In a bold move challenging the dominance of established tech giants, Perplexity AI has announced the global public release of its Comet browser, making it entirely free for all users. This strategic decision to forgo a subscription fee marks a significant escalation in the AI-powered browser wars, directly taking on competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. By removing the paywall that was initially in place for its premium subscribers, Perplexity aims to rapidly accelerate user adoption and solidify its position in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

The Comet browser functions as an integrated AI assistant, designed to fundamentally reshape how users interact with the web. It goes beyond traditional search by enabling users to search the internet, intelligently organize tabs, draft emails, and assist with online shopping through conversational AI commands.

This all-in-one approach positions Comet as a potential alternative to using multiple separate tools. The company revealed that the waitlist for Comet had swelled to millions of users since its initial, exclusive launch for $200-per-month Perplexity Max subscribers this past July, indicating substantial market interest.

This release intensifies the competitive landscape, coming just months after Google integrated its Gemini AI into Chrome, Anthropic announced its own browser-based agent, and OpenAI unveiled the task-completing Operator. Perplexity’s aggressive play for market share was further highlighted by its unexpected $34.5 billion acquisition bid for Google’s very own Chrome browser in August, a clear signal of its ambitious intentions. By offering Comet for free, Perplexity is not just launching a product but is attempting to democratize advanced AI, putting immense pressure on rivals to match its accessible, zero-cost model.