Last updated: 2026-10-21
Comet is a Chromium-based browser from Perplexity AI that puts an AI assistant beside every tab. It runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and Perplexity says a free version will always exist. Perplexity's own research reports its BrowseSafe detector reaching an F1 score of about 0.91 on prompt-injection tests.
About Comet
Perplexity AI makes Comet as a web browser with an assistant docked beside each tab. It is built on Chromium, the engine behind Chrome, so it keeps familiar browser basics: bookmarks, page translation and support for most Chrome extensions. Perplexity's help center lists seven features that set it apart, starting with Perplexity search as the default engine and Personal Search, which looks through your own browsing history to find a page you half remember.
The assistant is the reason to switch. Perplexity's Comet page shows it comparing how different news outlets cover a story, drafting an email reply that shares your schedule, building a study plan from a syllabus, building a basic website and shopping for an office chair. A Gmail connector lets it answer questions about your inbox and calendar, an Ask button explains the page you are on, and a Summarize button shortens long articles. You can also tidy tabs by typing a plain-English command instead of dragging them around.
How it differs from the Perplexity web app is where the work happens. The Perplexity site answers a question in one tab. Comet keeps the assistant beside the page you are reading, so it can see that page and, when you allow it, click and fill in forms on sites you are logged into. Jobs that should run away from your browser belong with Perplexity Computer from the same company, with Manus, or in a ChatGPT chat. A calmer browser with no assistant at all is what Arc offers. Assistants you would otherwise open in a tab include Microsoft Copilot, then Gemini, then Genspark.
On privacy, Perplexity says browsing data, passwords and payment details stay on your device by default, that the assistant never has access to your passwords or payment data, and that it sends only the context needed for a request. In Settings you can switch the assistant off, block it from named sites such as your bank, or use Incognito so it does not index your activity. Security researchers treat any browser that can act on pages as exposed to prompt injection, meaning hidden instructions inside a web page. Perplexity published its own detector for this, BrowseSafe, and says plainly that no detection model is a silver bullet.
Comet is free to download, and Perplexity states that a free version of Perplexity, including Comet, will always exist. The Comet page names Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and it does not list country restrictions. Paid Perplexity plans add higher usage limits, but Perplexity does not publish a Comet-only price list. If you are mapping the wider set of personal agents, see OpenClaw, OpenAI dots, Cue, Muse, Gemini Spark, Grok Bot, Hermes Agent and ChatGPT Work, and Smart Match will shortlist one for your job.
Pricing
Comet itself costs nothing to download. ai/pro, read 21 October 2026). No Comet-only price or per-plan Comet caps appear on the pages we read, so check the app for the current allowance.
Parent plans are covered on the Perplexity record.
| Tier | Monthly price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Comet (free) | Free | |
| Perplexity Pro (billed annually) | $17/mo | |
| Perplexity Max (billed annually) | $167/mo |
Key Features
- Personal Search: Searches your own browsing history in plain language, so you can ask for the page you read last week without remembering its title.
- Comet Assistant: Sits beside the open page and can read it, summarize it and, with your permission, take actions such as filling a form or drafting a reply.
- Gmail connector: Answers questions about your email and calendar once you approve access, and always asks before using another connected service.
- Natural language tab commands: Closes, groups or finds tabs from a typed instruction instead of manual dragging.
- Site blocking for the assistant: Lets you list sites, such as a bank, where the assistant may not read the page or take any action, set in Settings under Privacy and security.
- Built-in ad blocker: Removes ads inside the browser itself, one of the seven differentiating features Perplexity lists in its help center.
Pros
- Free to download on 4 platforms, so you can test the assistant without a Perplexity subscription.
- Permission controls are concrete: you can pause the assistant, block named sites, or use Incognito so browsing is not indexed.
- Perplexity publishes its prompt-injection research, including an open benchmark and detection model, which gives reviewers something to test.
Cons
- Perplexity does not publish Comet-specific usage caps or a Comet-only price, so heavy assistant users cannot budget from the pages we read.
- A browser agent that can click on logged-in sites carries prompt-injection risk, and Perplexity itself calls its detector one layer of several, not a guarantee.
- Sensitive accounts such as banking are safest on the blocked-site list, which removes the assistant from exactly the tasks some people want help with.
Data Handling
- Training-data policy
- Perplexity says browsing data is stored on the device by default, the assistant never has access to passwords or payment data, and only minimal context is sent to Perplexity when a request needs it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Comet actually cost?
Comet is a free download, and Perplexity states that it will always provide a free version of Perplexity that includes Comet. Paid Perplexity plans sit on top, with Pro listed at $17 a month and Max at $167 a month when billed annually, per perplexity.ai/pro on 21 October 2026. Perplexity does not publish a Comet-only price or per-plan Comet caps on the pages we read, so confirm the allowance in the app before relying on heavy assistant use.
Can you use Comet without paying?
Yes. Perplexity's own FAQ says the free version of Perplexity includes Comet, so you can install it, browse and try the assistant at no charge. The Comet page does not spell out how many assistant tasks the free plan allows. Incognito mode keeps the assistant from indexing your browsing, which is worth using if you test it on personal accounts.
What are Comet's closest competitors?
OpenAI's Atlas browser is the other AI-native browser HokAI's Arc page names alongside Comet. Arc, whose successor is Dia, suits you when tab organization comes first and an assistant second. Manus fits jobs you want handed off entirely, while ChatGPT fits open-ended chat without changing browsers.
How does Comet compare to Perplexity in 2026?
Comet is Perplexity's browser, so the same search engine is the default and Perplexity's help center lists it as the primary engine. The web app answers questions in one tab; Comet keeps the assistant beside whatever page you have open and can act on it when you allow that. Pick the web app if you only research, and pick Comet when the task involves pages you are logged into.
How do you set up Comet?
Download it from perplexity.ai/comet, then run the installer on Windows or drag the app to Applications on Mac. Perplexity says the keychain prompt is how Comet stores passwords and payment details locally. Next, import bookmarks and history from Settings, then open Settings, Privacy and security to choose what the assistant may read, and add any sites it must never touch.
Top Alternatives
- Perplexity: Pick Comet if you want the assistant to read and act on the page you are on; stay with the Perplexity site if you only need answers.
- Manus: Pick Manus when a task should run away from your browser; pick Comet when you want to watch and steer it in a tab.
- ChatGPT: Choose ChatGPT for open-ended chat and creation; choose Comet when the work lives on web pages you already have open.
- Arc: Choose Arc for tab organization without an assistant; choose Comet if an assistant beside the page is the point.