AI Web Browsers Benchmark: Complete Selection Guide 2026

We tested 10 AI browsers across 4 categories to answer: Do these actually make browsing better, or are they chatbots glued onto Chrome?

The short answer: Most are somewhere in between. A few deliver genuine productivity gains. Others promise a lot and fail during actual use.

AI Web Browser Benchmark Results

As a result of our testing, AI browsers show significant accessibility barriers and performance gaps that limit practical adoption for most users.

• Perplexity Comet went from $200/month exclusivity to completely free in October 2025. It can browse autonomously and complete multi-step tasks across websites.
• ChatGPT Atlas launched on October 21, 2025, for macOS only (Windows/iOS/Android coming eventually). Free users get basic features. Agent mode, where ChatGPT actually controls your browser, requires ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) or Pro ($200/month).
• Brave Leo works immediately without signing up. Completely free, with conversations stored locally on your device rather than on cloud servers. Privacy-focused but less powerful than paid alternatives.
• Microsoft Edge Copilot handles content well if you’re already paying for Microsoft 365. Otherwise, you’re getting a stripped-down experience.
• Arc Max has clever right-click features but no traditional chat interface. You can’t just ask it questions; you have to trigger specific actions.
• Opera Aria promises 150+ local AI models. In practice, it frequently fails to analyze the actual page you’re viewing, defaulting to generic responses instead.
• Google Disco launched in December 2025 as a Google Labs experiment (waitlist only, macOS). Instead of being a traditional browser with AI added, Disco generates custom web apps from your open tabs. Ask it to “plan a trip to Japan,” and it builds an interactive travel planner with maps, calendars, and booking links.
• Most advanced capabilities sit behind paywalls. The free tiers are intentionally limited to push upgrades.

1. AI Response Quality Testing

Task: “Summarize AIMultiple’s main page”

We asked each browser to summarize AIMultiple’s homepage and a long technical article on agentic AI for cybersecurity.

Perplexity Comet: Navigated to the site independently, analyzed content, and delivered structured summaries with specific examples.

ChatGPT Atlas: Analyzed pages through its sidebar. When browser memory is enabled, it connects current content to previous browsing history. You can ask follow-up questions about specific sections without re-explaining the context.

Microsoft Edge Copilot: Correctly identified key sections, AI benchmarks, LLM calculators, and enterprise software insights. Solid understanding of business content.

Brave Leo: Accurately covered enterprise software insights, AI benchmarks, calculators, and the site’s transparency focus. Well-structured response.

Arc Max: Can’t perform standalone summarization. AI functionality only activates when you right-click specific page elements. There’s no chat interface where you can ask, “Summarize this page.”

Opera Aria: Failed both tests. Instead of analyzing actual page content, it provided generic LLM responses. The page context feature appears broken; it seems to be unable to see what you’re looking at.

Sigma AI: Unable to access external websites directly. The browser explicitly states it cannot visit URLs and requires manual text input to provide summaries, severely limiting web summarization capabilities.

Strawberry Browser: Still in alpha. Early demos suggest strong autonomous capabilities, but a comprehensive evaluation isn’t possible yet due to limited access.

Task: Long Article Analysis

Analyze article: Agentic AI for Cybersecurity: Real life Use Cases & Examples

Perplexity Comet: Delivered structured analysis covering SecOps and AppSec use cases, cited specific examples (University of Kansas Health System, APi Group), and broke down benefits and challenges.

Microsoft Edge Copilot: Organized findings into clear sections: SecOps automation, AppSec uses, and implementation challenges.

Brave Leo: Covered autonomous AI operations, SecOps/AppSec applications, automation benefits, and challenges. Strong grasp of technical concepts, suggested follow-up questions.

ChatGPT Atlas: Analyzed the article with context awareness, breaking down technical concepts and offering to compare with similar articles from browser memory.

Arc Max: Provided detailed analysis across multiple attempts but was repetitive. Captured key concepts like autonomous decision-making, real-time monitoring, and SOC automation, though less concise than competitors.

Opera Aria: Context functionality broken. Defaulted to generic responses instead of analyzing the actual article.

