Honest comparison
Zeed vs Perplexity Comet:
which fits you?
Comet and Zeed answer the same question — what if the browser itself could reason over what you're reading — with opposite architectures. Comet is vertically integrated: Perplexity's search, Perplexity's models, Perplexity's cloud. Zeed is the inverse: you bring your own LLM key, your data stays on your machine, and the diff against Chromium is public. And only one of them ships for Linux.
Feature by feature
| Feature / policy | Zeed | Perplexity Comet |
|---|---|---|
| Native Linux build | ✓ Linux-first | — (macOS, Windows) |
| BYO API key (direct billing) | ✓ OpenRouter key (models currently fixed) | — (in-house models) |
| On-device data (by construction) | ✓ | — (cloud processing) |
| Open source | ✓ MPL-2.0 diff | — |
| MCP (reuse Claude/Cursor tools) | ✓ | — |
| Built by subtraction (no bundled extras) | ✓ | — (Perplexity search & assistant bundled) |
| Price | $0 | $0–20/mo (tiers tied to Perplexity plans) |
✓ = full / ◯ = limited / △ = policy claim without structural guarantee / — = no
Based on each vendor’s public material as of 2026-06. Independent research —
spotted an error? Email us and we’ll fix it.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Comet if…
- You want a polished assistant that works the moment you install it — no API key, no setup.
- You already pay for a Perplexity subscription and want the browser's agentic features included.
- You're on macOS or Windows and want search, models, and browser from one vendor.
- You value Perplexity's answer-engine quality and want it wired into every tab by default.
Choose Zeed if…
- You run Linux — Comet has no Linux build as of 2026-06.
- You want the AI billed directly between you and the provider — your own OpenRouter key, pay per token, no subscription, no markup.
- You want browsing data to stay on your device by construction, not by policy.
- You want to read the source — Zeed's diff against Chromium is published under MPL-2.0.
- You already use MCP tools with Claude Desktop or Cursor and want them in the browser.
FAQ
Zeed vs Comet, answered.
Does Perplexity Comet run on Linux?
▾
No. As of June 2026, Comet's desktop app ships for macOS and Windows (with separate Android and iPhone apps), and no native Linux build has been announced. Zeed ships for Linux first — AUR package for Arch, .deb for Ubuntu/Debian, and a tarball for every other x86_64 distro.
Can I use my own LLM in Comet?
▾
No. Comet routes through Perplexity's own model stack; you cannot plug in your own API key. Zeed is bring-your-own-key: paste an OpenRouter API key and the AI runs on it, billed directly to you with no markup. To be precise, Zeed's models are currently fixed too (GLM-5.1 for chat, Perplexity Sonar for web search) — the difference today is whose key and whose bill, not a model menu.
Is Comet free? Is Zeed free?
▾
Comet has a free tier, with advanced and agentic features tied to paid Perplexity plans (roughly $0–20/mo depending on tier). Zeed itself is $0 with no subscription — your only cost is what you pay your LLM provider for the tokens you actually use.
Comparing others too? See all comparisons or the full feature matrix.
Try Zeed in two minutes.
Free, no account, no subscription. Paste an OpenRouter key on first launch and you’re browsing with AI.