I needed to compare three camera lights for a deal. Instead of opening 47 browser tabs, cross-referencing spreadsheets, and losing my mind, I tested four different AI tools to find the answer. Turns out, they each handle deal-hunting differently.
If you’re shopping Cyber Monday but hate the overwhelming tab-switching game, this matters. I tested ChatGPT Shopping Research, Perplexity Shopping, Comet browser, and Amazon Rufus against the same problem, and here’s what I learned about which one actually works best for finding deals on specific products.
All four are free AI tools, so you can test them yourself.
Skip the Reading? Here’s Your Quick Answer
| Tool | Best For | Speed | Price Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Complex decisions, learning tradeoffs | Slow (3–5 min) | 52–64% |
| Perplexity | Fast browsing, quick comparisons | Very Fast | High |
| Comet | Multi-site comparison, automation | Very Fast | High (live) |
| Rufus | Amazon shopping only | Instant | Highest |
TL;DR:
- Shopping Amazon? → Use Rufus
- Comparing multiple retailers? → Use Comet
- Want fast product cards? → Use Perplexity
- Making a big research decision? → Use ChatGPT
How to Access Each Tool (Quick Start)
ChatGPT Shopping Research
Go to chat.openai.com, log in (free or paid account), and start a conversation. When you ask about products, ChatGPT will offer to use Shopping Research. See the official guide →
Perplexity Shopping
Visit Perplexity.ai and search for any product. Results appear as product cards with pricing and reviews. Works on web and mobile. See Perplexity’s shopping overview →
Comet Browser
Download the Comet browser on desktop or mobile (iOS/Android). It works like a regular browser, but you can tell it to compare prices across multiple sites at once. Getting started guide →
Amazon Rufus
Go to Amazon.com, search for any product, and Rufus appears as a chat assistant (usually bottom right). Also built into the Amazon mobile app. No separate login needed if you already have an Amazon account. Official Rufus info →
Here’s What I Was Looking For
Last week I decided to invest in better lighting for video work. I was looking at the Amaran Pano 60C, but the specs made my head spin. There’s also the Ray 60C, Ray 60XS, and a handful of other similar models. They’re all in the same price range, but which one is actually the better deal? What are the real differences between them?
That’s when I realized I had the perfect problem to test these AI shopping tools. I didn’t need someone to tell me what lights exist. I needed help understanding what I was actually paying for and which model would save me money without sacrificing what I needed.
ChatGPT Shopping Research: The Deep Researcher
TL;DR: Builds personalized buyer’s guides. You describe what you need, it researches and explains tradeoffs.
✓ Strengths:
- Explains what specs actually matter (cuts through marketing noise)
- Asks clarifying questions to understand your priorities
- Synthesizes reviews and comparisons into one guide
- Available on all plans (free, Plus, Pro)
✗ Limitations:
- Accuracy on pricing/availability: 52–64% (you must verify before buying)
- No Amazon access (Amazon blocks scraping)
- Takes 3–5 minutes to generate results
Best for: You’re new to a category and you want help understanding what you’re actually paying for. Great for “should I buy X or Y?” decisions.
Try ChatGPT Shopping Research → | Official guide →
Perplexity Shopping: The Fast Browser
TL;DR: Instant product cards with live pricing. Remembers what you’re shopping for across follow-up questions.
✓ Strengths:
- Results appear in seconds (not minutes)
- Displays specs, prices, and reviews in clean cards
- Remembers context—you can ask follow-ups without re-explaining
- Instant Buy checkout on select merchants (Adorama, Newegg, etc.)
- PayPal cashback promotions running through Cyber Monday
✗ Limitations:
- No Amazon access (Amazon blocks scraping)
- Instant Buy only works with partnered retailers
- US-only for now
Best for: You’re in a hurry and want to quickly browse product options without a lot of thinking.
Try Perplexity Shopping → | Official guide →
Want more details? See our complete guide to finding deals with Perplexity →
Comet Browser: The Task Automation Tool
TL;DR: An agentic browser that visits multiple sites in parallel and compares products automatically.
✓ Strengths:
- Compares prices across multiple retailer sites simultaneously
- Handles multi-step tasks (research → compare → add to cart)
- Shows live pricing because it’s actually visiting retailer pages
- Fast because it runs parallel tasks instead of one-by-one
✗ Limitations:
- Requires more active prompting than ChatGPT or Perplexity
- Amazon has sent legal threats about Comet’s access, so Amazon shopping is uncertain
- Works best when you give it clear instructions
Best for: You’re comparing across 3+ retailers and you want the AI to do the clicking for you.
Try Comet → | Getting started guide →
Want to dive deeper? Check out our Comet browser basics → and our guide to using Comet for price checking →
Amazon Rufus: The Amazon-Native Assistant
TL;DR: Amazon’s built-in AI shopping assistant. If you’re shopping Amazon, this is more accurate than the other three tools combined.
✓ Strengths:
- Real-time Amazon pricing and stock levels (100% accurate)
- Integrates directly with your cart
- Instant results (no waiting like ChatGPT)
- Shows Prime shipping options and customer reviews
- Built into Amazon app and website
✗ Limitations:
- Amazon-only (can’t compare across other retailers)
- Not useful if you’re shopping elsewhere
Best for: You’re shopping Amazon for Cyber Monday deals. This is the fastest, most accurate option for Amazon shopping.
Browse Amazon Cyber Monday deals with Rufus → | Official Rufus info →
Need more details? See our complete Rufus guide →
Which One Should You Use?
Already answered by the table above. Pick your tool based on where you’re shopping and how much time you have.
Bottom line: All four are free. Try the one that matches your situation and see if it saves you time. Cyber Monday moves fast—don’t overthink it.
One More Thing: Gift Shopping
If you’re buying gifts instead of deals, ChatGPT Shopping Research excels at personalized recommendations. If you want a structured prompt, PromptRocket has a solid ChatGPT gift-finding prompt that walks you through getting personalized suggestions. Check out the gift prompt →
Quick FAQ
Are all four of these tools free?
Yes. ChatGPT Shopping Research is free on ChatGPT’s free plan. Perplexity Shopping is free to all US users. Comet is free to try though Perplexity does offer a paid Pro tier if you want more features. Amazon Rufus is free if you have an Amazon account.
Which is fastest?
Perplexity usually shows results the quickest because it displays product cards as it searches. Comet can complete multi-site tasks faster than you could do them manually, but it requires more setup. ChatGPT takes a few minutes because it’s doing deeper research. Rufus is instant because it’s pulling from Amazon’s live database.
Why can’t they access Amazon?
Amazon doesn’t allow ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Comet to scrape product data, so they can’t reliably pull Amazon prices or comparisons. That’s why Amazon has its own tool (Rufus). For Amazon shopping, use Rufus instead.
Do I have to buy through the tool?
No. ChatGPT and Perplexity show you links to retailer sites. Perplexity does offer Instant Buy on select merchants if you want one-click checkout. Comet can technically complete checkout if you’re logged in, but it’s safer to do that yourself and verify everything first. Rufus integrates with your Amazon cart, so you can add items directly and check out through Amazon.
Get Started Before Cyber Monday Ends
Cyber Monday is coming up fast. If you’ve got a specific product you’re trying to decide on, pick one of these tools and test it. You might save time and catch a deal you would have missed tab-hopping.
