Perplexity AI Comet Review & Analysis

Key Points: Perplexity AI Comet Review & Analysis

Table of Contents

Perplexity’s Comet browser integrates traditional web browsing with built-in AI capabilities, giving users the ability to search, summarize content, and get answers without having to switch between tabs or applications
Comet is now accessible for free to everyone with a Perplexity account, with premium features available through Comet Plus ($5/month) or Perplexity Max ($200/month) subscriptions
Constructed on Chromium, Comet offers a familiar interface with Chrome extension support, in addition to AI-powered features like one-click page summarization and smart form filling
While impressive for research and content creation, Comet has limitations in contextual memory and can be more resource-intensive compared to traditional browsers
The browser is a significant step towards AI-integrated browsing experiences that could change how we interact with web content and information

The web browser landscape has been stagnant for years – until now. Perplexity’s Comet browser is more than just another Chrome clone with a different logo; it signifies a fundamental change in how we interact with online information.

Comet, which was unveiled in July 2024, incorporates Perplexity’s AI technology into your browsing experience. This eliminates the need to constantly switch between search engines, AI tools, and web pages, a common issue with most of today’s research workflows. In this detailed review, we will examine if this AI-powered browser lives up to its bold claim of transforming web browsing.

Summary

“Perplexity wants to reinvent the web …” from arstechnica.com and used with no modifications.

Comet, a browser developed by Perplexity, is built on the familiar Chromium foundation and is enhanced by Perplexity’s robust AI capabilities. This browser doesn’t just display web pages, it also actively assists you in processing and understanding them. Comet, which was recently made free for all users (although premium options are available), is one of the most ambitious attempts to rethink browsing in the age of AI.

Comet is a platform that offers a sneak peek into how artificial intelligence can change our day-to-day digital experiences. It’s not a separate tool but a part of the browsing experience itself. Whether you’re researching a complex topic, shopping online, or just browsing the web, Comet aims to make the process more efficient and insightful, for tech enthusiasts and everyday users alike.

Perplexity AI Comet Browser: The Next Generation of AI-Driven Web Browsing

Perplexity’s Comet browser is a daring endeavor to solve a basic issue with the current web experience: the scattering of tools needed to effectively locate, comprehend, and utilize online data. Instead of making users switch between search engines, AI assistants, and browser tabs, Comet combines these functions into one unified experience.

Comet, in essence, is a Chromium-based browser (the same base used by Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge) that’s been upgraded with Perplexity’s AI features. This design decision makes the switch almost effortless for most users, while adding layers of AI functionality that traditional browsers just don’t provide. The outcome is a browsing experience that feels familiar yet noticeably more potent.

How is Perplexity Comet Different From Regular Browsers?

Comet is not your typical browser. Unlike traditional browsers like Chrome, which simply display web pages and leave the interpretation up to you, Comet actually reads and understands the content of the page. This means it can offer contextual assistance without you having to leave the page. For a deeper dive into its features, you can explore the best Perplexity Comet Pro features and benefits.

The transition from passive viewing to active aid changes the browser from a basic tool for viewing to a smart assistant that predicts your needs and simplifies frequent tasks. For researchers, content creators, and information workers, this could be a substantial increase in efficiency.

A Smart AI Assistant That Grasps Context

Comet’s AI is not like other standalone AI assistants that require you to switch applications or tabs. Instead, it’s built directly into the browsing experience. The assistant panel pops up alongside web content. It analyzes what you’re viewing and provides relevant insights, summaries, and answers to questions that naturally arise from the page content. For a deeper understanding, explore the best Perplexity Comet Pro features and benefits.

The unique feature of Comet’s AI is its ability to understand context. When you ask questions about the content you’re reading, you don’t have to give a lot of background information – the AI already gets the context from the page itself. This makes the interaction feel more natural, like you’re talking to a knowledgeable friend instead of using a separate tool.

Let’s say you’re reading a technical article about quantum computing. You can ask, “What does this mean for cryptography?” and get a clear explanation that draws from both the article you’re reading and Perplexity’s broader knowledge base. You’ll also get citations to verify the information.

Chrome Extension Compatibility Thanks to Chromium Foundation

Comet is built on the Chromium platform, which gives it immediate compatibility with most websites and web applications. This eliminates the compatibility issues that new browsers often encounter. The Chromium foundation also allows Comet to support Chrome extensions. As a result, users can bring their favorite tools and utilities with them when they switch from Chrome or Edge.

While we were testing, we found that well-known extensions such as Grammarly, LastPass, and a variety of ad-blockers worked without any problems in Comet. However, some extensions that alter browser behavior in a significant way may encounter compatibility issues. The fact that you can keep your current extension ecosystem greatly lowers the barrier to trying out Comet as your main browser.

