Perplexity’s Comet AI browser now free; Max customers get new ‘background assistant’

AI search startup Perplexity is making its new Comet browser available to everyone in the world for free as it works to position the product against big browsers and search engines. For certain paid subscribers, the startup has also launched a new “background assistant” to handle multiple tasks via Comet.  

Perplexity first launched Comet to subscribers of its $200-per-month Max plan three months ago, and since then, “millions” have signed up on the waitlist to download the browser. 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.  

Perplexity’s move to make Comet free comes as the startup fights to compete against both incumbents like Google Chrome and newcomers like The Browser Company’s AI-powered browser Dia. It also comes ahead of OpenAI’s much-anticipated AI-powered browser launch.  

In the face of such competition, Perplexity will need to prove that Comet’s agentic capabilities work reliably. Because without tangible productivity gains, people might be less inclined to switch from their existing browsers.  

For free users, Perplexity’s Comet browser experience is still limited to the sidecar assistant. All users can also access different tools like Discover (personalized news and content recommendations similar to OpenAI’s new Pulse); Spaces (to organize and manage different projects); Shopping (assists in comparing prices and finding deals across online retailers); Travel (offers aggregated information on travel destinations, flights, accommodation, etc); Finance (tools for budgeting, tracking expenses, monitoring investments); and Sports (updates on scores, schedules, and news).  

Max users get access to high-performing AI models and can access Perplexity’s email assistant, which promises to draft replies and write responses that match your tone; organize and prioritize your inbox; schedule meetings; and answer questions about your inbox.  

Max users also get early access to Perplexity products and features, including a new “background assistant” that CEO Aravind Srinivas announced at an event Wednesday evening.  

A company spokesperson described the assistant as “a team of assistants working for you” that you can manage and track from a central dashboard like a “mission control.” 

The assistant performs multiple tasks on your computer in the background while you do other work or walk away to make a sandwich. In an example a spokesperson gave me, you could give the assistant a task to send an email, add the cheapest tickets to a concert to your cart, and find the best direct flight on a specific date and time. You can check the progress of the task completion in the dashboard and jump in to complete the tasks – like hitting send on the email, intervening, or taking over. The assistant will notify you when it has finished its task.  

The background assistant also has “better connectors,” so it can access other apps on your computer, per the spokesperson. TechCrunch asked for more specifics about use cases and where the background assistant thrives. 

Free Comet users can also purchase a $5-per-month standalone subscription to Comet Plus, a forthcoming product that aims to provide an AI-enhanced alternative to Apple News. Pro users (who pay $20-per-month for advanced AI models, image and video generation, file upload and analysis, etc.) and Max users will get access to Comet Plus automatically.