2. Feature Accessibility Analysis

• Perplexity Comet: Previously available only to Perplexity Max subscribers at $200/month, the company removed the waitlist and made Comet accessible to all users at no cost.
• Microsoft Edge Copilot: Available through the Edge browser; enhanced functionality requires Microsoft 365 integration.
• ChatGPT Atlas: Free for basic features. Agent mode requires a ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) or Pro ($200/month) subscription. Currently, macOS only.
• Brave Leo: Provides comprehensive functionality immediately, with no subscription required.
• Arc Max: Offers unrestricted access but restricts interactions to contextual features.
• Opera Aria: Available without payment.
• Sigma AI: Provides a functional chat interface but lacks essential accessibility features on its website.

3. Web Content Processing Capabilities

• Perplexity Comet navigates websites autonomously. Give it a task like “research flight prices to Dubai and summarize options,” and it’ll open tabs, read multiple sites, and compile results. Requires extensive permissions, as it needs to see everything on your screen.
• ChatGPT Atlas processes page content automatically through its sidebar. Maintains context across tabs. Agent mode can book reservations, fill forms, and complete purchases (with your approval at each step).
• Brave Leo consistently summarized webpages and analyzed technical articles across all tests. Provided relevant follow-up questions. Works without signup or payment, storing conversations locally.
• Microsoft Edge Copilot analyzed our cybersecurity article effectively, organizing content into structured sections with specific examples. Integration with Microsoft services is smooth if you’re in that ecosystem.
• Arc Max offers right-click AI features. Hover over a link, press Shift, and get an instant preview. Command-F search lets you ask questions about page content rather than just find keywords. Fast but limited.
• Sigma AI has a capable chat interface, but can’t access external websites. You can chat about general topics, but not about what you’re actually browsing.
• Strawberry Browser shows promise for multi-site research and automation. Still too early-stage for production use.
• Google Disco processes web content differently from other AI browsers. Instead of analyzing the current page you’re viewing, it monitors all your open tabs and chat history to understand your overall task.

4. Privacy and Access Trade-offs

• Brave Leo stores conversations locally on your device. Doesn’t collect personal data. No cloud processing for conversations unless you explicitly enable it. No account required for the free tier.
• ChatGPT Atlas offers optional “browser memories” that track visited sites to personalize responses. You control what gets saved and can browse in incognito mode. By default, browsing content isn’t used for training unless you opt in. Data is stored for 30 days and then deleted.
• Microsoft Edge Copilot integrates with Microsoft services, sending data to the cloud for processing. Clear policies on what gets stored. If you’re in Microsoft’s ecosystem, its privacy practices are well documented.
• Arc Max shares data with AI partners (OpenAI) but uses zero retention policies; data is processed but not stored. Transparent about which features require data sharing.
• Opera Aria claims GDPR compliance but frequently fails to implement privacy features correctly. Says it won’t use your data for training, but core functionality doesn’t work reliably enough to trust with sensitive browsing.
• Strawberry Browser emphasizes local storage with user-controlled API access. Temporary cloud processing for AI features. Still in alpha, so privacy practices may evolve
• Google Disco requires access to your open tabs and Gemini chat history to generate GenTabs. The AI monitors your browsing patterns across multiple tabs to understand context and build relevant applications.

Summarize This Research

ChatGPTPerplexityGrokGoogle AI ModeClaude

Testing Methodology

We tested each browser between August 2024 and January 2025 as they became available:

• Perplexity Comet (free access October 2, 2025)
• ChatGPT Atlas (macOS launch October 21, 2025)
• Arc Max (January 2025)
• Microsoft Edge Copilot (November 2024)
• Brave Leo (October 2024)
• Opera Aria (September 2024)
• Sigma AI (August 2024)
• Strawberry Browser (January 2025)

What we tested:

1. Webpage summarization: basic content extraction and complex article analysis
2. Interactive features: chat responsiveness, context awareness, navigation accuracy
3. Real-world usage: cross-tab functionality, privacy protection, accessibility without premium requirements

The best AI web browsers of 2025

Two Different Approaches

These browsers split into two camps:

Smart assistants: Add AI chat and analysis, but you still control the browsing. (Arc Max, Brave Leo, Microsoft Edge Copilot, ChatGPT Atlas sidebar)

AI agents: Browse autonomously, make decisions, and complete tasks without constant guidance. (Perplexity Comet agent, ChatGPT Atlas agent mode, Strawberry Browser)

Whether you need an agent depends on your workflow. If you’re researching a topic across dozens of sites, an agent saves hours. If you just want quick summaries while reading, a smart assistant is enough.

