The State of AI Browser Agents in 2025

Update (October 28, 2025): This article has been updated to reflect major developments in the AI browser agent landscape, including the launch of ChatGPT Atlas (October 21), Atlassian's acquisition of The Browser Company/Dia (October 21), Google's Gemini 2.5 Computer Use model (October 27), and the emergence of Opera Neon and other new players. The market has evolved significantly since the original publication in September 2025.

The year 2025 has seen an explosion of AI-powered browser agents, intelligent assistants that can navigate web pages, fill forms, summarize content, and even execute multi-step tasks within your web browser. Tech giants and startups alike are racing to integrate these agents into browsers, marking the browser as a new battleground in the AI landscape. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the state of AI browser agents in 2025, examining the major players, their approaches, availability, and the pros and cons of each. We'll also highlight how FillApp, an AI browser agent focused on productivity, fits into this rapidly evolving scene.

What Are AI Browser Agents?

AI browser agents are a new breed of assistants that go beyond static search answers or text generation, instead actively interacting with web content. Traditional AI chatbots (like early ChatGPT or Google Bard) could retrieve information, but they did not click links, fill out web forms, or manipulate content directly in the way a human user would. In contrast, the latest browser agents can control a cursor, scroll pages, click buttons, enter text, and navigate sites autonomously. In essence, these agents combine the conversational understanding of large language models with the ability to take actions in a web environment, blurring the line between a web browser and an AI assistant.

Several factors have converged to make 2025 the breakout year for these agents:

• Advances in Large Models: New state-of-the-art models (such as GPT-4, GPT-5 and Claude 2/4) provide the reasoning ability needed to make complex decisions and parse web content reliably.

• Tool Integration: AI systems are now designed with tool use in mind. They can use browsers as tools, run code, or call APIs when needed.

• User Demand for Automation: Professionals and general users are looking to offload tedious tasks like filling the same forms repeatedly or sifting through dozens of tabs to an AI helper.

• Industry Investment: Virtually every major tech company (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and more) and many startups are investing in agentic AI, viewing it as the "last missing piece" toward more general AI assistance.

These agents take different forms – some are built into web browsers or extensions, others accessible via chat interfaces. Before diving into individual products, let’s categorize the approaches and why they matter.

Types of AI Browser Agents

Not all AI browser agents are created equal. We can distinguish them by how they integrate with the browsing experience:

• Integrated AI Browsers: Some companies have built entire web browsers with AI at the core. These browsers (e.g. Perplexity's Comet and The Browser Company's Dia) replace or augment your usual browser. The AI is available natively to assist with browsing, and can even act as the primary interface. For example, Comet is a stand-alone browser where you can surf normally and summon an AI assistant to help with tasks on the page. Dia, an AI-first browser from The Browser Company, bakes chat and automation into the address bar and interface itself. The advantage of this approach is deep integration: AI can access all open tabs, your browsing history (if allowed), and provide a fluid experience. However, these require users to switch browsers, a significant change in habit, and they are often in early beta stages.

• Browser Extensions (Plug-ins): Another approach is to offer the AI agent as a browser extension or plug-in that works with popular browsers like Chrome or Edge. This is the route taken by FillApp's AI Browser Agent, Anthropic's Claude for Chrome, and others. An extension can overlay AI capabilities onto any website you visit. For example, FillApp runs within Chrome and uses content scripts to understand pages and perform actions in your logged-in sessions. Extensions benefit from working where users already are (no need to leave Chrome or install a new browser) and can leverage the user's existing cookies and login sessions securely. The challenge is that extension-based agents must work within browser sandbox constraints and often need user permissions for each action. They tend to focus on productivity within the current browsing context rather than replacing the whole browsing experience.

• Chatbot with Virtual Browser: A third category is exemplified by OpenAI's ChatGPT Agent (sometimes just called ChatGPT's agent mode). Here, the AI agent is accessed through a chat interface (like the ChatGPT website or app), but under the hood it spins up a virtual browser environment to perform tasks. You converse with the AI as usual, and if you ask it to do something on the web (e.g. "find this information and put it into a spreadsheet"), the agent will launch an invisible browser, navigate websites, click and scrape data, and then report back, even producing outputs like slide decks or spreadsheets. This approach leverages powerful cloud-based AI (no extension needed locally) and can handle complex multi-step requests entirely server-side. The downside is that it's a bit less interactive: you don't see the browsing in real time unless the interface provides a replay, and the agent operates in a sandbox separate from your personal browser (requiring you to log in separately within the agent if needed). It's a very flexible model (since the AI can also use tools like code interpreters or API connectors within its environment), but currently these tend to be available only to premium users and are somewhat experimental.

• Built-in Browser Assistant: This category overlaps with integrated browsers but worth noting: browsers like Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave have added AI assistants into their existing products. Microsoft's Copilot (powered by GPT-4) appears in Edge's sidebar to answer questions and summarize pages. Opera’s Aria is a free built-in AI across Opera browsers on desktop and mobile , enabling everything from page summarization and Q&A to “agentic” tab management (you can literally tell Aria to reorganize or close tabs for you) . Brave's Leo is similarly embedded in the Brave browser, focused on privacy – it supports local models via BYOM and offers hosted Mixtral/Claude/Llama options . These built-in assistants typically help with browsing and content creation, but some are gaining agent-like capabilities (for example, Aria can execute certain browsing tasks and Opera hints at “command your tabs with agentic AI” ). The pros are convenience and privacy (especially for Brave Leo, which doesn’t even require login and anonymizes requests ), but they might be less full-featured in automation than the dedicated agents/browsers due to a focus on safe, bounded assistance.

In short, there’s a spectrum from full browser replacement to lightweight helper inside your existing browser. Now, let’s delve into the major AI browser agents of 2025, their current state (public release, beta, or preview), and how they differ in capabilities.

Market landscape at a glance (status matrix)

ChatGPT Atlas – OpenAI's Full Browser Entry

In a significant strategic move, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas on October 21, 2025, marking their full commitment to the browser space. Atlas is a complete standalone Chromium-based browser with native ChatGPT integration, not just an extension or virtual browser environment. This represents OpenAI's answer to Perplexity's Comet and positions them as a direct competitor in the AI-native browser market.

