Arc Search vs Comet

Arc Search is a free browser centered on Browse for Me, which searches multiple pages and produces an answer on a custom webpage. Its built-in blocker is described as stopping ads, trackers, pop-ups, and cookie banners. Other features include reader mode, incognito mode, website translation, and voice search. Inactive tabs are archived automatically, with help documentation listing intervals from 12 hours to 30 days. Browse for Me is the default search option; alternatives include Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Perplexity, and Kagi. Arc Sync can share desktop Spaces, pinned tabs, and Today tabs with Arc Search on iOS, but is unavailable on Android, and tabs created in Arc Search do not sync back to desktop. The maker says Browse for Me sends command-bar and search-result content to OpenAI to generate summaries. Arc Search supports iOS 16 or later and Android 10 or later. The maker also says Sync sidebar data uses end-to-end encryption, but the product is not currently SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified and does not offer account MFA.

Comet is Perplexity’s AI browser, with an assistant built into browsing. The assistant can answer questions about open tabs, search the web and interact with websites on the user’s behalf. Examples include summarizing or explaining content, comparing tabs, drafting emails, scheduling meetings and making purchases. Perplexity is the default search engine, and Comet uses Chromium. It is free to download at free for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows. Comet supports most Chrome extensions, though users must install and configure them again because extension data does not transfer from Chrome. The browser stores URLs, searches, cookies, open tabs and site permissions locally. Website credentials are kept in the device’s secure vault, not on Perplexity’s servers. Privacy settings allow deletion of browsing and search history, cookies and cached data. However, some queries may involve sending page context, including text or email, to Perplexity’s servers. Email or schedule tasks may require opting in to Perplexity Connector access; those permissions can later be changed or revoked. Comet says users can stop the agent and should review actions before confirming them.