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1h ago

Perplexity Makes Comet AI Browser Free Worldwide, Unveils Background Assistant for Max Users

Core browsing is now open to all, with advanced models plus a new Background Assistant reserved for paid tiers.

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The Washington Post and CNN websites with the Perplexity AI assistant in the righthand side of the window, in the Comet browser

Overview

  • Comet is now free to download globally with usage caps, ending the invite-only waitlist that followed its July debut for $200-per-month Max subscribers.
  • The browser centers a sidecar AI that travels the web with users to answer questions, summarize pages, manage content, and perform navigation, alongside tools like Discover, Spaces, Shopping, Travel, Finance, and Sports.
  • Max subscribers gain early access to a Background Assistant that runs multiple tasks asynchronously from a mission-control dashboard, with deeper connectors to desktop apps.
  • Perplexity keeps higher-performance models and the Email Assistant behind Pro ($20/month) and Max ($200/month) plans, and is promoting Comet Plus ($5/month) with named publishers, saying partners receive about 80% of proceeds.
  • The move escalates Perplexity’s challenge to Chrome and other AI browsers as lawsuits from Dow Jones and the New York Post over content use continue and mobile and voice versions are teased as coming next.