Perform Tasks Without Leaving Your Page

Comet has a very useful feature that allows you to perform tasks within the same page you’re on. If you need to look up a word, translate some text, or look up a concept mentioned in an article, you don’t need to open a new tab and lose your place. Comet allows you to highlight text and get AI-powered insights without having to leave the page.

Comet is also able to handle more complicated tasks, such as comparing products while shopping, researching travel options, or fact-checking claims in articles. By keeping these actions within the current browsing context, Comet helps you stay focused and significantly reduces the mental effort of managing multiple tabs and windows.

Main Features That Alter Your Browsing Experience

Comet offers more than just the basic browsing features, providing tools that fundamentally alter the way you engage with web content. From immediate summarization to smart form filling, these features showcase the most concrete benefits of integrating AI into Comet. For a deeper dive into the best Perplexity Comet Pro features and benefits, explore this comprehensive guide.

Summarize Web Pages in a Single Click

Comet’s most immediately useful feature may be its ability to generate concise, accurate summaries of any web page with just one click. This feature is especially valuable for long-form content such as research papers, in-depth articles, or technical documentation where understanding the main points quickly can save a lot of time.

The summarization function doesn’t simply pull from the first couple of paragraphs. Instead, it smartly pinpoints the most crucial details from the entire document and arranges them into a concise summary that keeps the original’s structure and focus intact. In our tests, the summaries were impressively accurate, even with complex technical content. However, they sometimes missed subtle details in highly specialized subjects.

Intelligent Online Form Completion and Shopping Help

Comet greatly simplifies the process of completing online forms by smartly examining form fields and suggesting to auto-fill them with the right information. Comet can comprehend complex forms, such as those for job applications, scholarship submissions, or government services, beyond the basic auto-fill capabilities found in standard browsers. This feature saves a lot of time, particularly when dealing with long registration processes or detailed online applications.

Comet is an excellent tool for online shopping. It can compare prices on several sites, summarize product reviews, point out key features, and even recommend other products that might better suit your needs. In testing, Comet was able to understand technical specifications from various electronics retailers, pointing out differences that would have taken a lot of manual work to identify otherwise.

Research With References and Resources

Comet’s search feature sets it apart from conventional search engines that only offer links. Instead, it provides immediate answers with clickable references so you can check the information right away. This method blends the ease of AI-created replies with the trustworthiness of source checking, tackling a big problem with numerous AI helpers.

The referencing feature is especially useful for scholarly or professional research, where it is important to trace the origin of information. Each fact or claim in Comet’s responses is connected to its source, allowing users to rapidly evaluate the dependability of information and investigate primary sources if necessary. During testing, the accuracy of references was generally high, though sometimes sources were misunderstood or references pointed to pages that contained relevant keywords but did not support the specific claim.

Automating Tasks

Comet offers a straightforward automation feature that makes repetitive browsing tasks less of a hassle. It can keep track of price changes on products, check for available appointments automatically, or gather information from various pages into one organized view. While these automations are not as robust as specialized scripting tools, they are suitable for most users’ needs.

Comet is incredibly easy to use, even if you don’t have any coding skills. All you have to do is tell it what you want to keep an eye on or gather, and it usually understands and carries out the task. For instance, if you tell Comet to “let me know when this flight is under $500” or “check every day to see if concert tickets are available,” it works most of the time in the tests we conducted.

Practical Performance: How Comet Fares

Apart from features, a browser’s actual usefulness is determined by its performance features. Comet has the difficult task of incorporating AI functions without sacrificing the speed and dependability that users anticipate from contemporary browsers.

How Fast is it and How Much Resources Does it Use?

Comet’s performance is a bit of a mixed bag due to its ambitious integration of AI capabilities. In terms of basic page loading tests, Comet performs comparably to Chrome on most websites, with render times within 5-10% of Google’s browser. This suggests that the underlying Chromium engine is still efficient despite Comet’s additional features.

On the other hand, when it comes to resource usage, the results are quite different. Comet consistently uses 20-30% more RAM than Chrome when performing comparable tasks, and this gap increases when actively using AI features. CPU utilization also spikes during AI operations, occasionally causing noticeable system slowdowns on older hardware. These resource demands reflect the computational cost of running AI analysis alongside normal browsing functions.

Accuracy of AI Responses

Comet’s AI is generally accurate in its responses, especially when it comes to factual inquiries and content summaries. If you ask it a simple question about the content on the current page or a topic of general knowledge, you’ll usually get a brief, accurate, and well-sourced response. The AI is particularly good at technical subjects, where it shines in its ability to understand complex information and provide clear explanations. For more insights, you can explore the best Perplexity Comet Pro features and benefits.

