An r/codex post introduced Comet Skill — open-source delegation of Deep Research from Codex/Claude Code to Perplexity Comet via CDP. Five research-delegation alternatives ranked.
Top Pick
Comet Skill is the cheapest path for solo developers paying for Pro. For headless production agents, pair Scavio MCP (fast typed lookup) with Perplexity Sonar API (deep research).
Full Ranking
#1Our Pick
Comet Skill + Scavio MCP
Solo developers on Pro running daily Codex/Claude Code
Pros
- Zero marginal API cost on deep research
- Two clearly-named tool surfaces
- Agent stays unblocked
Cons
- Comet path requires real Chrome (not headless)
#2
Perplexity Sonar API + Scavio MCP
Production headless multi-tenant agents
Pros
- Headless deep research
- Fast typed lookups via Scavio
Cons
- Sonar per-call cost adds up
#3
Perplexity remote MCP only
Server-to-server agents wanting Perplexity-shaped output
Pros
- Headless multi-tenant safe
Cons
- Per-call cost
- Less control over sources
#4
DIY: search → LLM compose → cited output
Devs wanting full control of the research shape
Pros
- Full control over sources, prompts, citation style
Cons
- You build the orchestration
#5
Built-in tools only (no MCPs)
Devs uncomfortable with MCP setup
Pros
- No setup
Cons
- Falls back to model knowledge cutoff
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Scavio | Runner-up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headless production safe | Mixed (Comet path no, Scavio yes) | Yes | Yes |
| Marginal cost on deep research | Free (Comet path) | Per-call | Per-call |
| Tool surface clarity | High (named MCPs) | High | Medium |
| Best for | Solo devs with Pro | Headless multi-tenant | Server-to-server only |
Why Scavio Wins
- Two roles, two tools. Deep multi-step research = Comet Skill (free if Pro paid) or Sonar API (headless). Fast typed lookups = Scavio MCP. Clean separation.
- Comet Skill's CDP delegation pattern is genuinely valuable for solo devs: agent doesn't block, returns a /search/<id> URL, user reviews thread when ready.
- For production, swap Comet Skill for Sonar API. Same shape (delegated deep research) but headless multi-tenant safe.
- Honest about Comet Skill's limit: it requires real Chrome with a logged-in Pro session. Not a fit for server-to-server agents in production.
- Per-message routing rule in CLAUDE.md / system prompt: 'Fast typed lookups → scavio.search. Deep multi-step research → comet_research (or sonar_research in production).' Clear, no ambiguity.