Verdict
A great reader, still a learning doer
Across published reviews, Comet is consistently strong at understanding pages: summaries, quick answers and ad blocking, plus an easy switch from Chrome. Its agent tasks are where results split: adding to carts often works, but checkout, travel bookings and long multi-step jobs were unreliable. Use it as a research companion, and supervise anything that spends money or sends messages.
How this review works: we compiled hands-on findings from CNET, Cybernews, eMarketer and MacStories (dated August 2025 to March 2026) and Comet’s documented features. We don’t publish our own lab scores or star ratings. Comet updates often, so every finding is dated and you can verify it with the test kit below.
Results
Comet’s everyday tests: what reviewers found
| Everyday task | Result | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Importing from Chrome | Works well | Reviewers found importing bookmarks and data easy and straightforward. | Cybernews (Oct 2025) |
| Summarising pages and videos | Works well | Called “one of its best features”; quick summaries of articles and YouTube videos. | Cybernews (Oct 2025) · CNET (Aug 2025) |
| Blocking ads and trackers | Works well | Blocked a noticeable amount of ads and trackers, though not as advanced as dedicated blockers. | Cybernews (Oct 2025) |
| Asking about open tabs (@tab) | Mixed | Comparing tabs was praised on iPhone, but another reviewer found @tab “inconsistent or a bit buggy”. | MacStories (Mar 2026) · Cybernews (Oct 2025) |
| Shopping: find and add to cart | Mixed | Found products and added them to carts (cat food, USB4 cables), but didn’t check every item, and one test hit repeated checkout errors. | Cybernews (Oct 2025) · MacStories (Mar 2026) · eMarketer (Oct 2025) |
| Finding fresh news | Mixed | Results leaned towards explainers over the latest articles, so the reviewer sometimes went back to Google. | CNET (Aug 2025) |
| Booking hotels and travel | Unreliable | One test couldn’t connect to booking sites; another returned wrong locations and prices. | eMarketer (Oct 2025) · CNET (Aug 2025) |
| Long multi-step tasks | Unreliable | A complex task stalled repeatedly even after the reviewer confirmed it should continue. | CNET (Aug 2025) |
| Remembering past activity | Weak | Couldn’t find recent basket activity when asked to recall earlier shopping. | Cybernews (Oct 2025) |
| Everyday browsing on iPhone | Good, with gaps | Strong design and gestures; became the reviewer’s default iOS browser. Sync was clunky and some connectors were missing on iOS. | MacStories (Mar 2026) |
10 everyday tasks at a glance
Summary
Comet pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent one-click page and video summaries
- Easy move from Chrome; built on Chromium
- Built-in ad and tracker blocking that works
- Watch the AI browse and act in real time
- Free on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
- Gmail and Calendar connectors for daily briefs
Cons
- Agent tasks can stall or fail at checkout
- Travel and booking tasks were unreliable
- @tab and memory recall were inconsistent for some reviewers
- Mobile apps lack some desktop features
- Prompt-injection risks need care
- Fast-moving product: features and quality change often
Fit
Who should use Comet, and who should wait
Great fit
- Students and researchers juggling many sources
- Readers who want fast summaries and answers
- People who live in Gmail and Google Calendar
- Curious users happy to supervise an AI helper
Maybe wait
- Anyone wanting hands-off bookings or purchases
- Users who need rock-solid reliability every time
- Work setups with strict security policies
- iPad users (no dedicated iPad app at review time)
Security: what reviewers and researchers flagged
In 2025, researchers at Brave and LayerX reported prompt-injection issues, where hidden instructions on a web page could mislead Comet’s assistant. That’s a risk for all agentic browsers, not just Comet. Sensible habits:
- Supervise money and messages. Ask Comet to stop before checkout or sending.
- Keep sensitive accounts out of tasks. Avoid agent tasks while signed in to banking.
- Stay updated. Fixes arrive through updates.
Test Comet yourself: the everyday test kit
Run these eight quick tests in Comet and record each result. Your score updates as you go; nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
| Test | How to run it | A pass looks like | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarise | Open a long article and ask: Summarise this in 5 bullets | Accurate summary that matches the article | |
| Compare tabs | Open two product pages and ask: Compare @tab and @tab in a table | Both pages used, no invented details | |
| Fresh news | Ask: What are today’s top 3 tech stories? | Stories from today, with sources | |
| Shopping | Ask it to find an item under a budget and add it to the cart, stopping before checkout | Sensible pick, correct item in cart, stops when asked | |
| Form filling | Open a test or newsletter form and ask it to fill it, but not submit | Fields filled correctly, does not submit | |
| Travel | Ask it to find 3 hotels in a city on specific dates under a price | Real hotels, right dates and prices | |
| Tidy tabs | With 10+ tabs open, ask: Group my tabs by topic | Sensible groups, nothing important closed | |
| Recall | Ask about something you browsed earlier today | Finds the right page from history |
FAQ
Comet review questions
Is the Comet browser good?
For reading, summarising and asking questions about pages, published hands-on reviews are positive. For agent tasks like checkout, bookings and long multi-step jobs, results have been inconsistent. It’s a strong research companion that still needs supervision as a doer.
Did you test Comet yourselves?
This page summarises published hands-on reviews from CNET, Cybernews, eMarketer and MacStories, with links and dates, alongside documented features. We don’t publish our own lab scores. Instead we give you a test kit so you can check Comet on your own everyday tasks.
Can Comet replace Chrome?
Some reviewers made it their default browser; others said it isn’t ready to fully replace Chrome. Because it’s built on Chromium, switching is easy, so try it alongside your current browser first.
Is Comet safe to use?
Use it with care. Security researchers at Brave and LayerX reported prompt-injection issues in 2025. Keep it updated, review actions before purchases or sending, and avoid running agent tasks on sensitive accounts.
Is Comet free?
Yes, Comet has been free for everyone since October 2025. Comet Plus ($5 a month, or included with Perplexity Pro and Max) adds premium publisher content.
Have these issues been fixed?
Some reviews are from 2025, and Comet updates often, so some problems may have improved. That’s why we date every finding and recommend running the test kit yourself.
Sources
- CNET (Imad Khan): I tried Perplexity’s Comet AI browser (via Yahoo Tech), 16 Aug 2025
- eMarketer: Comet browser turns AI into a tool for shopping and site navigation, 13 Oct 2025
- Cybernews: Perplexity Comet browser review, 15 Oct 2025
- MacStories (Federico Viticci): Comet is the first agentic browser for iOS worth trying, 10 Mar 2026
- Brave: Indirect prompt injection in Perplexity Comet, Aug 2025
- Wikipedia: Comet (browser)
More about Comet
Decide for yourself
Try Comet free on your everyday tasks
Install it alongside your current browser, run the test kit, and keep it if it earns its place.