Perplexity Comet Browser: Features, Privacy and Availability

Perplexity Comet is a Chromium-based browser with an AI assistant built into the browsing experience. It can answer questions about the page in front of you, compare information across tabs, search selected browsing context, and help with certain browser tasks.

That convenience changes the trust boundary. A conventional browser mainly displays websites. Comet can interpret them, use selected context, and in some workflows take actions. The real question is not whether it has AI; it is how much access you are comfortable giving an assistant that sits beside your browsing.

What is Perplexity Comet?

Comet is Perplexity’s AI-first web browser, built on Chromium. It keeps familiar features such as tabs, bookmarks, translation, browser-data import, default-browser settings, and support for many Chrome extensions. The difference is that Perplexity’s search and assistant are part of the browser rather than an occasional add-on.

Perplexity launched Comet in limited release on July 9, 2025, then announced free worldwide downloads on October 2, 2025. Early reports described a restricted Max-plan launch; later readers may find the browser available without paying for the browser itself. Advanced limits and account features can still vary.

What can Comet do?

Where Comet is genuinely useful

Comet is most useful when its context saves tedious copying and pasting. Ask it to compare two product pages, turn a long policy into questions, extract claims that need checking, or keep a research thread moving while several sources are open.

That is first-pass assistance, not final authority. A summary of a public page is a lower-risk task than allowing an agent to send an email, change an appointment, submit a form, or buy something. The browser can accelerate an investigation without owning the decision.

Is Comet free?

Perplexity announced free worldwide downloads in October 2025. The initial release was narrower, and paid plans may provide higher limits or additional agent features. Platform, account, and rollout differences still matter. “Free download” does not mean every feature is unlimited.

Desktop and mobile Comet are not identical

Desktop Comet is the fuller browser replacement, built around Chromium compatibility, browser data, extensions, and larger-screen research. Mobile versions focus more on assistant features and continuity. Do not assume an iPhone or Android release supports the same extensions or controls as desktop.

When moving from Chrome, import bookmarks first and treat extensions as a separate task. Test the sites and tools you depend on before making Comet your only browser.

Privacy: what Comet may handle

Perplexity’s Comet Privacy Notice describes technical data, browsing-related information, searches, permissions, and data used by optional features. When you ask the assistant for help, relevant context such as the current tab or browsing history may be sent to Perplexity for the request.

That is the basic trade-off: more context can make the assistant more useful, but it is also more information leaving the device.

• Review Comet’s privacy settings before using assistant features heavily.
• Block the assistant on banking, health, legal, workplace, or private-account sites when it is unnecessary.
• Never paste passwords, recovery codes, private keys, or confidential documents into prompts.
• Review connected Gmail, calendar, shopping, and workplace permissions.
• Do not treat Incognito as a guarantee of anonymity or proof that AI requests stay local.

Perplexity’s Privacy Snapshot explanation describes controls for Assistant access and explains that relevant context can be sent to Perplexity for a request.

The security issue unique to an AI browser

A webpage is not only information for an agent; it can also contain instructions aimed at the agent. That creates the risk of indirect prompt injection. Malicious text hidden in a page may try to influence what the assistant does when you ask it to summarise, search, click, or complete a task.

Keep reading separate from acting. A page can be useful enough to summarise while still being untrustworthy enough to prevent from sending a message or submitting a form.

How to use Comet more safely

1. Start with low-risk summaries and comparisons.
2. Do not connect email, calendars, payment accounts, or workspaces unless the benefit is clear.
3. Check the recipient, amount, attachment, URL, and appointment before approving an action.
4. Treat instructions found inside webpages as untrusted content.
5. Use a separate browser or site-blocking rule for sensitive accounts.
6. Keep Comet and the operating system updated.
7. Turn off connections you no longer use.

The safest mental model is simple: Comet is a capable assistant, not a trusted employee.

Comet versus conventional browsers

Choose Comet if integrated research is worth the extra permission review. Stay with a conventional browser if you want browsing to remain as separate and predictable as possible.

How reliable are Comet’s answers?

Comet may miss a qualification, confuse sources, use an outdated page, or present an inference as if the source stated it directly. Check original sources for prices, travel, health, finance, law, security advice, and anything consequential.

Who should try Comet?

Comet is a reasonable experiment for researchers, students, writers, and curious users who want page-aware help and are willing to review permissions. It is a poor fit for people who want the smallest possible data footprint or completely predictable browsing.

Bottom line

Perplexity Comet is not merely Chrome with a chatbot in a sidebar. It makes AI part of the browsing loop: useful for research and summaries, but more demanding of your trust. Start with low-risk work, inspect the privacy settings, block the assistant where unnecessary, and keep a human approval step before anything important is sent, bought, changed, or shared.

For current availability, use the official Comet page. Read Perplexity’s original announcement and worldwide availability announcement. The original article’s official link is also preserved: Perplexity Comet.

For related coverage, see our earlier Comet browser guide and AI tools coverage.