Perplexity Drops Comet Paywall, Goes Free on All Platforms

Perplexity's Comet browser has launched as a free app for iPhone, completing the browser's expansion across all major platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. The move marks a significant shift from Comet's origins as a $200/month PC-only subscription when it first launched last summer.

Comet for iPhone can be set as the default browser on iOS and integrates Perplexity's full research toolkit, including Deep Research, voice mode, page summarization, and shopping assistance. Apple's platform restrictions prevent third-party browser extensions on iOS, limiting Comet compared to its desktop version. A Comet Plus tier at $5/month, included with Perplexity Pro and Max subscriptions, unlocks premium publisher content from media partners including Conde Nast titles.

The pricing pivot and what it signals

Comet's journey from $200/month to free across all platforms has been rapid. The browser launched on Windows and Mac as a premium subscription, expanded to Android for free, and is now free on iOS. The result: a product that arrived as a high-end tool is now available without cost on every major platform.

Perplexity has publicly stated that Comet is partly designed "to collect customer data for ad targeting." The free-access model supports that goal directly: by removing the subscription barrier, Perplexity expands the pool of users whose browsing behavior feeds its data collection. This positions Comet's advertising strategy against Google Chrome and Safari, which also monetize user data but have never charged for browser access.

How Comet competes in the AI browser market

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, its own AI-native browser, making the Comet vs. Atlas matchup the most direct competition in the AI browser category. Both aim to become the default browser on user devices, intercepting search queries, shopping behavior, and research sessions that currently flow to Google. Microsoft Edge continues to deepen Copilot integration, while Opera One and Arc have had AI-native browsing features for longer.

Perplexity's advantage is its search product's reputation among power users who already use it as a Google alternative. Converting those users to Comet is a more direct path to scale than building a new audience from scratch. The browser default slot on mobile is the strategic objective. Comet's free iOS launch, combined with the ability to set it as default, is the clearest move yet toward capturing that position.

What this means for digital marketers

The AI browser category is shifting from experiment to competition. A user browsing in Comet generates data for Perplexity's ad targeting; a user in ChatGPT Atlas generates data for OpenAI. For advertisers, the winner of the default browser slot determines which AI platform controls the intent signal most adjacent to purchase behavior.

The current Comet Plus premium content partnerships also signal a potential publisher advertising model: sponsored access to premium content within an AI browser environment, distinct from traditional display or search placements.