early previews of experimental features.
Perhaps the most ambitious feature so far is Comet’s new background assistant, described by CEO Aravind Srinivas as “a team of assistants working for you.” Unlike traditional assistants that respond only when prompted, this one can quietly handle tasks in the background. That could mean sending emails, booking flights, filling carts with event tickets, or managing routine to-dos — all tracked through a central “mission control” dashboard.
This push highlights Perplexity’s strategy to go beyond simple AI chat tools and move toward what it calls “agentic AI” — assistants that proactively take action on behalf of users. By making Comet free, Perplexity is betting that it can quickly scale adoption before rivals like Google or OpenAI release similar offerings.
Still, the challenge is steep. Analysts warn that for Comet to succeed, it must show real productivity gains that convince users to leave entrenched browsers like Chrome and Safari. Convenience will matter just as much as innovation. If the background assistant and built-in tools truly save users time, Perplexity may carve out a new niche in the AI-powered browser race.