Availability: Atlas became publicly available immediately upon launch for all ChatGPT users, including those on the free tier. Currently, it's macOS-only, with Windows, iOS, and Android versions announced as "coming soon." This marks a departure from the limited-access approach OpenAI took with earlier agent features, signaling their intention to capture significant browser market share quickly.

What Makes Atlas Different: Unlike the ChatGPT Agent mode (discussed below), which operates in a virtual environment, Atlas is your actual web browser. You browse normally, but with ChatGPT deeply integrated into the experience:

• Sidebar Assistant: ChatGPT appears in a sidebar, maintaining context of your current page and all open tabs. You can ask questions about what you're viewing, request summaries, or have it perform actions without switching to a separate chat window.

• Agent Mode (Preview): For Plus, Pro, and Business subscribers, Atlas includes the full ChatGPT agent capabilities. This allows autonomous multi-step task execution directly within your browsing session – booking flights, filling forms, conducting research across multiple sites, all visible in your actual browser tabs.

• Browser Memories: Atlas can remember your preferences, frequently visited sites, and common tasks over time (with user permission), making assistance increasingly personalized. This is similar to Perplexity Comet's learning approach but backed by OpenAI's model capabilities.

• Inline Writing Assistant: Compose emails, draft documents, or generate content directly on any page without copy-pasting between windows. This integrates the conversational writing that made ChatGPT popular into everyday browsing.

The Operator Integration: Atlas consolidates what was previously called "Operator" (the standalone agent interface at operator.chatgpt.com). OpenAI has deprecated the separate Operator site, integrating those capabilities into both the main ChatGPT interface (as "agent mode" introduced in July 2025) and now natively into Atlas. This simplifies the product lineup: you get agent capabilities wherever you use ChatGPT – in the chat app, on the web, or in the Atlas browser.

Capabilities: As a full browser, Atlas offers everything you expect from Chrome (bookmarks, extensions, syncing) plus AI superpowers:

• Navigate to sites and execute complex multi-step workflows autonomously

• Summarize multiple tabs simultaneously or compare content across open pages

• Extract data from websites and populate it into forms or documents elsewhere

• Shopping assistance: find products, compare prices, and complete purchases (with user confirmation)

• Research synthesis: gather information from dozens of sources and compile reports or presentations

Because it's built on Chromium, Atlas maintains compatibility with most Chrome extensions, though OpenAI notes some extensions may not work perfectly in the initial release.

Pros: Deep integration means the AI has full context of your browsing without privacy concerns of third-party access. Available to all users including free tier makes it the most accessible full AI browser. Leverages OpenAI's industry-leading models (GPT-4, GPT-4.5, and likely GPT-5 integration). For those already in the ChatGPT ecosystem, it's a seamless upgrade rather than learning a new tool. Being Chromium-based ensures website compatibility and familiar interface.

Cons: Currently macOS-only severely limits adoption – most users will need to wait for cross-platform releases. As a new browser, there may be stability issues or missing features compared to mature options. Requires users to switch browsers entirely, a significant habit change. Agent mode (the most powerful feature) is still in preview and limited to paid subscribers. Privacy-conscious users may be wary of OpenAI having access to all browsing activity, though the company states data is only used when you actively engage the assistant. Resource usage could be higher than standard Chrome due to AI processing.

Status: Atlas is in public release as of October 21, 2025, though labeled as an early version. OpenAI is rapidly iterating based on user feedback. The launch timing – just six weeks after our original article – underscores how quickly the browser agent space is evolving. With OpenAI's resources and established user base (over 200 million weekly ChatGPT users as of mid-2025), Atlas is positioned to become a major force if the multi-platform rollout succeeds.

Strategic Implications: Atlas transforms OpenAI from an AI company with browser capabilities into a browser company powered by AI. This is a direct challenge to Google Chrome's dominance and changes the competitive dynamics. Google now faces a credible AI-first alternative with OpenAI's brand strength, while startups like Perplexity must compete with OpenAI's distribution and deeper pockets. For users, it validates that AI-native browsers are not a niche experiment but the future of web browsing.

OpenAI's ChatGPT Agent – A Toolbox in a Chat Interface

Before Atlas launched, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Agent in July 2025. This agent marks a shift for ChatGPT from a pure conversationalist to an autonomous problem-solver. By switching into "agent mode" within a ChatGPT conversation, users can have the AI "think and act" using a suite of tools. Under the hood, ChatGPT Agent has a virtual computer that can browse the web visually, use a text-based web browser for quick scraping, execute code in a terminal, and call external APIs via connectors. In practice, this means you can ask for tasks like "Research my upcoming meetings and draft a briefing document" or "Find a good recipe, order the ingredients online, and put a reminder on my calendar", and the agent will orchestrate all those steps across web pages and apps.

Availability: ChatGPT's agent mode became available to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Enterprise users in mid-2025. It is not enabled for free users at this time. Activating it is as simple as selecting an Agent option in the ChatGPT interface. There is no standalone OpenAI browser extension; it all runs through OpenAI's cloud platform.

Capabilities: The ChatGPT Agent is arguably one of the most powerful, because it leverages OpenAI’s top models (GPT-4 or beyond) and integrates many functionalities:

• It can navigate websites and click buttons in a simulated browser, including sites that require login (the user is prompted to securely log in when needed).

• It can synthesize information from multiple pages using its text-based browser and deep reading capability (this evolved from an earlier "deep research" feature OpenAI had).

• It can write and execute code to manipulate or analyze data on the fly (much like the Code Interpreter plugin, now built-in).

• It can output results in formats like markdown tables, or even create slide decks and spreadsheets as deliverables, something uniquely showcased by OpenAI.

Limitations: Reviewers have found that ChatGPT Agent, while groundbreaking, still feels like a "proof of concept" in some ways. It sometimes mis-clicks or gets confused by complex web interfaces (e.g. struggling with dragging a slider or playing an online chess game properly). These glitches show the challenge of bridging conversational AI with real-world web actions. Moreover, running multiple agents can be overwhelming: each spins up its own tab and you may lose track if you launch many simultaneous tasks. OpenAI's agent will always ask for user confirmation before performing sensitive actions like purchases or sending messages, which is a critical safety feature.

Pros: Extremely powerful and flexible; deep integration with ChatGPT’s knowledge and tools; no installation needed; leverages one of the most advanced AI models available with broad general knowledge.

