Startup Perplexity, focused on AI-powered search, has just made its new browser, Comet, available to everyone worldwide for free. The browser was first released three months ago exclusively for subscribers to the Max plan, which costs $200 per month (approximately CZK 4,600). Since then, millions of people interested in trying its features have joined the waiting list. Comet's main attraction is its sidecar assistant, which accompanies users as they browse the web. This assistant answers questions about the current page, summarizes content, organizes information from the web, and even handles navigation on the user's behalf.
Perplexity is trying to compete with major players such as Google Chrome as well as newcomers like The Browser Company's Dia browser. The company is also preparing for the upcoming launch of an AI-powered browser from OpenAI. For Comet to succeed, its agentic capabilities must work reliably, because people need to see real productivity gains; otherwise, they will stick with their existing browsers.
For free users, the Comet experience remains limited to the sidecar assistant. In addition, everyone gets access to tools such as Discover for personalized news and content recommendations similar to OpenAI's Pulse, Spaces for organizing projects, Shopping for comparing prices and finding deals in online stores, Travel for summarized information about destinations, flights, and accommodations, Finance for budgeting and tracking expenses and investments, and Sports for live scores, schedules, and news.
Advanced Features for Max Subscribers
Max plan users also have access to powerful AI models and an email assistant that writes replies matching the user's tone, organizes their inbox, schedules meetings, and answers questions about email content. They also get priority access to new Perplexity features, including the newly announced background assistant, which CEO Aravind Srinivas introduced at an event on Wednesday evening.
This background assistant works like a team of helpers that the user manages from a central dashboard resembling a control center. It performs several tasks simultaneously on the computer in the background while the user does other work or goes to make a sandwich. For example, it can send an email, add the cheapest concert tickets to the shopping cart, and find the best direct flight for a specific date and time. The user can monitor progress in the dashboard, intervene, take control, or wait for a notification when the task is complete. The assistant offers better integration with other applications on the computer, allowing it to access them for more complex tasks.
The New Comet Plus and Its Benefits
Free users can purchase a separate Comet Plus subscription for $5 per month, approximately CZK 115, which promises an AI-enhanced news-reading experience similar to Apple News. Pro plan users, who pay $20 per month for advanced AI models, image and video generation, and file uploads and analysis, receive Comet Plus automatically. The same applies to Max subscribers.
Charging a fee helps Perplexity combat low-quality AI-generated content and improves access to high-quality research tools. In this way, the company is expanding its reach while reserving advanced features for paying users.
