Perplexity Comet Browser
Comet is Perplexity's Chromium-based web browser, launched in July 2025. Unlike browser AI features bolted on as extensions (Google's Gemini sidebar, Microsoft Copilot in Edge), Comet treats AI as a first-class component of the browser itself - the address bar, new tab page, and page context are all AI-aware by default.
Key Features
AI-Native Address Bar
Type a question in the address bar instead of a URL. Comet answers directly with Perplexity, skipping the search results page entirely. For navigational queries (specific sites), it still opens URLs normally.
AI Sidebar
Persistent sidebar that knows what page you are currently reading. Ask it to summarise the page, explain a concept from the article, or find related information. Context-aware - it reads the page without you copying text.
Agentic Web Browsing
The most distinctive feature: tell Comet to complete multi-step tasks - "Book me a dinner reservation at any Japanese restaurant in Soho, London for 2 people Friday 8pm." Comet browses, forms, and submits on your behalf. Available for Pro users.
Perplexity as Default Search
All web searches go to Perplexity's answer engine rather than Google. Can be changed to Google or Bing in settings, but Perplexity is the default and deeply integrated into the new tab page.
Market Positioning
Comet directly challenges Chromium browsers from Google (Chrome) and Microsoft (Edge). The strategic logic: Perplexity wants to own the search relationship, and the browser is where web search happens. By embedding Perplexity into the browser layer, it can capture users who would otherwise default to Google.
Status as of June 2026
Comet launched in early access in July 2025. As of mid-2026, it is available for macOS and Windows. Mobile versions are in beta. Download is free; agentic features require Perplexity Pro.
Comet vs Edge Copilot
Comet (Perplexity)
- • AI-first design from the ground up
- • Perplexity answer engine as default
- • Agentic task completion
- • Fewer extensions than mature Chromium browsers
Edge (Microsoft)
- • Mature Chromium with full extension support
- • Copilot sidebar powered by GPT-4o
- • Enterprise features (Group Policy, Intune)
- • AI search is additive, not the primary interface