For over two decades, Google has been the unchallenged king of online search. Its name has even become a verb — we no longer “search” the internet, we “Google” it. But the tech landscape is changing fast, driven by the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this shifting environment, a new contender has appeared: Comet, an AI-powered web browser and “answer engine” from Perplexity AI.
The big question on everyone’s mind is: Can Comet realistically compete with Google? Or is it just another hyped-up tech experiment that will fade away in a few years? In this article, we will explore Comet’s origins, how it works, its strengths and weaknesses, expert opinions, and where it might be headed in the future. You’ll also get practical advice for businesses, developers, and everyday users who are curious about this new AI-driven way to browse.
2. Background of Comet
Comet isn’t just another search engine — it’s actually a fully-fledged web browser built on the Chromium framework (the same foundation used by Google Chrome). This means it can run all your favourite Chrome extensions, import bookmarks, and offer a familiar browsing experience. But under the hood, Comet works very differently.
Launched in July 2025, Comet is the brainchild of Perplexity AI, a company already making waves in the AI search space. Instead of relying on one AI model, Comet uses multiple powerful ones — GPT-4o, Claude 4.0 Sonnet, and Perplexity’s own Sonar model — to generate answers, summarise information, and even perform tasks on your behalf.
At the moment, Comet is in early access and available only to Perplexity Max subscribers, who pay around $200 a month. That’s a steep price for casual users, but it gives early adopters a chance to see what’s possible when AI is integrated directly into a browser. Perplexity is rolling it out on an invite-only basis, which adds to the exclusivity and buzz.
3. How Comet Positions Itself vs Google
While Google is a search engine first and a browser second, Comet flips that order. The browser itself is the product, and the search function is powered by AI rather than algorithms that rank pages based on SEO factors.
When you type a query into Comet, you don’t get a list of links. Instead, you get a direct, AI-generated answer, complete with citations from across the web. The experience feels more like having a conversation with a very knowledgeable assistant than looking through search results.
Comet also keeps track of your browsing context. That means if you switch tabs or continue a conversation from earlier, it still “remembers” what you were talking about. This is a big shift from the traditional way of searching, where every new query starts from scratch.
4. Expert Opinions
Many in the tech world have weighed in on Comet’s potential.
The Verge called Comet a bold experiment, praising its ability to autonomously perform tasks like sending emails, managing subscriptions, and accepting calendar invites. However, they noted that in some cases, these tasks took longer than doing them manually — a reminder that AI still has limitations.
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, has openly stated that browsers — not chatbots — are the real future platform for AI. In his view, Comet represents the natural next step in integrating AI into everyday internet use, because it works where users already spend most of their time: the browser.
Analysts at Data Insights Market believe Comet’s approach could change how we think about online discovery. By focusing on factual accuracy and showing sources for its answers, it avoids some of the SEO-driven noise that can make Google results feel cluttered or unreliable.
5. Strengths of Comet
One of Comet’s biggest strengths is its AI-first design. Instead of typing in keywords and hoping for the right links, you can simply ask it a natural-language question. The AI understands context, follows up intelligently, and explains concepts clearly. And because it cites sources, you can verify the information easily.
Another strength is its agentic capabilities — in plain English, this means Comet can do things for you. Want to unsubscribe from an annoying newsletter? Comet can handle it. Need to find and buy a product without opening a dozen tabs? It can do that too, all from within the same conversation.
Comet also keeps your context alive across tabs and sessions. If you start researching something in the morning and pick it up again later, Comet remembers what you were working on. This is a major time-saver for researchers, students, and professionals.
The interface is another plus. It’s minimalist and distraction-free, with summaries and explanations built in. You can highlight text on a page and instantly get a breakdown of what it means — handy for complex documents or articles in another language.
6. Weaknesses & Challenges
The first and most obvious drawback is accessibility. At $200/month and invite-only access, Comet is not a tool for the masses — at least not yet. This severely limits its ability to gain mainstream traction.
There’s also the question of reliability. While Comet can perform automated actions, they don’t always work perfectly. Sometimes, tasks take longer than expected or require you to step in and fix things manually.
