Perplexity is an AI-powered "answer engine" that returns cited, source-grounded responses to queries rather than a traditional list of search-result links, positioning itself as a research-first alternative to both Google Search and general chatbots. Its most significant 2026 expansion is Comet, an AI-native Chromium browser with an assistant sidebar that can summarize pages, work across open tabs, and take agentic actions (form fills, bookings, email drafting) — originally launched in July 2025 as a $200/month Max-exclusive product, but made completely free worldwide (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac) on March 18, 2026. Pricing: Free (core search plus basic Comet features), Pro (~$20/month — full AI search, Deep Research, Comet Plus premium publisher content included), Max (~$200/month or $2,000/year — unlimited Labs, "Perplexity Computer" agentic feature with 10,000 monthly credits), Education (~$10/month), and Enterprise (from ~$40/seat).