Cons: Available only to paid users; can be slow or error-prone on web UIs; less transparent (runs on OpenAI servers, you see the results or a replay rather than live interaction); cannot directly leverage your existing browser session or personal data unless you connect accounts or provide info. Also, being a generalist, it may not have domain-specific optimizations (e.g., it might fill a form correctly, but not as instantly as a specialized tool like FillApp).

Status and Evolution: ChatGPT Agent mode is available in beta to Plus, Pro, and Enterprise users through the main ChatGPT interface. However, the most significant development came in October 2025 when OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas (discussed in the previous section), their full standalone browser. The agent capabilities are now integrated into Atlas for a more seamless experience. The separate Operator interface (operator.chatgpt.com) that some early testers used has been deprecated in favor of agent mode in the main ChatGPT app and Atlas browser. This evolution shows OpenAI moving from a virtual browser approach to offering both virtual (in the chat interface) and real browser (Atlas) options, giving users flexibility in how they want to interact with AI-powered browsing.

Perplexity’s Comet – An AI Browser for “Thought-Speed” Surfing

Perplexity.ai, known for its AI answer engine, took a bold step by launching Comet, a full-fledged AI web browser, in mid-2025. Comet is described as a browser “built for today’s internet,” aiming to transform web browsing from a manual task into something more like a conversation .

Approach: Unlike a plugin, Comet is a standalone Chromium-based browser with an AI assistant at its core . You can browse normally, but at any point you can interact with Comet’s AI to ask questions, execute tasks, or summarize information. For example, if you’re shopping online, you might ask Comet “Which other site has the same product with faster shipping?”, and it will understand the context and find the answer without you opening another tab . Comet’s philosophy is “from navigation to cognition”, meaning it tries to minimize the heavy tab-juggling and searching by letting you simply “think out loud” to get things done .

Capabilities:

• Conversational Browsing: You can ask Comet questions on any page. It can summarize complex content, compare information across what you’ve read, and follow your curiosity without losing context . Essentially, it’s like having a research assistant that knows what you’ve been looking at.

• Workflow Execution: Comet goes beyond Q&A; it can perform actions. The team encourages users to “ask Comet to do” tasks: book a meeting, send an email, buy an item you forgot, or brief you on your day . This implies an agent capability similar to other browser agents – clicking and form submission on your behalf – integrated within the browser.

• Accuracy and Citations: Perplexity has built its reputation on providing sourced answers. In Comet, they stress an “obsession with accurate and trustworthy answers” . We can expect Comet’s assistant to cite sources or use retrieval-augmented generation for factual queries, reducing hallucinations. This focus on reliability is critical when an agent is making decisions or purchases for you.

• Personalization and Learning: Comet is said to learn how you think over time, personalizing its assistance . It can use the context of your past browsing (with permission) to tailor answers. For instance, it might remember what you researched yesterday to inform what to suggest today.

Availability: As of its July 2025 launch, Comet is not immediately open to everyone. It was made available first to Perplexity’s “Max” subscribers (their premium tier), with an invite-only waitlist for others . Early access rolled out slowly over the summer of 2025. In other words, it’s in a closed beta for paying users, at least initially. This cautious rollout is likely to gather feedback and ensure the new browser is stable and secure.

Pros: Deep integration allows fluid context switching and multi-step tasks in one place. Likely very strong at answering questions with sources (good for research-oriented users). Aims to save time by turning multi-app, multi-tab workflows into a single conversation . Also, being a full browser means it can eventually incorporate unique interface innovations optimized for AI (potentially better than what an add-on kludged onto Chrome could do).

Cons: Requires using a new browser – users must migrate from Chrome/Firefox/etc., which is a hurdle. At this stage it’s invite-only and only for premium users (Perplexity Max subscription), so not widely accessible. Since it’s new, there may be website compatibility issues or missing features compared to mature browsers. Additionally, running an AI assistant constantly could raise performance or privacy questions (though no specific issues are noted, it’s something users consider when their browser “actively thinks”).

Status: Comet is in beta (invite only). It represents a vision of the future browser where AI is central. Early reports show excitement but also some security scrutiny – for example, Brave’s security team found an indirect prompt injection vulnerability in Comet’s agent early on, which Perplexity quickly fixed . This highlights how new such agents are and the ongoing work to make them safe. Overall, Comet is a frontrunner in the AI-as-your-browser trend, and its progress is being closely watched by the industry.

Claude for Chrome – Anthropic’s Safe-Browsing AI Sidekick

Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI model, introduced Claude for Chrome in 2025 as a browser extension that brings Claude’s capabilities into your web browsing. It's essentially Anthropic's answer to OpenAI's agent, but delivered in a Chrome sidebar instead of a chat app. Claude for Chrome can observe and act on what’s in your browser window with your permission, maintaining context across sites to help you work.

Access and Status: Claude for Chrome launched as a research preview/pilot in late August 2025 . It’s very limited: initially only 1,000 users who are on Claude’s paid Max plan (Anthropic’s highest tier, costing $100-$200/month) were invited . Others can join a waitlist, but general availability is not yet here . This cautious rollout underlines that Anthropic is treating it as an experimental feature to study and improve, especially on the safety front.

How it Works: Once enabled, Claude appears as a sidebar chat in Chrome . You can talk to it as you would in Claude’s normal interface, but now it has awareness of the current webpages you’re on. Importantly, you can grant Claude permission to take actions in the browser . For example, you might ask Claude to schedule a meeting on Google Calendar – it can click and fill in the details if you’ve allowed it access to that site. Or you could let it fill out a form, navigate through a workflow, etc., without you manually doing each step.

Claude’s strength is its large context window and reasoning. Claude 2 (released in 2023) could handle ~100K tokens of context, meaning it can read and summarize very lengthy documents or even multiple web pages. That makes Claude for Chrome a powerful research assistant – imagine opening several tabs of reports and asking Claude to synthesize a summary or comparative analysis.

Focus on Safety: Anthropic has been extremely vocal about the safety challenges of browser agents . They identified prompt injection (malicious hidden instructions in webpages or emails that trick the AI) as a key risk . In internal tests, an unmitigated Claude agent fell for nearly 24% of malicious tricks thrown at it – for instance, a hidden snippet on a page saying “delete all my emails” could have caused it to actually attempt deletion . Anthropic implemented multiple defenses (site permission scopes, confirmation prompts for risky actions, improved prompt instructions to ignore hidden text, blocking certain high-risk websites by default, etc.) and managed to cut the attack success rate by more than half . They admit it’s not perfect yet, hence the limited pilot to learn from real usage before wider release .

