Perplexity AI has launched Comet, its first AI-powered web browser that aims to transform how users interact with the internet by integrating artificial intelligence at its core. According to reports from TechCrunch, the browser features Perplexity’s search engine as the default and includes an AI assistant that can summarize content, answer questions about webpages, and even perform tasks like booking meetings or making purchases on behalf of users.
The standout feature of Comet is the integrated Comet Assistant, an AI agent that lives in a sidebar and can see and understand the content of any active webpage. This allows users to ask questions about YouTube videos, analyze text in Google Docs, or get summaries of articles without switching tabs or copy-pasting information. Built on Chromium, the browser ensures compatibility with existing Chrome extensions and allows seamless migration of bookmarks and settings in one click.
Comet employs a sophisticated hybrid AI architecture, combining local processing for basic tasks with cloud-based APIs for more complex operations. The browser also prioritizes privacy with data stored locally and multiple tracking modes available, including a strict option that ensures local processing of sensitive tasks like calendar management. Additionally, Comet includes a native ad blocker, distinguishing it from Chrome’s increasingly restrictive approach to ad blocking.
The browser represents a fundamental shift from “navigation to cognition,” transforming how users interact with online content. According to Perplexity’s blog post, “Comet powers a shift from browsing to thinking” by collapsing complex workflows into fluid conversations and removing the friction of context-switching between dozens of applications. This cognitive approach allows users to ask questions anywhere they occur, whether to understand complex concepts, find connections, or solve problems that have been puzzling them.
Unlike traditional browsers that treat AI as an add-on feature, Comet integrates intelligence at its core, enabling users to perform tasks like comparing products across different sites, asking which retailers ship items faster, or analyzing content they’re reading against previously viewed materials. The assistant can even conduct entire browsing sessions while users focus on what matters, effectively serving as what CEO Aravind Srinivas described as a “cognitive operating system” designed to live with users in their daily workflows.
Currently available exclusively to subscribers of the newly released Perplexity Max tier at $200 per month, Comet will gradually roll out to users on the waitlist over the summer months. The Max subscription, launched just last week, includes unlimited access to Perplexity Labs, early access to new features, and priority access to frontier AI models including OpenAI’s o3-pro and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.
The browser is available for Windows and macOS, with Perplexity planning to add support for more operating systems in the coming months, suggesting potential mobile versions in development. For users considering the switch, Comet offers full support for importing Chrome extensions, bookmarks, and settings in one click, removing friction while maintaining a familiar browsing experience.
The launch of Comet positions Perplexity as a direct challenger to Google Chrome’s dominant 66.6% market share, entering the browser space at a pivotal moment when OpenAI is reportedly just weeks away from releasing its own AI-powered browser. This strategic timing isn’t coincidental—Perplexity has been eyeing Google’s search dominance through partnerships with Motorola, ongoing talks with Samsung, and deals with international carriers. The company has even expressed interest in acquiring Chrome if regulators force Google to sell it amid antitrust concerns.
With impressive growth metrics—780 million queries processed in May 2025 and monthly growth exceeding 20%—CEO Aravind Srinivas projects reaching “a billion queries a week” within a year. This browser launch represents Perplexity’s most consequential product since its 2022 founding, potentially transforming the competitive landscape as users increasingly seek AI-native browsing experiences that go beyond traditional navigation paradigms.
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