Detailed Browser Breakdowns

1. ChatGPT Atlas

Atlas brings ChatGPT into your browser as a core feature, not an extension.

Core features:

• “Ask ChatGPT” button appears on every webpage (top-right). Opens sidebar without leaving the page. Automatic context means ChatGPT sees what you’re looking at, no copy/paste needed.
• Cursor chat: Hover over any text field to bring up ChatGPT for inline writing and editing.
• Browser memories: An optional feature where ChatGPT remembers details from sites you visit. Completely controllable view, archive, or delete memories anytime.

Agent Mode (Plus/Pro subscribers only):

ChatGPT navigates websites, fills forms, books reservations, and adds items to carts, all with your permission, before important actions.

Example workflow: “Find Italian restaurants in downtown Seattle with availability Saturday night, and book a table for 4 at the one with the best reviews.”

Atlas opens multiple tabs, reads reviews, checks availability, and presents options. You approve the booking, and the reservation is completed.

Safety limits: Can’t run code, download files, install extensions, access other apps, read passwords, or use autofill data.

Search & Browse:

ChatGPT search opens with an AI-generated response, then provides tabs for traditional results, images, videos, and news. Live results pull from current web data. Maintains context across multiple tabs and websites.

Privacy & Data:

Browser memories are opt-in. Incognito mode is available browse, signed out, with no chat or memory saved.

By default, browsing content isn’t used for training. You can opt in via data controls.

Chat history is stored according to your ChatGPT account settings. Data retained 30 days then deleted.

Integration:

Currently, macOS only. Windows, iOS, Android coming (no date specified).

Incentive program: Increased ChatGPT usage limits if you keep Atlas as the default browser for 7 consecutive days.

The catch: Agent mode is the killer feature, but it requires a paid subscription. Free users get a smart assistant, not an autonomous agent. And it’s Mac-only for now; Windows users are waiting.

2. Perplexity Comet – AI Browser

Comet demonstrates true autonomous browsing. Give it multi-step tasks, and it figures out how to complete them.

Comet Assistant:

Cross-tab context maintains conversation across different websites. Screen awareness AI sees what you’re looking at without screenshots or copy-paste.

Can book restaurants, make purchases, schedule meetings autonomously. “Find the cheapest direct flight to Tokyo departing next Tuesday” triggers an actual search across multiple travel sites.

Search Integration:

Perplexity AI search is pre-installed as the default. AI-generated summaries with source citations. Sidebar accessible on all websites for contextual queries.

Mobile & Background features:

Mobile app in preview designed specifically for phone interfaces with voice technology.

Background assistant (Max users) can perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Works while you’re away from the computer.

The catch: Security researchers at Brave discovered a vulnerability that allows attackers to embed hidden instructions in web content. When you ask Comet to summarize a page, it might execute malicious commands without distinguishing them from legitimate content.

Perplexity claims they’ve added mitigations, but this is an inherent risk with autonomous AI agents. They can be tricked through carefully crafted webpage content.

3. Arc Max

Arc takes a different approach, no chat interface, just context-specific AI features.

AI capabilities:

“Ask on Page”: Use Command-F/Control-F to ask questions about webpage content instead of just searching for keywords.

“5-Second Previews”: Hover + Shift over links for instant webpage summaries (macOS only).

Browser automation & organization:

“Tidy Tab Titles”: Automatically rename pinned tabs with shorter, clearer titles.

“Tidy Downloads”: Smart file renaming based on content and context.

“Tidy Tabs”: Auto-organize tabs when you have more than six open.

Data sharing:

Max features send data to AI partners (OpenAI) with clear disclosure. The “Browse for Me” feature uses zero data retention (ZDR), which processes but does not store data.

The catch: No traditional chat interface. You can’t ask “What’s the main point of this article?” unless you trigger the specific Command-F feature. The AI is powerful but locked behind specific interaction patterns that aren’t intuitive.

