🇺🇸 USA · Google Project Mariner
Status: 🟩 COMPLETE 🟦 LIVING Last invalid: 2026-06-26 Plain-English tagline: Google’s browser-based AI agent — Mariner navigates websites, fills forms, completes tasks. Google’s answer to OpenAI Operator. Preview access via Google AI Ultra.
Front-matter facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Google DeepMind (Mountain View + London) |
| Country / origin | 🇺🇸 USA + 🇬🇧 UK |
| Recommended for Australian users? | ✅ Yes — preview access via Google AI Ultra |
| Privacy summary | Browser actions executed in sandboxed environment; Gemini Apps Activity opt-out applies |
| Free tier | None — preview-tier access only |
| Paid tiers | Bundled with Google AI Ultra (US$249.99/mo) preview |
| First released | Announced December 2024; preview rollout 2024-25; broader access 2025-26 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-26 |
| Official site | https://deepmind.google/technologies/project-mariner/ |
What it is
Project Mariner is Google’s browser-based AI agent — Google’s answer to OpenAI Operator / ChatGPT Agent and Anthropic Computer Use. Mariner:
- Opens a Chrome browser instance
- Navigates websites in response to your instructions
- Fills forms, clicks links, scrolls, reads page content
- Completes multi-step tasks autonomously
- Asks for human confirmation on sensitive actions (logins, payments)
Powered by Gemini. Available as preview to Google AI Ultra subscribers; rolling out to broader Pro tier.
Similar product positioning to OpenAI Operator (the most-polished consumer browser agent in 2026); Project Mariner is Google’s competing implementation.
What you’d use it for
- Same use cases as OpenAI Operator:
- Booking (flights, hotels, restaurants)
- Comparison shopping
- Multi-step research that requires browsing
- Form filling (applications, sign-ups)
- Repetitive web workflows
- Inside Chrome — Google’s integration position
- Workspace orgs wanting browser-agent in their ecosystem
How to access from Australia
- Google AI Ultra subscription (US$249.99/mo) for current preview access
- Or via Workspace Enterprise (rolling out)
- Activate Mariner via Gemini app or labs.google
- Watch agent work in dedicated browser instance
- Confirm sensitive actions when prompted
What it costs
- Bundled with Google AI Ultra US$249.99/month
- Rolling out broader access through 2026
How it compares to alternatives
| Capability | Project Mariner | OpenAI Operator | Anthropic Computer Use | Perplexity Comet | Devin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maturity / availability | Preview | Generally available (Pro) | API only (developers) | GA | GA |
| Browser-specific | Yes | Yes | General desktop | Yes (browser-first) | Code-focused |
| Subscription | Google AI Ultra | ChatGPT Pro | Claude API | Pro / Enterprise | Devin US$500/mo |
| AUS availability | ✅ preview | ✅ available | ✅ API | ✅ | ✅ |
For browser-agent today, OpenAI Operator is the most-polished consumer option. Project Mariner is Google’s competing path, especially relevant for Google AI Ultra subscribers.
Privacy / data handling
- Sandboxed browser instance
- Gemini Apps Activity opt-out applies
- For business / regulated, prefer Vertex AI or Workspace Enterprise channels
Recent changes
- 2026: Broader rollout including AUS
- December 2024: Project Mariner announced
Gotchas
- Preview status — features and availability shift; verify currently
- For “use today”, OpenAI Operator is more mature
- AI Ultra US$249.99/mo is steep — justify based on Astra + Mariner + Veo + Imagen combined value
- Multi-step web tasks can fail on sites with strong bot detection (CAPTCHAs)
See also
- ChatGPT Agent 🟩 🟦
- Anthropic Computer Use 🟩 🟦
- Claude in Chrome 🟩 🟦
- Project Astra 🟩 🟦 — sibling Google project
- Gemini 🟩 🟦
- Devin 🟩 🟦
- Perplexity (Comet browser) 🟩 🟦
- what-agents-really-mean.md 🟥