Perplexity releases Comet browser globally at no cost after three-month limited rollout

On October 2, 2025, Perplexity launched its Comet browser to the general public without charge, marking the tip of a restricted launch that started on July 9. The corporate indicated that tens of millions of customers had joined the waitlist through the three-month interval between the preliminary launch and the free public launch. The browser had initially been out there solely to subscribers of the $200-per-month Max plan and choose waitlist members.

The discharge follows what Perplexity characterised as unprecedented demand. “It has turn out to be probably the most sought-after AI product of the yr, regardless of how briskly we launch invitations,” the corporate said in its announcement. The general public launch permits any consumer to obtain Comet at perplexity.ai/comet with out requiring a subscription.

Information from the restricted launch interval revealed important behavioral modifications amongst customers. The variety of questions requested by Perplexity customers elevated between 6X and 18X of their first day after downloading Comet. This measurement represents utilization patterns through the July via September interval when the browser remained restricted to Max subscribers and waitlist members.

A number of assistant varieties develop past browser

The October 2 announcement launched Background Assistants, which function concurrently and asynchronously to finish duties. These assistants work independently of lively browser classes, concentrating on what the corporate describes as elimination of things from customers’ to-do lists. Background Assistants be a part of the beforehand introduced Electronic mail Assistant and the Comet Assistant that operates inside browser tabs.

Electronic mail Assistant, presently out there to Max Subscribers, operates via customary electronic mail protocols. Customers can cc their electronic mail assistant on any thread to deal with scheduling duties, obtain draft replies, and handle inbox-related requests. The system works via electronic mail interfaces moderately than requiring direct browser interplay.

The corporate beforehand shipped performance enabling a brand new Comet Assistant occasion to look in every browser tab. “Each new tab has a brand new Comet Assistant there to reply any query or take any motion in your behalf,” in line with the announcement. This implementation emerged throughout what Perplexity known as the “Comet Summer season” interval following the July 9 preliminary launch.

Perplexity first launched Comet as a Max-exclusive browser on July 9, 2025, concentrating on premium subscribers earlier than step by step increasing entry via its waitlist system throughout subsequent months.

Cell purposes develop AI assistant entry

Perplexity introduced previews of Comet for cell units, representing the browser’s first growth past desktop-only availability. The corporate said that “quickly, the Comet cell app will likely be out there on any gadget, with a private AI designed to your cellphone.” The announcement didn’t specify precise availability dates for iOS or Android variations.

The cell implementation will incorporate voice know-how for interplay with Comet assistants. “With industry-leading voice know-how, your interface with Comet assistants is simpler than ever,” in line with the announcement. The cell model targets what Perplexity describes as elimination of “muddle and frustration of cell advertisements and outdated app fashions.”

Writer partnership program launches with Comet Plus

The October 2 announcement included Comet Plus, a program bringing collectively what Perplexity characterised as “among the world’s most respected sources of reports and data.” The corporate said {that a} detailed listing of taking part publishers was out there in a separate doc however didn’t title particular publishers in the principle announcement.

Comet Plus represents Perplexity’s method to content material high quality past technological capabilities. “Know-how alone cannot make the web higher—the standard of what is on-line issues much more,” the corporate said. This system positions journalism {and professional} content material creation as integral to the Comet ecosystem.

The company has faced scrutiny over its data collection strategy, with CEO Aravind Srinivas revealing in Might 2025 plans to trace consumer actions throughout the web via the browser to construct complete consumer profiles for promoting functions.

Browser market context and competitors

The October 2 launch happens inside an more and more aggressive browser panorama centered on AI integration. Anthropic launched Claude for Chrome as a analysis preview in August 2025, providing browser extension-based AI capabilities. The Browser Firm launched Dia in June 2025 with related AI options. OpenAI has reportedly employed former Google Chrome workforce members all through 2024 and early 2025, suggesting potential browser growth plans.

Google has built-in Gemini AI capabilities into Chrome all through 2025, whereas Microsoft continues creating Copilot options inside Edge. DuckDuckGo announced a comprehensive browser redesign in July 2025 with enhanced AI integration whereas sustaining privacy-focused positioning.

In line with knowledge from Might 2025, Perplexity processed 780 million queries month-to-month, representing over 20% month-over-month progress. This question quantity offers a considerable consumer base for potential browser adoption, although browser switching usually requires larger consumer dedication than search engine modifications.

The Comet browser runs on Chromium structure and helps Chrome extensions whereas permitting customers to import present settings and bookmarks from present browsers. The technical implementation depends on the identical underlying know-how as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and different Chromium-based browsers.