4. Microsoft Edge Copilot

Built into the Edge browser with Microsoft ecosystem integration.

Copilot features:

Native AI sidebar in browser. Voice-activated interactions. Page analysis provides insights into current content. Content generation for emails, documents, and summaries within the browser.

Microsoft ecosystem:

Office 365 connectivity integrates with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. Microsoft Graph access to calendar, emails, and documents across services. Teams integration for meeting scheduling. OneDrive for document access and sharing.

Productivity features:

Shopping assistant tracks prices, finds coupons, compares products. Travel planning with itinerary creation and booking assistance. Reading mode enhanced with AI summarization. Real-time webpage translation.

Search & Browse:

Bing Chat integration: AI-powered search with a conversation interface. Web Compose generates content directly in web forms. Instant webpage and PDF summarization.

The catch: Edge Copilot works best if you’re paying for Microsoft 365. Without it, you get basic chat features but miss the ecosystem integrations that make Copilot actually useful. The free version feels incomplete.

5. Brave Leo

Leo prioritizes privacy over advanced features. No signup, no payment, no data collection.

Summarizes webpages, PDFs, and YouTube videos. Answers questions about current page. Coding assistance. Voice input on mobile. Real-time search integration for current information.

Privacy design:

No account required for the free version. Conversations are stored locally on the device, not cloud servers. Responses discarded after generation are not used for training.

Anonymous usage requests cannot be linked to users. No IP logging. No server-side records retained.

Model choices:

Free tier: Llama, Qwen, Gemma models. Premium ($14.99/month): Claude Sonnet 4, higher rate limits.

Bring Your Own Model (BYOM): Connect local models via Ollama or third-party APIs like GPT-4. Use your own keys.

Browser integration:

Built into the Brave sidebar, address bar, and full-page mode. Cross-platform Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.

Page context awareness works with webpages, PDFs, and YouTube videos. Multi-tab context for working across multiple tabs (advanced feature).

The catch: Privacy comes with trade-offs. Free models are less capable than ChatGPT or Claude. Can’t perform autonomous actions, such as Comet or Atlas agent mode. Great for private research and summarization. Not for complex automation.

6. Opera Aria

Opera promises the most 150+ local AI models, built-in model management, and image generation. In practice, core functionality doesn’t work.

150+ local LLM variants from 50 model families. Download and delete models directly in the browser. 2-10 GB storage per model. Supported models include Llama, Phi-2, Gemma, Vicuna, and Mixtral.

Image generation using Google’s Imagen. Image analysis with OCR and visual understanding (upload up to 3 images).

Integration:

Built into the Opera sidebar and address bar. Cross-platform support. Page context awareness. Quick access via Ctrl+/ or Cmd+/.

The catch: The page context, the most important feature, is broken. During our tests, Opera Aria consistently failed to analyze actual webpage content. Instead of summarizing the article you’re reading, it provides generic responses based on your query keywords.

This makes it nearly useless as a browser assistant. The local models work fine for general chat, but if it can’t see what you’re actually browsing, what’s the point?

7. Sigma AI

Sigma has an AI chat interface but can’t access external websites.

AI Chat with multiple conversation modes. Image generation. Compose feature for content creation. SEO-friendly content for blogs and marketing.

Model Selection & Flexibility

• Multiple AI Models: GPT-5.1, GPT-O3, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Pro
• Multimedia Generation: Generate pictures, videos, music and other multimedia content
• Model Variety: Access to latest OpenAI and Google AI models

Integration:

Pre-installed SigmaGPT extension. Cross-platform support. Dual search mode: traditional search or AI conversations. Built-in crypto wallet.

The catch: The browser explicitly states it cannot visit URLs. You have to manually input text to get summaries. For a “browser” assistant, this is a fatal limitation. It’s a chatbot that happens to be in a browser, not an AI browser.