In practice, when using Claude for Chrome, you might notice it asking “Are you sure you want me to do X?” for something major, or it might refuse actions on banking sites or similar by design . This conservative approach is meant to build trust that an AI agent won’t run amok with your credentials.

Capabilities: With safety caveats in place, Claude for Chrome is reported to handle a variety of tasks:

• Manage calendars and schedule meetings (likely via web calendar apps) .

• Draft emails and routine reports (reading your email or form templates and composing responses) .

• Fill out forms and handle data entry tasks (similar uses as FillApp, potentially) .

• Navigate websites and even test web features (Anthropic internally used it to test their own site, hinting at QA automation use) .

Because Claude can maintain context, you can have a running dialogue about what you’re doing across multiple pages. It’s like an AI project manager sitting next to your browser session. And since it’s Claude, the language capabilities – writing fluently, summarizing – are top-notch.

Pros: Uses the Claude model known for large context and coherent replies. The extension form means it works with your existing browser and accounts, giving it an edge in personalized assistance (no separate sandbox login needed for each site). Anthropic’s emphasis on safety is reassuring, especially for enterprise users – they are identifying pitfalls (like hidden instructions) and actively defending against them .

Cons: Extremely limited availability in 2025 (effectively a closed beta for select paid users). It currently supports only Claude models, so unlike FillApp or Brave Leo which can use multiple AI models, you’re tied to what Anthropic offers. Claude also has its own quirks – for instance, it tends to refuse certain content more quickly due to Anthropic’s safety tuning, which could make it less flexible in some tasks. And while Anthropic is working on it, there’s always a residual risk that the agent could misinterpret a malicious page element – it’s cutting-edge research in progress, not yet a polished consumer tool .

Status: Claude for Chrome is in pilot (research preview). We expect Anthropic will expand access gradually as they bolster safeguards. Their goal seems not just to have an agent, but to set a standard for trustworthy agents – they’ve published principles on “trustworthy AI agents” and are likely to share learnings with the community . If and when it opens up broadly, it will be a strong competitor in the browser assistant space, especially for those who value Claude’s style of responses and its integration with Anthropic’s ecosystem.

FillApp – Specialized for Form Filling and Data Entry Automation

FillApp is an AI browser agent available as a Chrome extension that specializes in form filling, data entry, and high-volume repetitive task automation. Unlike general-purpose browser assistants, FillApp focuses specifically on scenarios where users need to process large numbers of similar operations across web applications. FillApp is publicly available with a free plan (20 credits/month) and paid tiers starting at $14.99/month, making it accessible to individuals, freelancers, and businesses alike.

Key Use Cases: FillApp is designed for scenarios involving repetitive browser work:

• Form filling at scale: Job applications, program submissions, vendor registrations, and other multi-page forms that need to be completed repeatedly with varying information

• Data entry automation: Transferring information from spreadsheets or documents into web-based systems (CRMs, ATS platforms, internal tools) without API access

• Web data collection: Extracting structured data from multiple websites (pricing information, contact details, product listings) and organizing it into usable formats

• Outreach automation: Researching and contacting prospects on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, or other platforms with personalized messages based on profile analysis

• Workflow automation: Multi-step processes that span several websites or tabs, such as gathering data from one site and submitting it to another

Execution Model: FillApp can handle both quick tasks (filling a single form) and extended batch operations (processing 100+ records over hours). For users dealing with high-volume repetitive work—whether job seekers applying to dozens of positions, sales professionals conducting outreach campaigns, or researchers collecting data from multiple sources—FillApp's ability to execute systematically through large lists sets it apart from conversational AI assistants that handle one request at a time.

Capabilities: FillApp offers four operational modes:

1. Fill Mode - Instant Form Completion: Populate forms using either saved snippets or natural language prompts. For example, describe what you want in a form ("Apply for Marketing Manager role at Company X, start date July 1, highlight project management experience") and FillApp fills the fields accordingly. Useful when completing multiple similar forms with varying details.

2. Agent Mode - Multi-Step Workflow Automation: Describe complex workflows and FillApp executes them across multiple tabs and sites. For instance: "Find 50 relevant job postings on LinkedIn, for each one check the company website for culture information, then apply with a customized cover letter." The agent handles the navigation, data gathering, and form submission systematically. This mode is particularly useful for batch operations that would take hours manually.

3. Assist Mode - Page Summarization and Data Extraction: Summarize web pages, PDFs, or images, and answer questions about content. Extract structured data from websites (pricing tables, contact information, product specifications) for later use. Helps with research and data collection tasks.

Notable Features:

• Reusable Snippets: Save frequently used information (addresses, contact details, standard responses, project descriptions) as snippets that can be quickly inserted into forms. This ensures consistency and speeds up repetitive data entry, whether you're applying to multiple jobs, filling vendor forms, or conducting outreach campaigns.

• Session-Based Operation & Multi-Tab Workflows: FillApp works in your logged-in browser sessions across all websites—LinkedIn, job boards, application portals, CRMs. No separate logins or API integrations needed. It can orchestrate workflows across multiple tabs, extracting information from one site and using it on another, all within your authenticated sessions.

• Visible Execution: Every action is shown with cursor movements and element highlights. You can watch FillApp work in real-time and intervene if needed. Optional confirmation prompts for sensitive actions (submitting forms, making purchases) add an extra layer of control.

• Batch Data Operations: Extract information from multiple PDFs, scrape data from websites, or process lists of records systematically. FillApp handles repetitive data collection and entry tasks that would otherwise require manual copying and pasting across dozens or hundreds of items.

Pros: FillApp's specialization in repetitive tasks delivers significant time savings for users dealing with high-volume operations. Users report substantial efficiency gains when processing multiple similar tasks—whether job applications, outreach campaigns, or data collection projects. The snippet system speeds up data entry consistency, while multi-model support (GPT-5, Claude 4, and others) means FillApp can leverage different AI models optimally for different task types. The session-based architecture allows FillApp to work with any website where you're logged in, including proprietary internal tools that lack APIs or automation support. Being a Chrome extension, it integrates into existing workflows without requiring browser switching.

