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Side-by-side comparison ยท AI Browsers & Agents

Firefox vs Microsoft Edge vs Comet

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Firefox

3.6

Free to start

Microsoft Edge

3.9

From $19.99/mo

Comet

3.9

From $5/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best value

Pick it if: Business owners who want a trusted, independent browser and want to decide for themselves whether AI is on or off.

Pick it if: Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want AI help with reading, comparing and researching in the browser they already have.

Pick it if: Anyone who researches, compares or reads a lot online and wants an AI helper in the browser without paying for it.

Overview

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeComet
In one lineMozilla's free browser with optional AI you can switch off with one setting.Microsoft's free browser with Copilot built in to read pages, compare tabs and do tasks.Perplexity's free web browser with an assistant that reads your tabs and does tasks.
Pricing modelFreeFreemiumFreemium
Starting priceFree$19.99/mo$5/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeComet
Overall rating3.63.93.9
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.5
4.5
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
3.0
3.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
3.5
3.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
4.0
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.0
3.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeComet
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes Yes
Browser extension No Yes Yes
API access No No No
Teams & business
Team workspace No Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files No Yes Yes
Understands images No Yes Yes
Makes images No Yes No
Makes video No No No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations No Yes Yes
Learns your brand or style No No No
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score6/ 1712/ 1711/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeComet
Plans

FirefoxOur pick

Free

Everyone, with AI on or off as you choose.

FreeOur pick

Free

Most people: summaries, tab comparisons and Journeys.

FreeOur pick

Free

Everyday browsing with an assistant for summaries and questions.

Smart Window beta

Free

Heavy researchers in the US, Canada or France.

Microsoft 365 Premium

$19.99/mo, or $199.99/yr

US households and sole traders who want the agent and Office apps in one bill.

Comet Plus

$5/mo

Readers who want partner publishers' paywalled articles.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (business)

See website

Companies on Microsoft 365 business plans.

Perplexity Pro

$20/mo, or $200/yr

Anyone who wants the agent to do tasks for them.

Perplexity Max

$200/mo, or $2,000/yr

Heavy users running many tasks in the background.

Which plan to pickThere's nothing to pay. Use the sidebar with whatever AI account you already have. If you're in the US, Canada or France, try Smart Window with a free Mozilla account. Everyone else can join the waitlist.Stay on free. The side panel, tab comparisons and Journeys cover what most business owners need, and they cost nothing. Microsoft 365 Premium is only worth it if you're in the US and already want Office for the household; don't buy it just for the browser agent, which Microsoft still calls experimental.Use it free: the sidebar assistant alone is worth having, and most people never need more. Pro makes sense if you want Perplexity's research tools anyway, but don't buy it just for the browser agent, since Pro's credits are a one-off bundle. Nobody needs Max just for the browser.

Key features

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeComet
Standout features
  • Smart Window (beta)
  • Pick your chatbot
  • Link previews
  • Choice of models
  • Optional memory
  • AI Controls
  • Copilot side panel
  • Journeys
  • Browse with Copilot
  • Memory and history
  • Study, write, listen
  • Voice and Vision on mobile
  • Comet Assistant
  • Browser control
  • Work mode
  • Works like Chrome
  • On every device
  • Comet Plus

Pros and cons

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeComet
Pros
  • Every AI feature is optional and free
  • One switch blocks all AI, and stays off through updates
  • Open source, from a non-profit-owned company
  • Use the chatbot you already pay for
  • Link previews run on your own computer
  • Already installed on Windows, nothing new to learn
  • Free Copilot reads pages and compares open tabs well
  • Journeys makes it easy to pick research back up
  • Chrome extensions and bookmarks work
  • Strong admin controls for businesses on Microsoft 365
  • Free on Mac, Windows, Android and iPhone
  • Feels like Chrome, with your extensions and bookmarks
  • Answers about the page come with sources you can check
  • Comet Plus is included with Perplexity Pro and Max
  • Good at summaries and comparing tabs
Cons
  • Smart Window is only in the US, Canada and France, and still beta
  • No agent that clicks through sites or fills in forms
  • The sidebar is just the chatbot's website in a panel
  • Smart Window needs a Mozilla account and has daily limits
  • A Smart Window bug pulled in browsing from before people opted in, since fixed
  • The agent is US only and needs Microsoft 365 Premium
  • Several features are US or English-language only, so Australian users get less
  • Microsoft calls the agent experimental and warns it can misread instructions
  • Copilot prompts are pushed into many corners of the browser, which some find cluttered
  • Screenshots from agent sessions are kept with the chat for up to 30 days
  • Repeated prompt-injection attacks found by researchers in 2025 and 2026; risky with logged-in accounts
  • The agent is slow and sometimes gets stuck or gives up halfway
  • Browser control moved behind Computer credits in September 2026, so Pro users lost an included feature
  • Paying users complain of quiet limits, model downgrades and features being removed
  • Amazon sued over its shopping agent, and the case is still running

Who each one is for

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeComet
Best for
  • Keeping AI out of the browser entirely
  • Using your own ChatGPT or Claude in a sidebar
  • Summarising and tidying lots of open tabs (US, Canada, France)
  • A browser not owned by an ad or AI company
  • Summarising long pages and PDFs
  • Comparing products or quotes across open tabs
  • Picking research back up days later with Journeys
  • Businesses already paying for Microsoft 365
  • Summarising long pages, PDFs and videos
  • Comparing products or suppliers across tabs
  • Quick research while you browse
  • Hands-off form filling and bookings (Pro and Max)
You'll find it used by
  • Privacy-minded owners
  • Researchers
  • Developers
  • Teams with AI rules
  • Office workers
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Windows users
  • Researchers
  • Marketers
  • Students
  • Founders

Questions people ask

Which is better, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Comet?

They tie on our overall rating (Firefox 3.6/5, Microsoft Edge 3.9/5 and Comet 3.9/5). Firefox is best for Keeping AI out of the browser entirely and using your own ChatGPT or Claude in a sidebar. Microsoft Edge is best for summarising long pages and PDFs and comparing products or quotes across open tabs. Comet is best for summarising long pages, PDFs and videos and comparing products or suppliers across tabs.

Which is cheaper, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Comet?

Firefox: It's free and open source. Microsoft Edge: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo. Comet: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $5/mo.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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