8.Dia Browser

AI Assistant Capabilities

• AI-First Architecture: Built from the ground up as an AI-native browsing experience rather than an AI-enhanced traditional browser
• Conversational Interface: Full AI chat interface for natural language web interaction
• Intelligent Navigation: AI understands and navigates web content autonomously based on user intent
• Context-Aware Assistance: Deep understanding of browsing context across sessions and workflows
• Advanced Task Automation: AI performs complex multi-step web tasks without manual intervention
• Content Synthesis: Combines information from multiple sources into unified responses

Integration & Features

• Arc Ecosystem: Part of The Browser Company’s broader AI browsing strategy
• Advanced Context Understanding: Deeper AI integration than Arc Max’s contextual features
• Task-Oriented Design: Optimized for completing complex web-based workflows
• Cross-Session Memory: AI remembers and builds upon previous browsing sessions
• Collaborative AI: AI acts as an active browsing partner rather than a passive assistant

9. Strawberry Browser

Alpha-stage browser focused on workflow automation.

AI capabilities:

AI companions work across websites autonomously. Screen recording learning AI observes your actions and learns. Cross-website automation behind login pages. Approval-based actions before execution.

Advanced features:

Multi-site research gathers information from hundreds of websites simultaneously. Data organization automatically compiles research into spreadsheets. Content generation learns your writing style and voice. Form automation handles repetitive data entry.

The catch: It’s alpha software. Expect bugs, limited functionality, and frequent changes. $30/month pricing positions it mid-range, but paying for alpha software is risky. Wait until it’s more mature unless you’re willing to beta test.

10. Google Disco

Google Disco is an experimental AI browser developed by Google Labs that combines traditional web browsing with AI-powered workspace features.

AI capabilities:

Integrated Gemini AI for conversational assistance. Workspace integration connection with Google Docs, Sheets, and Drive. Multi-modal search combining text, image, and voice. Smart Tabs automatically organize and group related tabs.

Core features:

Contextual assistance understands content across multiple tabs. Content summarization for articles, documents, and webpages. Research mode gathers information from multiple sources and compiles findings.

Google ecosystem integration:

Gmail, Calendar, and Meet integration. Google Drive access for document collaboration. Chrome extension compatibility. Cross-device sync across Android, ChromeOS, and desktop.

The catch: Its experimental access is limited, features change frequently, and there’s no guarantee Google won’t kill it as they do with most experiments.

Security Risks in AI Agents’ Browsers

Security researchers at Brave discovered a significant security flaw in Perplexity Comet’s implementation that allows attackers to manipulate AI actions through malicious web content¹ .

Attack mechanism:

• Attackers embed hidden instructions in web content (invisible text, HTML comments, social media posts)
• Users request innocent AI assistance like “summarize this page”
• AI processes malicious instructions without distinguishing them from legitimate content
• AI executes unauthorized actions with full user privileges

High Risk – Advanced Agentic Browsers:

• Perplexity Comet: Documented vulnerabilities with partial mitigation
• Strawberry Browser: Early development with extensive autonomous capabilities

Medium Risk – Limited Agentic Features:

• Microsoft Edge Copilot, Arc Max: Reduced attack surface due to limited automation

Lower Risk – Assistant-Only Browsers:

• Brave Leo, Opera Aria, Sigma AI: Focus on content analysis rather than autonomous actions

Shared Features Across AI Browsers

Core AI Capabilities

• Content Generation: All browsers offer text creation, writing assistance, and document generation
• Webpage Summarization: Universal ability to summarize articles, pages, and web content
• Translation Services: Multi-language translation capabilities across all platforms
• Question Answering: Conversational AI for general queries and information requests
• Content Analysis: Ability to analyze and extract insights from webpage content

Common Privacy Features

• Data Handling Policies: All browsers have stated privacy policies
• Optional Premium Tiers: Enhanced features available with subscriptions/accounts

Standard Integration

• Cross-Platform Support: Most browsers support Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
• Browser-Native Integration: AI features built directly into the browser interface

FAQ

External Links

• Android Authority. (2025). “Comet browser is quietly revolutionizing how I watch YouTube.”
• Arc Browser. (2025). “Arc Max – Browse the web with AI.”
• Perplexity AI. (2025). “Introducing Comet: Browse at the speed of thought.“

Reference Links

1.

Agentic Browser Security: Indirect Prompt Injection in Perplexity Comet | Brave

Industry Analyst

Sena Sezer

Industry Analyst

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Sena is an industry analyst in AIMultiple. She completed her Bachelor's from Bogazici University.

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