Cons: Currently Chrome-focused (Edge, Safari, Firefox support planned), which limits users on other browsers.

Availability: FillApp is publicly available as a Chrome extension with a free tier (20 credits/month) for testing and light use. Paid tiers—Starter ($14.99/month, 150 credits) and Pro ($29.99/month, 350 credits)—provide higher credit allotments for users processing larger volumes. The extension was tested on 120+ platforms during private beta before public release in 2025. A web app dashboard accompanies the extension for managing snippets, reviewing logs, and tracking usage.

Dia (Now Atlassian) and Other AI-First Browsers – Chatting with Your Tabs

We touched on Perplexity's Comet as an AI-centric browser. Another notable entry is Dia, originally developed by The Browser Company (makers of the Arc browser). Dia is an AI-first browser that launched in beta in June 2025. However, in a significant strategic shift, Atlassian acquired The Browser Company for $610 million in cash on October 21, 2025 – the same day OpenAI launched Atlas. This acquisition fundamentally changes Dia's trajectory from a consumer product to an enterprise and B2B-focused browser optimized for knowledge work.

What This Means: Under Atlassian's ownership, Dia is pivoting to serve enterprises with deep integration into Atlassian's ecosystem (Jira, Confluence, Trello) and adding enterprise-grade security, compliance, and management features. Atlassian positioned it as a "browser for knowledge work in the AI era," targeting professionals and enterprises rather than general consumers. Pricing has been announced at $20/month for the Pro tier, aligning with Atlassian's business model.

Original Dia Concept: The concept of Dia is different from most browser assistants: where Comet feels like a traditional browser enhanced with an assistant, Dia treats the AI as the primary interface for many interactions. In Dia:

• The address bar doubles as a chat box with the AI . You can type natural language requests into what normally is the URL/search bar. If you type a website name or query, it works normally, but you can also ask things like “What are my open tabs about?” or “Draft an email to John summarizing these two tabs,” and the AI will respond or act.

• You can ask questions about your open tabs – Dia’s agent can read all your open pages and answer queries that span them . For example, if you have two articles open, you could ask “compare the main points of these two articles” and Dia will use both tabs as context.

• It can summarize files you upload and handle a mix of search vs chat automatically . If you ask a factual question, it might search the web; if you ask for a rewrite of a page’s text, it chats.

• Personalization is key: you “talk” to Dia’s chatbot to set preferences, like tone or writing style . Over time it also uses browsing history (opt-in for 7 days) to tailor answers to your interests .

• Arc introduced a feature called “Skills” – essentially mini-scripts the AI can create to customize the browser or automate something . Users can ask the AI to code a little function (like rearrange tabs in a certain layout, or extract certain info from pages) and Dia will generate the code for that browser automation. This is a novel take, blending user scripting with AI for those with specific needs.

Status: Dia remains in invite-only beta as it transitions under Atlassian ownership. Arc browser users got early access initially, and invites have gradually expanded. It's built on Chromium, so it retains a familiar browsing core. The AI model behind Dia hasn't been officially stated, but it likely leverages OpenAI's or a similar leading model through a partnership. With Atlassian's resources and enterprise focus, we can expect accelerated development of features that matter to business users – SSO, audit trails, compliance certifications – rather than purely consumer-oriented innovations.

Pros: Dia offers a very seamless AI experience – no need to think “now I go to a separate chat window”; the AI is wherever you need it (the URL bar, a chat panel, etc.). For Arc fans, it’s an upgrade that doesn’t require leaving their beloved browser UI. Features like using your history as context and multi-tab questioning make it extremely useful for research and cross-referencing tasks (like a personal research assistant that remembers what you’ve been reading all week). It’s also aiming to cut out extra steps: instead of visiting ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude websites separately, users can get those benefits directly in the browser .

Cons: The Atlassian acquisition brings both opportunities and uncertainties. On one hand, Atlassian's deep pockets and enterprise distribution channels could accelerate Dia's development and adoption in business contexts. On the other hand, the pivot from consumer to enterprise may alienate early Arc enthusiasts who valued its unique consumer-oriented design philosophy. The $20/month Pro pricing, while reasonable for businesses, is another subscription in an increasingly crowded field. Since Dia is essentially Arc 2.0, it inherits Arc's challenge – Arc never hit mass adoption beyond tech enthusiasts due to its unique interface and learning curve. If Dia maintains these distinctive UI choices while adding enterprise complexity, it may face adoption friction. Additionally, early feedback indicated that Dia at launch was more like an integrated chatbot than a fully autonomous agent – great at Q&A and summaries, but not as "agentic" in performing complex multi-step web tasks as ChatGPT Agent or FillApp's agent mode. With Atlassian's focus on enterprise use cases (Jira integration, project management), Dia may prioritize those workflows over becoming a general-purpose autonomous agent, which could limit its appeal compared to more ambitious competitors like Atlas or Comet.

Other AI-Infused Browsers: It's notable that even established browsers have rushed to add AI:

• Opera Neon – Launched September 30, 2025, Opera Neon represents Opera's premium answer to the AI-native browser trend. Unlike Opera Aria (the free built-in assistant in standard Opera), Neon is a separate premium product priced at $19.99/month. It features "Neon Do," a fully agentic browsing system that works with local execution (utilizing your active browser sessions rather than cloud-based control). Neon introduces unique concepts like Tasks (self-contained workspaces for different projects) and Cards (reusable prompt instructions for common workflows). Opera positions Neon as combining "30 years of browser expertise with cutting-edge AI agents," targeting power users willing to pay for advanced automation capabilities. This shows the market bifurcation: Opera offers both a free AI-enhanced browser (standard Opera + Aria) and a premium AI-native browser (Neon), covering both segments.

• Opera's Aria (in standard Opera) is available to all Opera users for free, offering real-time web-connected answers, content generation (even image generation via integrated DALL-E or similar), and agent-like tab commands . Opera has been steadily adding features, turning Aria into a versatile assistant that can even mimic writing style and handle coding help .

• Brave's Leo is another example of an existing browser integrating AI. It launched in late 2023 and has since grown. Brave took a privacy-first route: Leo supports local models via BYOM and offers hosted Mixtral/Claude/Llama options by default to avoid sending data out . It can summarize pages, answer questions, and generate text, all without tracking the user. Brave later introduced a premium tier where for $15/month, users can access larger models and even Claude Instant from Anthropic for more powerful assistance . This is interesting because Brave essentially offers multiple AI models (small ones for free, big ones for paid) right in the browser – a strategy to cater to both privacy-conscious users and those who want top-tier AI quality. Brave’s approach underscores how important AI is becoming in browser competition; even a privacy-focused company is carefully integrating it to enhance user experience.

