Perplexity AI Launches Free Comet Browser Globally

Perplexity AI announced Thursday the global availability of its AI-powered web browser, Comet, offered as a complimentary service to all users. This strategic move positions Comet as a direct competitor against tech giants venturing into the AI-enhanced browsing space.

Comet is designed as a personalized web assistant, streamlining tasks such as web searches, tab organization, email drafting, and online shopping, according to Perplexity. The browser, initially exclusive to Perplexity Max subscribers at $200 per month in July, saw its waitlist surge to “millions,” the company stated. The broad release signals Perplexity’s aggressive push to capture market share.

The move to offer Comet for free is viewed by analysts as a calculated risk to rapidly expand its user base amidst intensifying competition from established players. Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are all actively developing and deploying their own AI-driven browser technologies.

Google, for instance, integrated its Gemini AI model into Chrome in September, offering enhanced search capabilities and contextual assistance. Anthropic unveiled its browser-based AI assistant in August, while OpenAI introduced Operator in January, designed to automate tasks through a browser interface. These developments spotlight the growing importance of AI integration in the web browsing experience.

Perplexity is recognized for its AI-driven search engine, delivering concise answers and citations to original source material. Responding to earlier accusations alleging plagiarism, Perplexity established a revenue-sharing program with publishers last year.

In August, Perplexity also launched Comet Plus, a premium subscription service offering access to content from a curated selection of publishers and journalists. Initial partnerships include CNN, Condé Nast, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Fortune, Le Monde, and Le Figaro.

Looking ahead, Perplexity outlined plans for a mobile version of Comet and a Background Assistant feature, promising asynchronous processing to tackle multiple tasks concurrently. This hints at Perplexity’s long-term vision for a fully integrated, AI-powered ecosystem for information discovery and task automation, challenging the incumbents in both search and browser markets.