Perplexity MCP Connector vs Comet Skill (2026)
Two patterns, two directions. Perplexity MCP brings tools INTO Perplexity. Comet Skill bridges Perplexity OUT to Codex/Claude Code. Pick by daily flow.
Perplexity launched custom remote MCP support for Pro+ subscribers in March 2026. An r/codex post in May 2026 launched Comet Skill — open- source bridge from Codex/Claude Code to a logged-in Comet browser via Chrome DevTools Protocol. Two different patterns, two different jobs.
What each does
Perplexity MCP: external tools attached to Perplexity. You bring tools (Scavio, Linear, GitHub, Notion, custom) into Perplexity's flow. Perplexity calls your tools.
Comet Skill: Codex/Claude Code attached to Perplexity Comet. You bring Perplexity into Codex's flow. Codex delegates research to Perplexity.
The directionality matters
Perplexity MCP is the "research is the agent; tools come to it" pattern. Comet Skill is the "coding is the agent; research is delegated" pattern. Pick by which agent runs your daily flow.
Solo developer setup
If your daily flow is Codex or Claude Code: Comet Skill (delegated deep research, free if Pro paid) + Scavio MCP (fast typed lookups). If your daily flow is Perplexity Comet: Scavio MCP attached to Perplexity (multi-platform search inside the Perplexity workflow).
Both can coexist
Some users have Comet Skill bridging Codex to Perplexity AND Scavio MCP attached to both runtimes. The same Scavio MCP works in Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, qwen-code, VS Code, AND Perplexity Pro+ via the custom MCP path.
# Codex / Claude Code side
git clone https://github.com/ammarshah1n/comet-skill.git
# Install per repo README
claude mcp add scavio https://mcp.scavio.dev/mcp \
--header 'x-api-key: $SCAVIO_API_KEY'
# Perplexity Pro+ side: Settings → Connectors → Add Custom MCP Server
# URL: https://mcp.scavio.dev/mcp
# Auth: API Key (x-api-key)The system prompt routing
Codex/Claude Code: "Fast typed lookups via scavio.search. Deep multi-step research via comet_research; do NOT block waiting; review the URL when ready." Two clear roles, no ambiguity.
Perplexity Comet: scavio.search appears as a tool inside Perplexity's normal Q&A flow. Perplexity decides when to invoke it; the user sees citations from Scavio results alongside Perplexity's own retrieval.
Where each falls short
Comet Skill: requires real Chrome with logged-in Pro session. Not a fit for headless production agents. For server-to-server multi-tenant production, swap Comet Skill for Perplexity Sonar API.
Perplexity MCP: requires Pro+ tier. Free Perplexity tier doesn't get custom MCP attachments. Limit on number of attached MCPs depends on Perplexity's ongoing rollout terms.
Cost comparison
Comet Skill path: Perplexity Pro $20/mo + Scavio $30/mo = $50/mo total. Sonar API path (production): per-call to Sonar + Scavio $30/mo = variable, scales with usage. Perplexity-as-agent path: Pro+ tier + Scavio $30/mo = $50-70/mo depending on Pro+ pricing tier.
Honest tradeoffs
For solo devs: Comet Skill + Scavio in Codex/Claude Code is the cheapest sustainable setup. For Perplexity-first users: Scavio MCP attached to Perplexity gives the bonus of multi-platform results inside the Perplexity flow. Either way, Scavio MCP is the constant — the agent runtime decision varies.
The pattern beyond Perplexity
Custom MCP support is becoming the default for AI agents. Perplexity added it in March 2026. qwen-code removed built-in web search in favor of MCP in May 2026. Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code all support MCPs natively. The era of bundled-search-vendor-per-runtime is ending; per-vendor MCPs that work across runtimes is the new shape.
What to do this week
If you're a Pro subscriber on Codex/Claude Code: install Comet Skill + Scavio MCP. If you're a Pro+ subscriber preferring Perplexity as the daily agent: attach Scavio MCP to Perplexity. If you're operating both: install Scavio MCP everywhere; one key, multiple runtimes.
Verified-online May 2026 against Perplexity's March 2026 changelog, the Comet Skill repo, and Scavio MCP spec.