• Microsoft & Google: Microsoft Edge's sidebar AI (Copilot) has been a mainstream way for millions to get AI help while browsing since early 2023. Google has made significant strides with Gemini in Chrome, which became publicly available to all US users on September 18, 2025 – just after our original article was published. This free built-in assistant lets users generate page summaries, get answers with page context, and interact with forms directly from Chrome's interface. Beyond the consumer-facing features, Google launched Gemini 2.5 Computer Use model on October 27, 2025, as a developer API and SDK. This model achieves 70%+ accuracy with approximately 225-second latency on browser automation benchmarks, positioning Google competitively against OpenAI's and Anthropic's computer use capabilities. The API allows developers to build browser agents that can see browser screens via screenshots and act through mouse clicks, keyboard typing, scrolling, and form filling.

• Project Mariner (Google Labs): Google's most advanced experimental browser agent is Project Mariner (formerly called "Project Jarvis" in early rumors). As of October 2025, it's available in limited testing exclusively to Google AI Ultra subscribers ($249/month) in the US with approval. Mariner is a Chrome extension powered by Gemini 2.0 with autonomous web navigation capabilities, achieving an 83.5% success rate on the WebVoyager benchmark (the highest score for single-agent setups). It can autonomously handle shopping, research, travel planning, and features task recording/replay. While invite-only, Google has indicated these capabilities will integrate into the main Gemini app "later in 2025," suggesting that advanced agentic features will eventually reach the broader Chrome user base. Project Mariner represents Google's technical answer to ChatGPT Atlas and demonstrates that Chrome won't cede the AI browser space to startups and OpenAI without a fight.

Emerging Players: Strawberry Browser and the B2B Wave

Beyond the tech giants and established players, a wave of well-funded startups is entering the AI browser agent space with specialized focus areas. These represent the "long tail" of innovation that often drives industry evolution.

Strawberry Browser stands out as a credible B2B-focused entrant. The Stockholm-based company (formerly Dendrite Systems) announced a $6 million Series Seed round on October 14, 2025, led by General Catalyst and EQT Ventures, with backing from founders at Lovable, Supabase, and Hugging Face. Strawberry bills itself as a "self-driving browser" that actively works for you, not just assists when asked.

What Makes Strawberry Different:

• AI Companions: Customizable autonomous agents with distinct personalities and specializations. Strawberry offers pre-built companions like "Sales Sally" (for sales prospecting), "Recruiter Ryan" (for talent sourcing), and "Competition Camille" (for competitive intelligence). Users can create custom companions tailored to specific workflows.

• B2B/Business Focus: Unlike general-purpose browsers, Strawberry explicitly targets freelancers, startups, small businesses, and sales professionals. This focused positioning allows deeper optimization for business workflows – CRM updates, lead generation, prospect research, competitive monitoring.

• No-Code Automation: Users describe tasks in natural language; the AI Companions plan and execute multi-step workflows. Like FillApp, it emphasizes accessibility for non-technical users.

• Approval-Based Actions: For critical operations (submitting forms, sending emails, making purchases), Strawberry requires user confirmation, maintaining human oversight while automating repetitive steps.

Availability and Pricing: Strawberry is in early access/beta with rolling monthly onboarding from a waitlist. It's available for Windows and Mac. Pricing is $30/month after a free trial, positioning it at the higher end for extensions/agents but below premium browsers like Perplexity Comet ($200/month).

Why Strawberry Matters: The $6 million seed round and experienced founding team signal this is a serious competitor, not a side project. Their explicit B2B positioning puts them in direct competition with FillApp's productivity focus and Dia's enterprise pivot. The market validation from top-tier VCs suggests investors believe there's significant value in specialized AI browsers for business users, not just general-purpose assistants. As one of the first well-funded players focusing specifically on B2B automation workflows, Strawberry could capture market share among professionals before the tech giants add similar features.

The well-funded entry of Strawberry and similar B2B-focused players validates that the AI browser agent market is rapidly expanding beyond early adopters into specialized enterprise and business use cases. The combination of VC funding, enterprise focus, and proven ROI suggests we're entering a phase where specialized B2B automation solutions will coexist with (and often outperform) general-purpose browser assistants.

Comparing Approaches: Autonomy vs Assistance, Generalist vs Specialist

It’s clear that the landscape of AI browser agents in 2025 is diverse. Here we compare some of the key dimensions across the solutions:

• Level of Autonomy: There's a spectrum from assistant to agent. Assistant-style integrations (Brave Leo, Opera Aria, early Dia) focus on helping the user by providing information or light automation (like closing tabs or summarizing text) when asked. True agent-style systems (OpenAI's Agent, FillApp's agent mode, Claude for Chrome, Perplexity Comet) can take a high-level goal and initiate a sequence of actions to accomplish it with minimal further user input. With autonomy comes the need for more safety checks. FillApp and Claude explicitly confirm before critical steps; ChatGPT Agent asks permission for anything high-impact. A fully autonomous agent (where you just say "do X" and it does X, Y, Z on its own) is incredibly powerful but potentially risky. Most offerings now strike a balance: they automate multi-step tasks but keep the user in the loop for oversight.

• Use of Personal Context: Solutions embedded in your actual browser (FillApp, Claude for Chrome, Aria, Leo, Dia) have access to what you're currently seeing and sometimes your past browsing context. This makes them feel very personalized: they can, for example, summarize that specific dashboard you have open or use info from your previous tab to inform the next action. ChatGPT Agent, in contrast, starts with zero personal context except what you explicitly provide or authorize via connectors. Comet lies in between: as a full browser it can have context of your session, but since it's a new browser you start fresh with it. The trend is moving toward agents that leverage user context more deeply, as long as privacy can be managed. FillApp's approach of running "where you already work" (using logged-in sessions without exporting data out) is a user-friendly model, whereas cloud agents needing you to log in again might feel sandboxed.

