Comet: Perplexity’s AI-Powered Agentic Browser That’s Redefining Web Surfing
Perplexity, the company behind the popular AI-powered answer engine, has launched a new browser called Comet — a revolutionary, AI-first web browser currently in early access for subscribers of the Perplexity Max plan ($200/month).
Designed to transform how users interact with the internet, Comet enables users to delegate tasks to AI agents instead of manually browsing websites. Think of it as your personal AI assistant that navigates the web on your behalf — reading, summarizing, clicking, comparing, and even drafting responses across various platforms and services.
What is Comet?
Comet looks and feels like Google Chrome, and that’s intentional — it’s built on Chromium, the same open-source framework that powers Chrome, Edge, and Opera. This means users can continue using their favorite Chrome extensions, bookmarks, and browser settings without a steep learning curve.
What sets Comet apart is its agentic AI integration. Unlike typical browsers where users search, click, and browse manually, Comet is designed for AI delegation. Users can simply prompt the browser, and its AI agent takes over — navigating tabs, filling forms, summarizing pages, and even responding to emails or managing schedules.
At the core of Comet is Perplexity’s AI engine, powered by a blend of leading large language models such as GPT-4o, Claude 4.0 Sonnet, and Perplexity’s own Sonar model.
Why Build a Whole New Browser?
Perplexity didn’t just add AI to an existing browser — it built a new one from scratch. This decision stems from a desire for full control and deeper integration. Building on top of Chrome or Safari would mean inheriting limitations from Google or Apple, including reliance on their AI ecosystems.
With Comet, Perplexity can offer native local context. The browser knows what tab you’re on, what content you’re viewing, and what you’re doing — all without the need to copy, paste, or reauthenticate. This seamless context-awareness makes Comet more powerful than cloud-based AI assistants or browser extensions.
What Can Comet Do?
Comet is built for productivity, efficiency, and automation, offering a new way to browse where you prompt more and click less. Key capabilities include:
- 🔍 Smart Summarization: Instantly summarize web articles and YouTube videos using transcripts and on-page content.
- 🛍️ Product Comparison: Compare features like camera specs or pricing across open tabs with structured summaries.
- 📧 Email & Calendar Integration: From within Gmail, Comet can read an email, suggest meeting times, draft replies, and schedule events — without switching tabs.
- 👥 LinkedIn Automation: Automatically review and bulk-accept connection requests based on relevance.
- 📄 Form Filling & Navigation: The built-in AI assistant can click buttons, fill out forms, and navigate websites on your behalf.
- 🗂️ Cross-Tab Commands: Mention open tabs with @ (e.g., “@YouTube – find the top comment”) to issue targeted actions.
- 🔐 Contextual Intelligence: Since it runs locally, Comet can instantly act on the current tab or logged-in session without reloading or logging in again.
The assistant sits in the top-right corner of the browser, always ready to help with smart, context-aware actions.
Why It Matters
Comet signals a paradigm shift in web browsing. After years of little change in browser innovation, Perplexity is betting big on a future where AI agents take over repetitive digital tasks. This approach is especially valuable today, as users face an overwhelming amount of AI-generated and cluttered content online.
By allowing users to delegate tasks to intelligent agents, Comet offers a cleaner, faster, and more purposeful way to interact with the internet.
Availability and What’s Next
Currently, Comet is only available through the Perplexity Max plan at $200/month. Access is limited and invite-only for now, with a gradual rollout planned through the summer. Each new user receives a limited number of invites to share.
However, as competitors like OpenAI and Google continue to explore agentic browsers, Perplexity may eventually introduce a free or lower-cost tier to broaden access.
