Perplexity has announced that its web browser, Comet, is available for free access to users worldwide.
The browser, capable of performing actions autonomously as instructed by the user, was only available on a waitlist basis, and for the $200 monthly Max plan.
Comet is frequently presented as an alternative to Google Chrome. It utilises Perplexity’s AI capabilities, allowing users to chat with the assistant about the webpage content and automatically perform actions using natural language commands.
Additionally, it allows users to easily import Chrome extensions, bookmarks, and settings. However, even Google has stepped up and recently released an array of new AI and agentic features to Google Chrome.
Free users will have limited browser access, while the $20/month Pro plan and the $200/month Max plan offer extended features, including Comet Plus, which grants access to ‘high quality’ journalism from partner sources compensated for providing content to the AI assistant.
However, Comet Plus can be purchased for $5 per month by users on the free plan. Additionally, the Max plan will receive various early access features on Comet.
“When Perplexity users first downloaded Comet, the number of questions they asked increased by 6-18X in the first day,” Perplexity said in a blog post, claiming that the browser has become the ‘most sought after AI product of the year.’
Currently, Perplexity Comet is only available for Windows and Mac, and a preview version of the mobile app has been released.
Alongside this, Perplexity also announced ‘Background Assistants’ for Comet, which autonomously perform multi-step tasks in the background.
In a conversation with a spokesperson from Perplexity, TechCrunch reported that the feature can perform tasks such as sending an email, finding direct flights at a specific time, and adding the cheapest concert tickets to your cart, among others.
The report added that it will be available as an early access feature for the $200 monthly Max plan.
Additionally, the newly launched Email Assistant on Perplexity Comet is accessible with the Max plan. This feature allows users to include the email assistant in any thread to perform tasks, prepare draft replies for incoming messages, and more.
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