Regulatory and aggressive implications

The browser launch comes as federal courts deal with Google’s search monopoly via antitrust cures. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in September 2025 that Google illegally maintained search monopolies however rejected Division of Justice calls for for Chrome browser divestiture. The courtroom as a substitute imposed behavioral cures together with prohibition of unique search distribution agreements and mandated knowledge sharing with rivals.

Google maintains roughly 67% browser market share via Chrome, whereas additionally controlling search market share exceeding 89%. The antitrust circumstances deal with Google’s $26 billion annual distribution settlement funds to gadget producers and browser builders to take care of default search engine positioning.

Perplexity acquired the OS.ai domain in July 2025, suggesting longer-term ambitions past browser growth. CEO Aravind Srinivas has described his imaginative and prescient as creating “an working system with which you are able to do virtually every thing,” positioning browsers as parts of broader computing infrastructure moderately than standalone merchandise.

Advertising and marketing and promoting implications

For advertising professionals, the browser launch represents one other distribution channel for AI-powered search and discovery experiences. The free availability eliminates the $200 month-to-month barrier that restricted Comet adoption throughout its preliminary three-month interval.

Perplexity announced its advertising strategy in November 2024, introducing sponsored questions and facet media placements. The corporate processes over 230 million queries month-to-month and maintains a consumer base the place 80% maintain undergraduate levels and 30% occupy senior management positions.

The browser requires intensive permissions to operate absolutely, together with entry to view screens, ship emails, entry contacts, and modify calendar occasions earlier than using superior options. These permission necessities have an effect on knowledge privateness concerns for customers evaluating browser implementation inside company environments.

However, the company’s advertising head departed in August 2025 after 9 months within the position, simply weeks after the Comet browser’s preliminary launch to Max subscribers. Taz Patel had joined Perplexity in December 2024 to develop the startup’s rising promoting enterprise.

The free browser launch modifications acquisition dynamics for Perplexity’s promoting enterprise. The place the $200 month-to-month Max subscription created a slender viewers of premium subscribers, free availability allows broader attain for potential promoting stock. The corporate has indicated it plans to make use of shopping context to construct consumer profiles for “hyper personalised” promoting much like established know-how corporations.

Technical specs and performance

The browser integrates Perplexity’s AI search engine because the default search supplier, positioning AI-generated search summaries prominently inside the shopping expertise. Every tab comprises a Comet Assistant able to answering questions on seen webpage content material, offering summaries of paperwork, and dealing with routine duties.

Early demonstrations showed the AI agent autonomously handling customer support interactions, together with a FedEx customer support chat the place the Comet Assistant tracked packages and communicated with reside brokers. This demonstration occurred simply 5 days after the July 9 preliminary launch, representing the primary documented public use case of the browser’s buyer help automation capabilities.

Testing by know-how publications through the restricted launch interval revealed proficiency in easy duties however important limitations in advanced multi-step processes. The AI agent operates via a sidebar panel that seems alongside webpages, enabling real-time evaluation of present web page content material.

The October 2 announcement emphasised philosophical positioning round curiosity and questioning. “We have at all times believed that curious individuals lead the world,” Perplexity said. The corporate framed browsers as instruments for enabling questions moderately than delivering predetermined solutions, contrasting with what it characterised because the web’s transformation into “a digital telephone book, the place each path results in a checkout button.”

The announcement included historic references to technological innovation pushed by questioning, citing the Wright brothers and transistor inventors as examples. “Every little thing nice begins with a query,” the corporate said, positioning Comet as infrastructure for curiosity-driven web use.

Timeline

Abstract

Who: Perplexity AI launched Comet browser to the general public, ending unique entry for $200-per-month Max subscribers who had been the one customers since July 9, 2025.

What: The free browser contains Comet Assistant for every tab, Electronic mail Assistant for Max subscribers, newly introduced Background Assistants for asynchronous activity completion, cell app previews for iOS and Android, and Comet Plus writer partnerships.

When: The general public launch occurred on October 2, 2025, three months after the July 9 restricted launch that had been delayed from an initially scheduled Might 2025 launch date.

The place: The browser is on the market globally for obtain at perplexity.ai/comet, with desktop purposes out there instantly and cell purposes introduced for future launch throughout all units.

Why: The free launch addresses demand from tens of millions of waitlist customers whereas increasing Perplexity’s consumer base past premium subscribers, supporting the corporate’s promoting monetization technique and aggressive positioning in opposition to established browsers from Google, Microsoft, and rising AI-powered alternate options.