News

Perplexity makes Comet browser free after it was previously paid-tier only

Oct 2, 2025

Key Points

  • Perplexity makes Comet, its agentic browser, free to all users after previously gating it to paid subscribers at $20-$200 per month.
  • Comet can execute actions on behalf of users, differentiating it from similar tools from Anthropic and OpenAI that only provide information.
  • The shift to free sacrifices near-term monetization to compete on adoption as AI-powered web interaction becomes table stakes across the industry.

Summary

Perplexity has made Comet, its agentic browser, free to all users. The product was previously available only to paid subscribers at pricing between $20 and $200 per month. Comet, which launched recently in beta, can take actions on the user's behalf rather than simply provide information, distinguishing it from Claude's browser extension at Anthropic and the similar tool OpenAI is launching. Browser Company, which recently partnered with Atlassian, also competes in this space.

Comet does not yet have a mobile app, limiting it to desktop users. For a $20 billion company trying to establish product-market fit in a new category, the lack of mobile coverage puts Perplexity at a disadvantage against incumbents with entrenched mobile distribution.

Multiple AI labs are bundling browser capabilities into consumer offerings, making web interaction powered by AI a competitive baseline rather than a differentiated feature. Perplexity's shift to free access suggests the company is prioritizing user reach and habit formation over near-term revenue.