• Model Backend and Flexibility: This is a subtle but important point for savvy users or enterprise buyers. Which AI model is powering the agent? OpenAI's ChatGPT Agent uses (presumably) GPT-4 or GPT-4.5 (and likely GPT-5 soon), basically the best OpenAI has. Claude for Chrome uses Claude 2 (and future Claude updates). Bing uses OpenAI's models (with Bing's tuning), Bard uses Google's models (PaLM, now Gemini). These are all single-provider, closed models. FillApp and Brave are notable for a more open, hybrid approach. FillApp supports all state-of-the-art models, including GPT-5, Claude 4, and other cutting-edge models. Users can select a model or FillApp automatically picks the best one for a task. Brave Leo free uses an open model (Llama 2) and premium adds Anthropic's model as well. The benefit of multi-model support is flexibility and resilience: if one model is weak at a certain task, another might handle it better. It also can address cost concerns (use cheaper models for easy tasks, expensive ones for complex tasks). From a "state of the industry" perspective, we see a split: the big players tie you into their model ecosystem, while some newer entrants try to be model-agnostic.

• Market Bifurcation – Approach and Pricing Tiers: A clear divide has emerged in late 2025:

  • Premium AI-Native Browsers ($20-200/month): ChatGPT Atlas (included with tiers), Perplexity Comet ($200/month), Opera Neon ($19.99/month), Dia ($20/month). These are standalone browsers with deep AI integration aiming to replace your primary browser. They offer the most seamless AI experience but require users to switch browsers entirely.
  • Free AI-Enhanced Browsers (Built-in): Gemini in Chrome (free), Edge Copilot (included), Opera Aria (free), Brave Leo (free + premium). Major browser vendors adding AI features to retain users. Provide AI assistance for common tasks like summarization, Q&A, and page context without requiring new software or subscriptions.
  • Specialized Extensions ($15-200/month): FillApp ($14.99-29.99/month), Claude for Chrome ($100-200/month Max plan), Strawberry ($30/month). Extensions that add specific capabilities to existing browsers. Work within your current browser and logged-in sessions. FillApp focuses on form filling and repetitive task automation. Claude targets general productivity with emphasis on safety. Strawberry offers pre-built automation companions.

  Each category serves different needs: AI-native browsers for users wanting comprehensive AI integration, free built-ins for basic assistance, and specialized extensions for specific workflows. The market has room for multiple approaches depending on user priorities (switching cost, feature depth, pricing, specialization).

• Public vs Private Availability: The landscape has shifted significantly since mid-2025. ChatGPT Atlas launched publicly for all users (though macOS-only initially), while Gemini in Chrome became available to all US users in September. However, the most advanced capabilities remain gated: ChatGPT agent mode requires Plus/Pro, Project Mariner requires AI Ultra ($249/month), Claude for Chrome is still limited to ~1,000 Max users, Comet and Strawberry are invite-only or waitlisted. The pattern is clear: tech giants are releasing basic AI browsing features publicly to defend market share, while advanced autonomous capabilities remain premium or preview. This creates a two-speed adoption: millions can try AI-enhanced browsing now, but truly autonomous agents are for paying customers or beta testers willing to wait.

• Platform Support: Most of these agents are focusing on desktop web (Chrome desktop, custom desktop browsers). Opera Aria is one of the few explicitly available on mobile as well. ChatGPT's agent could theoretically work on the ChatGPT mobile app. Extension-based solutions like Claude for Chrome currently focus on desktop browsers. This will be important for widespread adoption because a large chunk of browsing time is on phones.

• Pros & Cons Summary: To wrap this comparison, here’s a quick list of pros and cons of browser agents vs. traditional browsing:

  • Pros: Saves time on multi-step tasks, reduces manual data entry (FillApp reports forms done in seconds that took minutes before); can handle information overload by summarizing pages; useful for accessibility (reading content aloud, explaining jargon, Opera's Aria even reads answers aloud for users who prefer to listen); could perform actions when you're away (future potential for truly autonomous agents handling tasks overnight, though most current ones still require you to supervise to some degree).

  • Cons: Still error-prone in early stages (e.g. clicking wrong buttons); requires deep trust: these agents might see sensitive info, so security and privacy safeguards are paramount; potential impact on websites (if agents block ads or behave like non-human traffic, this could disrupt the web's economic model, a topic outside our scope but interesting: Wired mused that a web full of AI "ghost" browsers skipping ads could push advertisers away). Users also have to learn new workflows and not everyone may feel comfortable delegating critical tasks to AI yet, especially without double-checking.

The Road Ahead

The flurry of activity in 2025 around AI browser agents suggests that we are at an inflection point. Browsing the web is transforming from a manual activity (point, click, type) to a higher-level orchestration (tell the AI what you need and supervise). It's a change on par with the introduction of graphical browsers in the 90s or mobile browsing in the 2000s: a new paradigm of interaction.

The Predictions Are Already Coming True: Our original article in September predicted OpenAI would build its own browser. Just six weeks later, ChatGPT Atlas launched on October 21, validating that prediction faster than expected. We anticipated Google would add more agent-like behaviors to Chrome – and indeed, Gemini in Chrome became publicly available (September 18) with Gemini 2.5 Computer Use API following in October, plus Project Mariner in limited testing. The Atlassian acquisition of Dia the same day as Atlas's launch shows consolidation is beginning, with enterprises buying browser AI startups to integrate into their ecosystems. The pace of development has accelerated beyond most analysts' expectations.

Big Players Are All In: OpenAI's commitment is now undeniable with both ChatGPT Agent mode and the full Atlas browser – they're not just experimenting, they're competing directly with Chrome. Microsoft has integrated AI into Windows (Copilot) and Edge, and the same copilot can now edit documents, book flights, and orchestrate across apps. Google has deployed Gemini in Chrome publicly while developing the more advanced Project Mariner for premium users, plus releasing developer tools (Gemini 2.5 Computer Use API) for third-party agent builders. Anthropic, with heavy investment, is tackling the hard problem of safe autonomy with Claude for Chrome, which will benefit everyone building similar tech through their published research on prompt injection defenses and trustworthy agent principles. And notably, Amazon entered the fray in 2025 by announcing Nova Act, a toolkit and model for browser-based agents focused on reliability and enterprise use cases.

When virtually every tech giant – OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Anthropic – plus countless well-funded startups (Strawberry's $6M seed, Opera's Neon, established players like FillApp) are betting on a concept, it's a sign that AI browser agents (or "web agents") will become a regular part of computing, not a niche experiment.