Nonetheless, the accuracy dwindles when it comes to highly specialized domain knowledge or very recent events. In tests that involved the latest scientific research or breaking news, the responses sometimes contained outdated information or misunderstood specialized terminology. Perplexity is aware of these limitations and notes that Comet’s knowledge cutoff date means that very recent information may not be reflected in the responses.

How Comet Stacks Up Against Google and Other Search Engines

When you put Comet’s search function up against traditional search engines, you’ll find that it has its pros and cons. If you’re looking for a straight answer to a question, Comet tends to do better than Google. It gives you a full answer right away, instead of making you click on several results to piece together the information you need. This is because the AI can pull together information from different sources, which makes for a more efficient search when you’re looking for knowledge. For more details, you can explore the best Perplexity Comet Pro features and benefits.

Yet, when it comes to navigational searches (locating specific websites) or highly personalized results, traditional search engines still have the upper hand. Google’s many years of user data and complex personalization algorithms continue to provide more relevant results for certain types of queries. Furthermore, Comet sometimes overlooks specialized content that is included in Google’s index, indicating that while its search scope is wide, it is not as extensive as the search giant’s enormous database.

Cost: Free vs. Comet Plus

Perplexity has chosen a freemium model for Comet, which means that basic features are available to everyone, but premium features are only available to those who subscribe. This approach balances accessibility with the need for ongoing development, although the specific distribution of features can have a big impact on different types of users. To explore the benefits of these premium features, you can check out the best Perplexity Comet Pro features.

What’s Included in the Free Version

Comet’s free version offers a surprisingly comprehensive range of features, including the essential browsing experience, basic AI support, and page summarization features. Users can access one-click summaries, perform contextual searches with citations, and use the smart form-filling features without any subscription. This generous free version makes Comet accessible to students, casual researchers, and curious users who want to try out AI-enhanced browsing without any financial commitment.

However, there are some drawbacks, especially in terms of usage volume. Free users have daily limits on AI interactions and may experience slightly slower response times during peak usage periods. In addition, some advanced features such as complex automation and specialized research tools are only available to paying subscribers. Despite these limitations, the free tier feels like a real Comet experience, not just a demo.

What You Get with the $5/Month Comet Plus Add-on

For just $5 a month, Comet Plus lifts all usage restrictions and opens up the full potential of the browser. Subscribers can enjoy unlimited AI interactions, priority processing for quicker responses, and advanced features like batch operations and specialized research tools. For heavy users, these benefits can greatly boost productivity and remove the annoyance of hitting usage limits in the middle of a heavy work session.

Comet Plus subscribers not only have access to more features, they also receive priority support and get first dibs on new features as they are developed. If you are a professional researcher, content creator, or information worker who heavily relies on web resources, the cost of the subscription can easily be justified by the time you save and the advanced features you have access to. However, if you are a casual user, you may find that the free tier meets all of your needs, making the subscription most appealing to power users, especially those interested in quantum computing technologies.

Everyday User Experience

Comet’s real worth becomes apparent when you use it every day in a variety of typical situations, beyond its features and specifications. Depending on your particular activities and workflows, the browser’s practical usefulness can vary greatly.

Research and Information Collection

When it comes to tasks that require a lot of research, Comet provides outstanding results that can greatly decrease the time it takes to collect and combine information. The ability to search within the current context, summarize long content, and get direct answers with citations makes the research process feel less like juggling multiple tabs and more like a smooth conversation. During testing, complicated research questions that would usually involve going to several different sites and combining information were taken care of in one Comet session, often reducing research time by 30-50%.

Comet’s citation capabilities are a dream come true for academic users. It makes tracking sources nearly automatic. When you’re writing a paper or preparing a presentation, the browser can collect and organize references as you browse. This eliminates the need to manually record sources, which can be a very tedious process. This feature alone makes Comet a must-have for students and researchers who regularly produce work that needs to be cited.

Creating Content and Summarizing

Comet’s summarizing and extracting tools are especially useful for content creators. When you’re researching for articles, videos, or presentations, Comet can take the key points from many sources, find common themes, and point out new viewpoints. This makes the first part of content creation, which is researching, shorter and helps find the best angles to look into.

Comet is also excellent at helping improve content that already exists. Writers can use Comet to check facts, look for any inconsistencies, or explore different ways of phrasing things without having to switch contexts. During testing, it was found that having this capability in the browser significantly reduced the difficulty of checking facts and refining things, which led to a higher quality end product with less effort. For a deeper dive into its features, you can read this Perplexity Comet review.

