Perplexity’s Comet AI Browser Goes Free; Max Users Gain Background Assistant
▼ Summary
– Perplexity has made its Comet browser free worldwide, positioning it against major browsers and search engines while offering a new background assistant for paid subscribers.
– The browser features a sidecar assistant that helps answer questions, summarize content, manage web pages, and navigate during browsing.
– Comet faces competition from incumbents like Google Chrome and newcomers like The Browser Company’s Dia, requiring reliable agentic capabilities to attract users.
– Free users can access the sidecar assistant and tools like Discover, Spaces, Shopping, Travel, Finance, and Sports, while Max subscribers get high-performing AI models and an email assistant.
– Max users receive early access to features like the background assistant, which performs multiple tasks simultaneously and can be managed via a central dashboard.
The AI search company Perplexity has opened up its new Comet browser to all users worldwide at no cost, a strategic move aimed at challenging established players like Google Chrome and emerging competitors such as The Browser Company’s AI-driven Dia browser. This rollout coincides with growing anticipation around OpenAI’s own AI browser launch. Previously available only to subscribers of the $200-per-month Max plan, Comet attracted millions to its waitlist thanks to its built-in sidecar assistant, which helps users by answering questions, summarizing web content, and navigating pages automatically.
Comet’s main feature is a sidecar assistant that joins you while you browse, helping to answer any questions you may have about the web page you’re on, summarize content, manage web content, and navigate web pages on your behalf. With rivals closing in, Perplexity must demonstrate that Comet’s agentic capabilities deliver real productivity benefits, otherwise, users may hesitate to abandon their current browsers.
Free users can access the sidecar assistant along with a suite of integrated tools. These include Discover, which offers personalized news and content recommendations; Spaces for organizing different projects; Shopping, which helps compare prices and locate deals; Travel, providing aggregated destination information, flights, and accommodations; Finance tools for budgeting and investment tracking; and Sports updates covering scores, schedules, and news.
Max subscribers, on the other hand, gain access to high-performance AI models and an email assistant that drafts replies, organizes your inbox, schedules meetings, and answers questions about your emails. They also receive early access to new Perplexity products, including a recently announced background assistant that CEO Aravind Srinivas introduced at a Wednesday evening event.
A company representative described the background assistant as “a team of assistants working for you,” all managed through a central dashboard that functions like mission control. This assistant handles multiple computer tasks in the background, even while you step away, such as sending emails, finding the cheapest concert tickets, or locating the best direct flights. Users can monitor task progress via the dashboard and step in to complete actions, like sending an email or making a purchase. The assistant sends a notification once each task is finished.
According to the spokesperson, the background assistant includes “better connectors” that allow it to interact with other applications installed on your computer. TechCrunch has requested further details about specific use cases and scenarios where the assistant excels.
Free Comet users also have the option to subscribe to Comet Plus, a forthcoming $5-per-month standalone product designed as an AI-enhanced alternative to Apple News. Pro users, who pay $20 each month for advanced AI models, image and video generation, and file upload capabilities, as well as Max subscribers, will automatically receive access to Comet Plus.
(Source: TechCrunch)