Challenges to Overcome: While the momentum is strong, there are challenges:

• Robustness: Web UIs vary wildly. Agents need to handle everything from a simple text field to complex drag-and-drop interfaces reliably. They've gotten better (some use vision, DOM analysis, and language combined to understand pages), but we saw even ChatGPT Agent stumble on something like a chess interface. This will improve with model training (e.g., Amazon claims Nova Act is trained to better handle things like dropdown menus and date pickers that trip up others).

• Safety & Ethics: We discussed prompt injection and malicious content. There's also the concern of these agents being used maliciously (an agent that can browse and execute could be pointed to do nefarious things if not safeguarded). Companies are implementing permission systems, domain restrictions, and monitoring. Expect this to be a continuous tug-of-war with exploits: similar to antivirus vs malware evolution, AI agents will need ever-evolving defenses.

• User Trust & Adoption: Many people are understandably cautious about letting an AI click or type for them. Building trust through transparency (like FillApp's visible highlights and Anthropic's confirmations) and reliability will be key. Early adopters (power users, tech enthusiasts, certain professionals) are on board, but mainstream users might take convincing. Clear benefits (saving time, doing things you can't easily do yourself) will drive adoption. It may start in workplace settings where productivity gains are easily quantifiable, then spread to general use.

• Web Ecosystem Reaction: If agents become dominant, websites might adapt by changing interfaces or offering agent-friendly APIs (or conversely, trying to block bot traffic). There’s a parallel to how SEO and web design changed when search engines rose; similarly, “AI-agent optimization” could become a thing for web developers (ensuring your site content is easy for AI agents to parse and act on, so that your service isn’t bypassed or misused by them). This is speculative, but it’s a space to watch. For instance, sites might include meta tags or schemas for agents (like indicating which elements are safe to click or which text is instructions vs content), or browser makers might standardize some “agent mode” protocols.

Conclusion: The state of AI browser agents in late 2025 is one of explosive innovation and intensifying competition. The landscape has crystallized into distinct categories:

• Tech giants defending market share: Google (Gemini in Chrome + Project Mariner), Microsoft (Edge Copilot), Opera (Aria + Neon) are adding AI to retain users as competitors emerge.

• AI companies challenging browser dominance: OpenAI (ChatGPT Atlas + Agent mode), Anthropic (Claude for Chrome), Perplexity (Comet) are building AI-first browsers to capture users before traditional browsers become irrelevant.

• Enterprise consolidation beginning: Atlassian's $610M acquisition of Dia signals that established software companies will buy browser AI startups for strategic integration, likely accelerating with Salesforce, Adobe, or others acquiring productivity-focused agents.

• Specialized startups carving niches: FillApp (form filling/data entry automation), Strawberry (B2B companions) are targeting specific high-value workflows rather than competing as general-purpose assistants.

For investors and researchers, this space is uniquely exciting because it touches mass-market software (browsers) used by 5+ billion people globally and injects cutting-edge AI into daily workflows. The October 21 "Super Tuesday" of browser AI – with both ChatGPT Atlas and the Dia acquisition announced the same day – marks a turning point from experimentation to market battle. A browser agent will likely become as indispensable as the address bar or back button within 2-3 years.

For users, the promise is a web that feels less like work and more like delegation. The professional who filled 20 job applications in an evening with FillApp (previously days of manual work), the researcher using Project Mariner to synthesize 100+ sources automatically, the sales team using Strawberry's AI Companions to automate CRM updates – these are early signals of workflow transformation. As agents mature and adoption spreads from early adopters (power users, tech enthusiasts) to mainstream professionals, we'll see "tasks that took hours now take minutes" become the norm, not the exception.

Looking Forward: AI browser agents are no longer experimental – they're here, deployed, and improving weekly. The next 6-12 months will determine which approaches gain traction: Will users embrace switching to AI-native browsers for deeper integration, or will extensions that enhance existing workflows with minimal friction prove more popular? Will free AI-enhanced browsers from Google/Microsoft suffice for most users, or will premium specialized agents capture specific market segments? The market may support all three approaches, with each succeeding in different user segments based on needs and priorities.

What's certain is that interacting with the web is fundamentally changing. The optimal solution differs by use case and user type. Some users want comprehensive AI-enhanced browsing experiences that work across all activities (Atlas, Gemini in Chrome, Comet). Others need specialized tools for specific high-volume workflows like form filling, data entry, or outreach automation (FillApp, Strawberry). Knowledge workers may prefer intelligent assistance focused on research, writing, and analysis (Claude, Perplexity). The market has room for multiple approaches because different users have different priorities regarding features, pricing, switching costs, and specialization.

The next phase will determine which models succeed at scale. Will users embrace switching to AI-native browsers for deeper integration? Will free built-in assistants from Google and Microsoft be "good enough" for most use cases? Or will specialized extensions capture specific workflow segments where general-purpose solutions underperform? The answer is likely all three, with different solutions dominating different market segments.

It's an exciting time as we watch these tools evolve from beta experiments to everyday utilities. The browser is transforming from a passive window to the internet into an active assistant that can understand context, execute tasks, and handle complexity. Whether summarizing research with Atlas, automating data entry with FillApp, or managing workflows with Strawberry's companions, the fundamental shift is the same: we're moving from manual clicking to describing intent and letting AI handle execution. That transformation isn't theoretical—with millions already using these tools, it's actively reshaping how we interact with the web.

Sources

OpenAI / ChatGPT:

• OpenAI: ChatGPT Atlas
• OpenAI: Introducing ChatGPT Agent

Anthropic / Claude:

• Anthropic: Piloting Claude for Chrome
• Anthropic Help: Getting Started with Claude for Chrome

Google:

• Google: Gemini in Chrome
• Google: Gemini 2.5 Computer Use API
• Google Labs: Project Mariner

Perplexity:

• Perplexity: Introducing Comet

The Browser Company / Dia:

• Dia Browser
• Atlassian acquisition announcement (October 21, 2025)

Opera:

• Opera: Opera Neon
• Opera: Aria AI Tab Commands

Strawberry:

• Strawberry Browser

Others:

• Microsoft: Copilot in Edge
• Brave: Leo
• Amazon: Nova Act SDK

FillApp:

• FillApp: Product & features