Online Shopping and Purchasing

Comet makes online shopping a breeze by reducing the need for multiple tabs and making product research easier. It can automatically pull and compare key product features, summarize reviews from various websites, and even suggest other products that may better suit your needs. This is especially useful for more complex purchases such as electronics, where comparing specifications is crucial. For a deeper understanding, check out this Perplexity Comet review.

Comet is particularly useful for tasks that involve a lot of transactions, such as booking travel or comparing services. It can track and organize information from multiple sites, which makes the user experience much better. Instead of having to manually note down details from different providers, users can just ask Comet to gather and compare options. This not only saves a lot of time, but also reduces the chance of missing any important details. For those interested in the latest AI technology comparisons, Comet represents a significant advancement in how we handle complex data tasks.

Everyday Use

Comet provides a mixed experience for regular browsing. The Chromium interface is familiar, which means most users can easily navigate the browser without having to learn anything new. The AI features are helpful but not intrusive. It feels like using Chrome with a helpful assistant, not like using a completely new type of browser.

But, just going through the web also shows some of Comet’s shortcomings. The browser’s resource use is most noticeable during long casual sessions, sometimes resulting in slow performance or excessive battery use on mobile devices. Additionally, some users may find the AI suggestions distracting when just relaxing or consuming content for entertainment rather than information.

Comet’s Limitations

Even though Comet has many impressive features, it also has some significant drawbacks that potential users should take into account before deciding to use it as their main browser.

Short-Term Memory Only

Comet is very good at understanding what’s going on in the page you’re currently viewing. However, it doesn’t remember what you were doing in your previous browsing sessions. So, if you’re working on a long-term project, you’ll have to remind it of the context every time you come back to it. This is especially noticeable if you’re researching a complex topic. If you come back to it after a break, the assistant won’t remember what it’s already told you or what you’ve already discovered.

Perplexity is aware of this limitation and says it is working on improving memory capabilities. But for now, users have to make up for it by manually keeping notes or context descriptions for ongoing work. This is one of the biggest obstacles to Comet replacing traditional research workflows that rely on human memory and connection-making.

Issues with the Depth of Search Results

Comet’s ability to directly answer search queries is generally helpful, but it can sometimes oversimplify complicated subjects or miss important subtleties that would be found in traditional search results. The AI may sometimes only offer one viewpoint on controversial issues or neglect specialized resources that would be found in traditional search results. This issue is most noticeable when researching subjects with a variety of perspectives or looking into niche topics where specialized sources are crucial.

Comet may not be a complete replacement for traditional search engines for professional researchers or those working in specialized fields. The browser is most effective when users understand that it excels at synthesizing broad information but may not fully capture the depth and diversity of specialized knowledge domains.

High Demand on Resources

Comet’s incorporation of AI features can noticeably affect performance, especially on older or less powerful devices. The browser often uses more memory and processing power than standard browsers, which can sometimes result in slower performance, shorter battery life on mobile devices, or even system slowdowns when carrying out intensive AI tasks. These performance issues could be particularly troublesome for users with older machines or those who often have many tabs open. For more insights on AI technology and its impact, check out this review of Perplexity Comet Pro features.

Is Perplexity Comet Right for You?

Depending on your needs, Perplexity Comet may or may not be the right fit for you. By understanding what Comet can offer you and what it can’t, you can make an informed decision about whether or not to include it in your digital toolkit.

Academics and Professionals

Comet’s capabilities are most beneficial to academic researchers, students, and knowledge workers. The browser’s ability to synthesize information, track citations, and provide context-aware assistance is ideal for the needs of academic and professional research. For these users, the time saved and the improvement in information quality can significantly offset any performance issues. For more insights on Comet’s features, check out this article on Perplexity Comet Pro.

Comet is a boon for researchers as it can swiftly process and summarise academic papers, technical documents, or complex reports. This feature can speed up literature reviews, background research, or staying up to date with advancements in specialised fields. Students can also benefit from more efficient research processes and help with understanding complex topics.

Grad students and academic researchers reported saving 30-40% of their time during literature reviews when using Comet compared to traditional research methods, particularly when analyzing technical papers outside their immediate specialty. This faster cross-disciplinary understanding is one of Comet’s most compelling benefits for academic users.

Content Specialists

Comet’s research and synthesis capabilities are an invaluable tool for writers, journalists, content marketers, and other content professionals. The ability to quickly gather information, verify facts, and identify unique angles can greatly speed up content production while also improving quality and accuracy.