Then there’s Google’s dominance. Google has decades of data, an enormous infrastructure, and a deeply entrenched user base. Even if Comet offers a better experience in some areas, getting people to break their Google habits is an uphill battle.
7. Opportunities for Comet
Despite these challenges, Comet has some big opportunities ahead. The demand for AI-powered tools is exploding, and Comet’s approach — combining browsing with intelligent assistance — could appeal to professionals, researchers, and students.
It could also find a strong market in India, where the appetite for new tech is high and government interest in supporting local or alternative digital infrastructure is growing. If Perplexity expands Comet to support regional languages, it could win over a large segment of users currently underserved by English-only tools.
There’s also the possibility of partnering with hardware manufacturers. Samsung has already partnered with Perplexity to preload its AI assistant in the Galaxy browser — a move that could be replicated with Comet.
8. Threats
The biggest threat to Comet is speed — not just in terms of performance, but in how quickly Google and other tech giants can copy its best features. Google’s Gemini AI is already integrating similar capabilities into its search and Chrome.
Other AI-enhanced browsers like Microsoft Edge (with Copilot) or privacy-focused alternatives like DuckDuckGo could also step up their game in response to Comet’s launch.
Finally, automation always carries risks. Giving AI control over your browsing and personal data could raise privacy concerns, and any high-profile mistakes could damage Comet’s reputation.
9. Predictions for the Future
In the short term (1–2 years), Comet will probably remain a niche tool for early adopters, tech enthusiasts, and productivity-focused users. Expect updates to make its automation more reliable.
In the medium term (3–5 years), Comet could launch a more affordable or free version, expanding its audience. Regional language support and mobile apps would be key to growing in markets like India.
In the long term (5+ years), Comet could carve out a significant niche, especially in research-heavy fields and among power users who value efficiency over habit. But a full-on replacement of Google for the average user would require massive cultural and behavioural change.
Conclusion
Comet is a bold and imaginative step toward an AI-integrated browsing future — a browser that thinks with you and performs tasks while preserving context. While it’s far from dethroning Google today, its agentic features and intelligent flow offer a glimpse of how search and browsing may evolve. For now, Comet complements rather than competes — but over time, if widely adopted and refined, it might just redefine how we “search.”
FAQs
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What is Comet search engine and who owns it?
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Comet is an AI-powered web browser built by Perplexity AI, launched July 2025. It’s essentially a browser with an integrated AI assistant that acts as an “answer engine,” offering direct responses and source citations instead of blue-link search results
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Is Comet better than Google in India?
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Not yet. It delivers conversational AI answers and task automation, but is limited in availability and cost ($200/month). Also, Google still dominates infrastructure and market share. Comet might appeal to niche users and productivity-focused users in India over time
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Can Comet guarantee user privacy better than Google?
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Comet emphasizes factual accuracy, citations, and context-aware AI, but privacy claims are not yet fully documented. Better trust may come from transparency, but more auditing is needed.
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Will Comet affect SEO strategies for Indian businesses?
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Not immediately. Since Comet still shows links for verification, SEO matters. But over time, as conversational AI becomes mainstream, strategies may shift to answer-focused content.
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How is Comet funded?
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Powered by Perplexity AI, which has raised significant investment (around $14 billion valuation in late-stage talks) and contemplated big moves like bidding for Google Chrome. Comet invests in AI infrastructure and market expansion
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Is Comet faster than Google?
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Speed varies. Agentic tasks sometimes take longer than manual actions, though background execution might save time overall. Basic searches are quick and info-dense
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Does Comet support regional Indian languages?
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Not confirmed yet. Future expansion efforts may include regional language support, especially if targeted at Indian users
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How can businesses prepare for Comet’s rise?
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Monitor AI-driven browser trends, build content optimized for answer snippets, explore task automation, and experiment with contextual AI features.
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Can Comet expand outside India?
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Yes — Comet is available globally (desktop), with planned mobile rollout and OEM partnership—Samsung preloads Perplexity AI in browser defaults.
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What are the main criticisms of Comet so far?
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Limited access, high cost, occasional task failures, slower performance in some actions, reliance on continued development and scaling before mainstream viability
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