Key points

• Perplexity has made its Comet AI browser free worldwide, removing the previous $200/month paywall.
• The browser combines a Chromium-like interface with a built-in AI assistant for research, summarization, and task automation.
• The company hopes free access will combat low-quality web content while driving large-scale adoption.
• Alphabet’s stock slipped slightly after the announcement, reflecting investor concerns over new competition to Chrome.

Comet Goes Global, and Free

Perplexity AI has officially launched its Comet browser worldwide at no cost, after months of limited access through premium subscriptions and a waitlist of millions. The company emphasizes this isn’t a temporary promotion but a long-term strategic shift, designed to make agentic browsing accessible to everyone.

By removing the steep price barrier, Perplexity aims to accelerate adoption and position Comet as more than a search tool, instead, a digital assistant layered directly onto the web.

Try Here Free Comet link

Why Perplexity Dropped the Paywall

According to company leadership, the move is meant to tackle the growing flood of low-quality online content, much of it amplified by AI. Comet’s integrated assistant is designed to:

• Summarize webpages and research findings.
• Highlight credible sources.
• Guide users toward more reliable information.

Perplexity argues that as the line between human-written and machine-generated content blurs, an AI-first browser can act as a filter, cutting through noise and making research both faster and more trustworthy.

Core Features of Comet

Comet combines familiar web browsing with advanced AI tools, including:

• Integrated AI Sidecar – Summarizes pages, extracts details, drafts emails, and executes multi-step browsing tasks.
• Discover & Spaces – Curated sections for topics like travel, shopping, sports, finance, and more.
• Task Automation – Can perform step-by-step actions on the web when authorized.
• Rate-limited free tier – Paid plans expand usage, with future features like a Background Assistant for parallel, asynchronous workflows.

This approach positions Comet as a workflow enabler, not just a browser replacement.

Pricing Shift and New Access Model

Until now, Comet was bundled with Perplexity’s $200/month Max plan, restricting adoption to power users. With the shift, the browser is free globally with usage limits, while premium tiers unlock extended capacity and advanced features.

Perplexity also offers Comet Plus, a paid add-on that bundles access to premium publishers, letting users read articles from outlets like CNN, The Washington Post, Fortune, the LA Times, and Condé Nast titles directly inside the browser.

The company stresses that this model supports journalism, with publishers receiving a meaningful share of subscription revenue.

The Competitive Stakes

By making Comet free, Perplexity is openly challenging Google Chrome’s dominance and staking a claim in the fast-growing AI browser market.

• Chrome has begun adding AI tools, but remains focused on its massive install base.
• Comet aims to differentiate on productivity, research quality, and publisher integrations rather than raw scale.
• Analysts say this makes Perplexity a serious contender in the next wave of browsing innovation.

Market Reaction and Alphabet Stock

The announcement had a quick ripple effect on Wall Street: Alphabet’s stock dipped modestly, as investors weighed the risk of Chrome facing serious competition from a free, AI-native rival.

Analysts note that while Google’s distribution advantage remains formidable, challengers like Perplexity can push the market toward faster innovation and differentiated user experiences.

Ambitions Beyond Chrome

Perplexity has previously made bold moves, including a contingency bid to acquire Chrome should regulators ever force Google to divest it. That ambition underscores the company’s willingness to use both product innovation and potential acquisitions to break into entrenched markets.

Still, Perplexity frames Comet as more than a Chrome competitor, instead as a personal assistant browser capable of orchestrating research, tasks, and workflows across apps and services.

What’s Next for Comet

Looking ahead, Perplexity is preparing to roll out:

• A mobile version of Comet, expanding adoption beyond desktop users.
• Background Assistant tools for Max subscribers, enabling multiple AI-driven tasks to run in parallel.

The ultimate test will be whether Comet can deliver consistent reliability and real time savings, factors that convince users to switch away from long-entrenched browsers.