MonDive#23: Comet vs Chrome: Who Wins?

Welcome to the MonDive

Today in MonDive, we put two web titans head-to-head: Perplexity’s Comet Browser (the world’s first true AI browser) vs Google Chrome (the internet’s long-reigning powerhouse).

Same web, two browsers. The goal?
Find out which one’s the future — and which one’s just familiar.

Let’s dive in 👇

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🧠 Why This Matters

Not all browsers are equal.

Some just display the web.
Others — like Comet — use the web for you.

• Google Chrome: The most used browser on Earth. Fast, integrated, familiar.

• Comet Browser: The new AI-first browser by Perplexity — acts like a real assistant inside your tabs.

Let’s see how they compare.

Select Chrome and Comet Browsers

Visit Google Chrome

• Go to google.com/chrome

• Make sure you’re logged into Gmail and Google Calendar for full comparison

Visit Perplexity AI (Comet)

• Here’s the invitation link for the new Comet Browser!

• Click Download Comet Browser

• Install and launch the browser

• Sign in with your Perplexity Account or Google login

• Open the Comet AI Assistant Panel

• Make sure integrations like Gmail, Calendar, and Notion are connected

  

1. Search Intelligence

Input Example:

Best New York pizza places open past 1 a.m. with at least 4.5⭐ on Google Maps.

Comet Result:

Understands “late-night” + “4.5⭐.”
Pulls only pizzerias open after 1 a.m., with ratings and reviews summarized.

Chrome Result:

Opens a generic “best pizza” search.
You manually filter for hours + ratings.

👉 Winner: Comet (Context-Aware Local Search)

2. Real-World Assistant Tasks

Input Example:

“Buy picnic mats, paper plates, soda, and snacks from Walmart.”

Comet Result:

• Opens Walmart automatically

• Finds specified items and adds them to your cart

• Asks for confirmation before checkout

• Feels like Siri + a personal shopper combined

Chrome Result:

• Can open Walmart normally

• You must manually search and add every item to the cart

• Works fine, but purely manual — no automation

👉 Winner: Comet (Hands-Free Execution)

3. Email & Calendar Integration

Input Prompt:

“Unsubscribe from the top five spammy marketing emails.”
or
“Add meeting with Tim Cook at 3 p.m. today.”
Comet executes those actions live using your browser tabs and local permissions — not a web API.

Comet Result:

• Executes commands directly through the browser

• Can unsubscribe from spam emails automatically

• Adds or edits calendar events like “Meeting with Tim Cook at 3 p.m.”

• Runs locally — no external API needed

Chrome Result:

• Tried searching: “Unsubscribe from the top five spammy marketing emails.” or “Add meeting with Tim Cook at 3 p.m. today.”

• Google shows “no great matches for your search.”

• Suggests unrelated results like “What is web API?” or “How much is the salary of Tim Cook?”

• Pure web search — no real action or automation.

👉 Winner: Comet (True Automation)

4. Note-taking & Workspace Control

Input:

Look through my Notion workspace and tell me when my daughter’s next school closure day is.

Comet Result:

• Executes the same prompt directly in-browser.

• Opens your Notion workspace, searches across pages.

• Finds the exact note containing the school-closure date.

• Displays the result instantly without leaving the browser.

Chrome Result:

• Searched: “Look through my Notion workspace and tell me when my daughter’s next school closure day is.”

• Returned general web links (Notion templates, Reddit, YouTube tips).

• Couldn’t access or read your personal workspace.

• Provides instructions and resources, not the actual answer.

👉 Winner: Comet (Cross-App Intelligence)

5. Real-Time Web Insight

Input Prompt:

What’s the latest update about Apple’s Vision Pro sales this week? Summarize from 3 trusted sources.

Comet Result:

• Aggregated and summarized news from Reuters, Ars Technica, and The Business Standard

• Provided a structured report with sections like Weakening Sales, Shift Toward Smart Glasses, and Version-over-Revolution

• Included live citations with clickable sources

• Gave a full, ready-to-read summary — no extra clicks required

Chrome Result:

• Performed a standard Google search

• Displayed a brief AI Overview followed by links to news and articles

• Lacked specific citations or a consolidated summary

• Requires the user to open and read multiple sources manually

👉 Winner: Comet (Instant Research Mode)

Which Browser Wins for AI Productivity?

🥊 Results

Comet (Perplexity)

✅ Strengths:

• True AI-powered browsing — acts like a personal assistant, not just a search tool.

• Can open sites, fill forms, manage tabs, summarize pages, and even shop for you.

• Executes local actions securely (Gmail, Notion, Calendar, Amazon) without third-party plug-ins.

• Seamless multitasking: search, summarize, and organize in one flow.

• Built for creators, researchers, and professionals who value automation and context.

❌ Weaknesses:

• Slightly slower when executing multi-step tasks.

• Limited ecosystem compared to Chrome’s mature extensions.

• Still early-stage — occasional misclicks or visual glitches.

• Works best when logged in with integrations set up properly.

👉 Verdict:
Best when you want AI to actually do the work — organizing, shopping, summarizing, scheduling, or researching for you.
A genuine next step toward autonomous browsing.

Google Chrome

✅ Strengths:

• Fast, stable, and deeply integrated with Google’s ecosystem.

• Extensive extensions marketplace.

• Excellent for manual control, developer tools, and traditional browsing.

• Strong privacy sandboxing and sync across devices.

❌ Weaknesses:

• AI feels “added on,” not built-in — relies on Gemini or plug-ins for smart features.

• No automation — user must click, search, and manage everything manually.

• Data and privacy are more cloud-dependent.

• Lacks deep task execution — only surfaces results.

👉 Verdict:
Best when you want speed, familiarity, and ecosystem support — great for developers, traditional users, and anyone who prefers control over automation.

⚖️ Side-by-Side Takeaway

Comet → Stronger at automation, contextual understanding, and real task execution.
Chrome → Stronger at speed, ecosystem maturity, and manual precision.

If you’re a creator, researcher, or productivity geek → use Comet.
If you’re a developer or power user → stay with Chrome.

👉 Pro Tip:
Use Comet for doing, Chrome for controlling.
Stack them together — plan in Chrome, execute in Comet.

Know someone who may be interested?