Verdict
Comet is a normal Chrome-style browser with Perplexity's assistant in a side panel, free on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. The Verge found it good at summarising pages and sorting email but tiring to steer on real tasks, and since September 2026 individual reviewers report that multi-step browsing now needs paid Computer credits. Security researchers have shown four separate ways a booby-trapped web page, link or calendar invite could hijack its agent.
Privacy note. Trains by default with an opt-out (a 3), marked down for four published prompt-injection hijacks (Brave, LayerX, Zenity) and browsing history shared with ad partners per the privacy notice
Best for
Summarising and comparing pages across several tabs
Skip if
Anyone planning to let it loose on a logged-in bank, email or shopping account
Key facts
- Category
- AI that does tasks for you
- Made by
- Perplexity AI, Inc.
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2025
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £20 a month
- Free plan
- Browser and page assistant free on all four platforms; agent browsing (clicking through sites) limited or reserved for paid plans
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Perplexity Pro (billed annually) | $17 | month |
| Perplexity Max (billed annually) | $167 | month |
What it does
- an AI browser with an assistant built in
- summarises pages and researches across sites
- shops and schedules from inside the browser
- automates tasks across websites
- keeps track of tabs and adapts to work habits
Ratings
What people say
Early adopters liked having every model in the browser, but the busiest 2026 user threads say the agent stopped doing tasks unless people pay for Computer credits, and user users call it neglected. The UK App Store rating (4.7) is thin at 811 reviews; Google Play's 4.2 from 38,780 is the firmer number.
“I completely switched to Comet like 2 weeks ago… It’s really impressive with all their models plugged in from the start”
Post on X, 16 March 2026 · source
“Comet used to be genuinely useful for practical tasks. I could ask it to check whether certain dates were available, search booking sites, and even help make a reservation. Recently, though, it feels more like a regular chatbot”
Individual user review, 16 September 2026 · source
“They moved agentic stuff to computer, so your current plan is downgraded, and they’re charging you credits for stuff that used to be part of a plan.”
Individual user review, 16 September 2026 · source
“Last week I asked it to check availability on a hotel page and instead of clicking through it just gave me a bulleted list of steps to do it myself”
Individual user review, 17 September 2026 · source
“Comet sucks. The team doesn't seem to be bothered about it at all.”
Individual user review, 19 August 2026 · source
Press reviews
- TechRepublic 2026-09-30
Best for agentic browsing; 'the strongest choice' for people who want the browser to take action, but agent queries need Perplexity Pro and users should watch which logged-in accounts it can reach.
- The Verge 2025-12-03
Comet found useful emails others missed and summarised well, but across five AI browsers the tester concluded they don't live up to the hype and asking them to do tasks led to frustration.
- TechRadar 2026-03-03
Zenity's zero-click 'PleaseFix' flaw let a calendar invite steer Comet into stealing passwords and files; patched by blocking file:// access.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- Yes by default for free and paid personal accounts (Perplexity's 'AI data retention' setting is on by default); the privacy notice lists improving 'our AI models' as a use of data. Email Assistant content is not used for training
- Opt-out
- Perplexity account > Preferences > turn off 'AI data retention' (applies to data collected afterwards)
- Retention
- Browsing history recorded when synced to a Perplexity account; local browsing data stays on the device. Account data removed within 30 days of account deletion (Perplexity help centre)
- Incidents
- Prompt-injection flaws reported by Brave (Aug and Oct 2025), LayerX 'CometJacking' (Oct 2025), Straiker Google Drive wipe (Dec 2025) and Zenity 'PleaseFix' (3 Mar 2026), each patched or disputed by Perplexity. Amazon sued over Comet's shopping agent (Nov 2025); the Ninth Circuit vacated Amazon's injunction on 4 Aug 2026 and the case continues. The privacy notice lists browsing history among data shared with advertising partners for targeted advertising.
- Age limit
- 13+ under Perplexity's terms, with parental consent under 18; UK App Store rates Comet 18+
Official videos
FAQ
Is Comet free?
The browser and its page assistant are free on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Getting it to click through websites and do tasks needs a paid Perplexity plan, from £20 a month in the UK App Store.
Is Comet safe to use for banking or shopping?
Researchers at Brave, LayerX and Zenity each showed hidden text in a web page, link or calendar invite could make its agent leak emails, files or passwords. Perplexity patched the reported flaws, and the UK's NCSC says this kind of attack may never be fully fixed, so keeping the agent away from bank and email logins is the cautious choice.
Does Comet work in the UK?
Yes. It is on the UK App Store and Google Play, and Perplexity offers desktop versions for Mac and Windows.
Comet or Dia?
TechRepublic rates Comet best for agentic browsing and Dia best for work spread across apps. Dia only runs on Mac, while Comet runs on phones and Windows too.
Why did Comet stop doing tasks for me?
individual reviewers in September 2026 report that multi-step browsing moved to Perplexity's paid Computer credits. Perplexity has not published a page confirming the change.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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