AI search startup Perplexity is making its Comet browser available to all users for free, positioning the product to compete with major search engines and browsers. To accompany the free launch, the company has also introduced a new “background assistant” for its premium subscribers and announced a partnership with Chess.com to drive adoption.
The Perplexity Comet browser, which first launched three months ago exclusively for subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan, features a sidecar assistant that helps users summarize content, answer questions about web pages, and manage their browsing.
The move to a free model positions Comet to compete with established browsers like Google Chrome, newcomers like Dia, and the anticipated AI-powered browser from OpenAI. To succeed, Perplexity will need to demonstrate that Comet’s agentic capabilities provide reliable productivity gains that encourage users to switch from their current browsers.
New ‘background assistant’ for Max subscribers
For users of its top-tier Max plan, Perplexity is introducing a new “background assistant.” A company spokesperson described it as “a team of assistants working for you” that can be managed from a central “mission control” dashboard.
The assistant is designed to perform multiple tasks on a computer in the background while the user focuses on other work. For example, a user could instruct the assistant to send an email, add the cheapest tickets for a concert to a shopping cart, and find the best direct flight on a specific date. The user can monitor the progress in the dashboard and intervene or take over at any point. The background assistant also has “better connectors,” allowing it to access other applications on the user’s computer.
Partnership with Chess.com to drive adoption
To encourage users to download the new free browser, Perplexity has partnered with Chess.com. From October 2 to November 1, anyone who logs into their Chess.com account using the Comet browser will receive special benefits.
- 30 days of Chess.com Premium: Users get a full month of exclusive features, including ad-free playing, unlimited game reviews, unlimited puzzles, and access to all lessons.
- Entry to the 2025 Comet Open: The partnership includes a new tournament with a $200,000 prize fund, open to all players who participate using the Comet browser. The tournament will take place on October 11-12 and October 18-19.
“Chess.com’s community embraces strategy, curiosity, and continuous learning—qualities that also define how people use Perplexity. This partnership is a natural fit, especially as we introduce our Comet browser.”
said Ryan Foutty, Perplexity’s VP of Business.
Subscription tiers and features
While the core browser is now free, Perplexity continues to offer several paid tiers with additional features.
- Free users: Get access to the Comet browser with its sidecar assistant, as well as tools like Discover for personalized content, Spaces for project organization, and assistants for shopping, travel, finance, and sports.
- Comet Plus ($5/month): A forthcoming standalone subscription that will provide an AI-enhanced alternative to Apple News.
- Pro users ($20/month): Receive access to advanced AI models, image and video generation, and file upload and analysis capabilities. Pro users will also get access to Comet Plus.
- Max users ($200/month): Get access to the highest-performing AI models, the email assistant, early access to new features, and the new background assistant. Max users will also receive access to Comet Plus.
