Perplexity launches Comet, an AI-powered browser to take on Google and Microsoft

The AI search startup on Wednesday unveiled Comet, a new browser that leans into voice, text, and app integrations to reimagine how people interact with the web. The launch comes just two weeks following reports that Apple was in talks to acquire Perplexity AI in a bid “to address the need for more AI talent and technology.”

The product is being pitched as a smarter browser, one that connects directly to tools like Slack and can respond to complex user questions in real time. It’s available to Perplexity Max subscribers at $200 per month, with invite-only access rolling out this summer.

“We built Comet to let the internet do what it has been begging to do: to amplify our intelligence,” the company wrote in a blog post announcing the launch.

Comet by Perplexity: A New AI Browser Aiming to Redefine Internet Search

While Comet is still in its early days, the direction is clear: Perplexity isn’t just building an AI search engine anymore—it’s going after the broader consumer internet experience. That puts it squarely in the path of incumbents like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, both of which are investing heavily in AI assistants of their own.

A short demo video released Wednesday shows users speaking or typing questions into Comet, which responds with direct answers and has access to connected enterprise tools. The pitch isn’t just about search—it’s about context-aware browsing powered by AI that remembers, responds, and helps you act.

Perplexity made waves last year with its AI search engine, which gained traction for giving straightforward answers sourced from across the web. But that growth also drew criticism. The company was accused of scraping and republishing content from media outlets without proper credit. In response, it rolled out a revenue-sharing model with publishers.

The launch of Comet comes amid a broader push by the company to expand its footprint. In May, Perplexity was reportedly in late-stage talks to raise $500 million at a $14 billion valuation, according to a source familiar with the matter. Earlier this year, Meta approached the startup about a potential acquisition, though the discussions didn’t result in a deal.

For now, Comet is only available to a limited group of users, but Perplexity says it plans to keep building. “We will continue to launch new features and functionality for Comet, improve experiences based on your feedback, and focus relentlessly, as we always have, on building accurate and trustworthy AI that fuels human curiosity,” the company said.

Whether users will pay $200 a month for a smarter browser remains to be seen, but Perplexity is clearly betting that a more intelligent web experience is something people are ready for.

Perplexity was founded in 2022 by a team of ex-Google and OpenAI engineers. Instead of serving up a list of links, the platform responds to questions with direct, conversational answers—and cites its sources. The format is simple, fast, and clear, offering a real alternative to traditional search engines.