Alternatives / Comet
Looking for an open source Comet browser alternative? We compared 10 open source browsers, from AI agent browsers to privacy-focused browsers, by license, engine, AI features, and platforms. Only a few add AI agents, and the rest are privacy-first browsers you can pair with your own AI tools.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Ladybird | Independent browser engine | BSD-2-Clause |
| ego lite | AI agents using your logged-in sessions | MIT |
| Zen Browser | Customizable Firefox-based browser | MPL-2.0 |
| Helium | Privacy-first Chromium browser | GPL-3.0 |
| Deta Surf | Research browser with AI notebook | Apache-2.0 |
| Waterfox | Firefox fork without telemetry | MPL-2.0 |
| LibreWolf | Hardened privacy browser | MPL-2.0 |
| Flow | Spaces and Chrome extensions | GPL-3.0 |
| Browser Operator | Multi-agent AI browser for workflows | BSD-3-Clause |
| Midori Browser | Lightweight privacy browser | MPL-2.0 |
We looked for open-source browsers that overlap with Comet: a browser with an AI assistant or agents, or a privacy-respecting browser you can use as a foundation. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, engine, and platforms in its repository. Comet is Perplexity's proprietary AI browser, so we separate the browsers with built-in AI agents from the privacy-first browsers that have none. See our methodology for the full criteria.
ego lite, Browser Operator, and Deta Surf add AI features: agents that share your logged-in browser, a multi-agent research and workflow browser, and an AI notebook for research. Ladybird, Zen, Helium, Waterfox, LibreWolf, Flow, and Midori are privacy-focused browsers without a built-in assistant, so you would add AI through extensions or separate tools.
ego lite is a Chromium-based browser that lets AI agents run automation in your real logged-in sessions, with isolated workspaces and parallel tasks. It runs on macOS today, with Windows in closed beta and Linux on the roadmap. Browser Operator is a desktop AI browser for macOS and Windows with Search, Deep Research, and Workflow agents and MCP integrations, and you supply your own LLM provider credentials. Deta Surf is a local-first AI notebook and research browser.
ego lite is MIT, Deta Surf is Apache-2.0, and Browser Operator is BSD-3-Clause. Ladybird is BSD-2-Clause, Zen, Waterfox, LibreWolf, and Midori are MPL-2.0, and Helium and Flow are GPL-3.0.
Browsers with AI agents still send prompts and page content to whichever model provider you configure, unless you use a local model. The Firefox-based privacy browsers, Waterfox and LibreWolf in particular, ship without telemetry and without remote AI features.
Browser Operator's last commit was in March 2026, so its development is slower. Flow's last commit was in May 2026. ego lite, Ladybird, Zen, Helium, Waterfox, LibreWolf, and Deta Surf are more active. Ladybird is alpha software and not yet ready as a daily browser.
Comet is a proprietary AI browser that integrates an assistant and agents into browsing, with your activity and context processed by a vendor's cloud. Open-source alternatives let you inspect the code, choose your own AI providers or local models, and in many cases avoid AI and telemetry altogether, at the cost of less polished built-in agents.
| Alternative | Engine | License | AI features | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladybird | Own engine (alpha) | BSD-2-Clause | None | Engine diversity |
| ego lite | Chromium | MIT | Agent automation | Agents with real sessions |
| Zen Browser | Gecko (Firefox) | MPL-2.0 | None | Customization |
| Helium | Chromium | GPL-3.0 | None | Privacy with Chrome extensions |
| Deta Surf | Research browser | Apache-2.0 | AI notebook | Research and notes |
| Waterfox | Gecko (Firefox) | MPL-2.0 | None | Tab hierarchy and privacy |
| LibreWolf | Gecko (Firefox) | MPL-2.0 | None | Hardened privacy |
| Flow | Chromium | GPL-3.0 | None | Workspaces |
| Browser Operator | AI browser | BSD-3-Clause | Multi-agent | Research and workflows |
| Midori Browser | Gecko (Firefox) | MPL-2.0 | None | Lightweight browsing |
Want AI agents that work in your logged-in sessions
ego lite lets agents share your real browser state, with isolated workspaces for tasks, parallel execution, and batch JavaScript actions.
Want a browser with research and workflow agents
Browser Operator adds Search, Deep Research, and Workflow agents with unified memory and MCP integrations, using your own LLM API key.
Want a research browser with an AI notebook
Deta Surf combines websites, PDFs, videos, and notes with source-linked citations and local or hosted models.
Want a privacy-first Chromium browser
Helium blocks ads and trackers by default and supports Chrome and Manifest V2 extensions, with no analytics.
Want a customizable browser with vertical tabs
Zen is a Firefox-based browser with vertical tabs, split views, workspaces, and Zen Mods.
Want maximum privacy hardening without AI
LibreWolf removes telemetry and hardens Firefox with uBlock Origin and fingerprinting protection.
Want an independent browser engine
Ladybird builds a new engine from scratch without Blink, WebKit, or Gecko, but it is alpha software for now.