Instead of switching to a separate AI chat, the browser itself can summarise pages, answer questions about what you are reading, and even complete tasks across websites. The category got a lot more crowded in 2026, with three serious new entries (Comet, Dia, ChatGPT Atlas) joining the existing options. This is still early days, but worth knowing about.

Built-in AI Assistants

Comet (by Perplexity)

Comet is the AI browser I would suggest most people try first. It is free, works across iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, and brings Perplexity's research engine into the address bar. You can ask a question instead of running a search, and Comet pulls answers from multiple sources with citations. It also remembers context across sessions, so a research thread you started yesterday is still there today.

Free tier: Free for core features. Perplexity Pro (US$20/month, ~A$32) adds Deep Research and the more advanced models. Available on iOS, Android, Windows and macOS.

Download: perplexity.ai/comet

ChatGPT Atlas

OpenAI's browser, released for macOS in early 2026. The headline feature is Agent Mode: Atlas can take actions on your behalf, like filling forms, navigating multi-step processes, and pulling information from a sequence of pages. It uses your existing ChatGPT account, so anything you already pay for in ChatGPT carries across.

Free tier: Free to download and use for browsing and chat. Agent Mode requires ChatGPT Plus (US$20/month, ~A$32) or higher. macOS only at the moment, with Windows reportedly coming later in 2026.

Download: openai.com/atlas

Dia

Dia is the successor to Arc Browser. The Browser Company (Arc's makers) was acquired by Atlassian in 2025, and they wound down Arc to focus on Dia. Dia is AI-native: the URL bar doubles as a chatbot, and you can build custom "Skills" (small AI shortcuts that run specific tasks like "summarise this article into bullet points" or "compare these products"). If you liked Arc's design sensibility, Dia is its direct continuation.

Free tier: Free during beta. Currently macOS only, with mobile expected later in 2026. Pricing for the eventual paid tier has not been announced.

Download: dia.app

Brave Browser with Leo AI

Brave is a privacy-focused browser that includes Leo, a built-in AI assistant. Leo can summarise any web page, answer questions about what you are reading, translate content, and generate text. The standout feature is privacy: Leo does not log your conversations, does not require an account, and offers local AI processing options. Brave is the right pick if you want AI in your browser without any of it leaving your machine.

Free tier: Full Leo access with standard models (Mixtral, Llama). Premium: US$14.99/month (~A$24) for access to Claude Sonnet and higher usage limits. Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Download: brave.com

What you already have: Edge Copilot and Chrome Gemini

If you use Microsoft Edge, Copilot is already built into the sidebar. If you use Google Chrome, Gemini is increasingly integrated into the browser. Neither requires installing anything new. They are not as capable as dedicated AI browsers, but they are free and already on your machine.

Ken's Take

This category is moving fast and most of these tools are still maturing, but the gap between AI browsers and "ordinary browser plus a Claude tab" is finally meaningful. If you want to try one, start with Comet. It is free, works on every platform, and the research-engine-in-the-address-bar approach is the most useful version of AI-in-the-browser I have used. If you live on macOS and already pay for ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT Atlas is worth a look for Agent Mode alone. If privacy is your priority, Brave with Leo is still the cleanest option. And you can keep the rest of your browsing on Chrome, Safari, or whatever you already use. None of these are all-or-nothing.

Try this right now (free)

Download Comet. Open any long article or news story. Type a question into the address bar instead of a search query, like "What are the main arguments for and against the position in this article?" or "Summarise this in three sentences." See how it pulls answers from the page (and related sources) without you needing to switch tabs.