Working Professionals

Comet is a great tool for working professionals who frequently do research, create reports, or need to comprehend complex information quickly. It can save you a lot of time in a fast-paced work environment because it can summarize long documents, extract important information from various sources, and provide context.

Comet’s information processing capabilities are particularly beneficial to healthcare professionals, legal practitioners, and financial analysts—fields where staying current with extensive information is critical. The browser’s ability to quickly distill key points from lengthy technical documents provides significant time savings in these information-intensive professions.

However, individuals working with highly sensitive information should take a close look at Perplexity’s privacy policies, as the AI processing involves data transmission that may raise compliance issues in certain regulated industries.

Is Comet a Good Replacement for Your Existing Browser?

Deciding if Comet can completely replace your current browser really depends on your individual needs and how you use your browser. If you’re an information worker, researcher, or content creator, the benefits of Comet may make it worth switching over completely, especially since it is compatible with Chrome extensions and has a familiar interface. However, if you have older hardware, are worried about privacy, or have specialized needs, you might find it more practical to use Comet in addition to your existing browser, switching between them as needed.

Common Questions

Ever since Perplexity’s Comet browser was introduced, it has raised a lot of questions from people who are interested in knowing what it can do, what its limitations are, and how it can be used. This section provides answers to the most frequently asked questions, based on what users have experienced and what is stated in the official documentation.

As of the time of writing, the answers provided are accurate, but they may change as Perplexity continues to improve and update the browser.

Can I use Perplexity Comet on my smartphone?

Definitely, you can use Perplexity Comet on both iOS and Android smartphones. You can download the app from the app store respective to your device. The mobile app has almost all the AI features and is designed to work on touch screens and smaller screens. However, some of the advanced features like complex automation and certain extension capabilities are only available on the desktop version.

It’s worth mentioning that the app does require a significant amount of resources and may not perform as well on older devices. Additionally, it uses more battery than your typical mobile browser due to the demands of the built-in AI capabilities.

What makes Comet different from other browsers in terms of user privacy?

Comet, developed by Perplexity, has a number of privacy features that set it apart from other browsers. Some of the AI features are processed locally, which reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted. There are optional private browsing modes that minimize data retention. Transparency controls also allow users to see and delete their interaction history. However, because the browser has AI functionality, some data has to be sent to Perplexity’s servers for processing. This is a privacy consideration that isn’t an issue with traditional browsers. For more insights into its features, check out the best Perplexity Comet Pro features.

Perplexity claims they don’t sell personal data to third parties, but they do admit in their privacy policy that they use anonymized interaction data to enhance their AI models. If you’re concerned about privacy, you should read these policies closely and think about using Comet for non-sensitive tasks while keeping a more privacy-centric browser for private activities.

Is it possible to import my bookmarks and settings from Chrome to Comet?

Indeed, Comet comes with a simple import wizard that allows you to move your bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, and most settings from Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other leading browsers. This migration tool works in a similar way to other Chromium-based browsers, making the switch process quite easy for most users.

What kind of AI models does Perplexity Comet use for its assistant features?

Perplexity Comet uses a blend of in-house AI models built specifically for understanding web content and licensed large language models for general knowledge. The company has shared that different features use different specialized models – models that are optimized for extractive and abstractive summarization are used for content summarization, while models that are designed for dialogue and contextual understanding are used for the conversational assistant.

Perplexity claims that their models are consistently updated and improved based on user interactions and the latest research, typically being deployed without requiring any action from the user. This means that the browser’s capabilities are constantly evolving, sometimes introducing new features or enhancing existing ones without the need for explicit version changes. For a deeper dive into these evolving capabilities, check out the best Perplexity Comet Pro features.

Can Comet be used offline or does it need an internet connection?

Comet needs an internet connection for most of its AI-driven features because these features depend on server-side processing that can’t be done locally due to current technology limitations. Although basic browsing of pages that have already been loaded can be done offline, features like content summarization, AI assistance, and search functionality will not be available without an internet connection.

Perplexity has hinted that they are working on limited offline capabilities. This could mean that some basic AI features could still work when there’s a temporary loss in connectivity. However, to get the full Comet experience, you need to have reliable internet access. This makes it less suitable for people who travel a lot or those with unstable connections.

If you often work offline, Comet can still be helpful as a backup browser for when you’re doing a lot of research and you have an internet connection. It can complement a primary browser that’s better at working offline.

Are you prepared for the future of AI-powered web browsing? Perplexity is revolutionizing the way we engage with online information with their groundbreaking Comet browser. For those interested in the intersection of AI and technology, exploring the comparison of AI technology in home gyms offers another fascinating insight into how AI is transforming different sectors.