Arc vs Brave

Arc

• People who keep work and personal browsing in one window
• Chrome users who want their extensions in a different interface
• Side-by-side reading and research with Split View

Brave

• People who want ads and trackers blocked without installing extensions
• Chrome users who want to keep their Chrome Web Store extensions
• Those who want an AI assistant that works without an account
• Crypto users who want a self-custody wallet built into the browser

Arc

• The Browser Company says Arc receives Chromium updates only and directs people to Dia for active security patches.
• There is no Linux version. Arc needs macOS 13.0 or later, or Windows 10 19H1 or higher.
• Arc asks people to create an account, which is used to keep data and sync it across devices.
• The Ask ChatGPT feature of Arc Max requires a ChatGPT account signed in on the current Arc profile.

Brave

• The VPN is not part of the free browser: it is a subscription at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
• Free access to Leo varies with traffic and usage. Higher rate limits and more models need Leo AI premium at $14.99 per month.
• VPN, Leo, Search and Talk premium are each sold as a separate subscription; the pricing page lists no bundle.
• Brave Origin, the version without Leo, News, Rewards, VPN or Wallet, is a $59.99 one-time purchase on every system except Linux.

Arc

Spaces and Profiles

Spaces keep work, study and hobbies apart inside a single window, and Profiles sit alongside them so each area of browsing can be organized on its own.

Split View and themes

Split View places up to three tabs side by side, picture-in-picture keeps video and meetings visible, and themes change the color of the browser.

Arc Max AI features

Opt-in AI features preview a link when hovering with Shift held, send a question to ChatGPT from the Command Bar, and give pinned tabs and downloads shorter, tidier names.

Built-in integrations

Integrations show the day's meetings from Google Calendar, unread Gmail, recent Notion pages and GitHub pull requests on hover, and control Spotify from a mini player.

Chrome extensions and import

Arc supports the extensions Chrome supports and imports Chrome data on setup. Chromium's Google account sync, usage metrics and telemetry to Google are disabled.

Arc Search on mobile

The mobile browser blocks ads, trackers and cookie banners, answers questions with Browse for Me, and syncs tabs across Mac, Windows and iOS through Arc Sync.

Brave

Shields ad and tracker blocking

Shields block third-party ads, trackers, fingerprinting and cookie consent notices by default on every site, including video ads on YouTube. The settings can be customized or left alone.

Leo AI assistant

Leo summarizes webpages, PDFs and Google Docs, answers questions and drafts text with no account required. Chats are not retained or used for training, and Bring Your Own Model connects local or remote models.

Brave Search

The default search engine for most new Brave users serves results from Brave's own independent index of the web, offers AI answers and does not profile the people using it.

Private Windows with Tor

Tor integration in private windows proxies the IP address, and fingerprint randomization makes the browser look different to every site on each visit.

Sync, vertical tabs and extensions

Bookmarks, passwords and tabs sync encrypted across devices, tabs can be stacked vertically, and Chrome Web Store extensions work, including those that rely on MV2.

Rewards, Wallet and Talk

Brave Rewards pays BAT to people who opt in to privacy-preserving ads, Brave Wallet is a self-custody crypto wallet, and Brave Talk runs private video calls in the browser.

Arc

• Free$0

  The full browser on Mac and Windows, the opt-in Arc Max AI features and the Arc Search mobile app.

Brave

• Free$0

  The full browser with Shields ad and tracker blocking, encrypted sync, the free tier of Leo, Brave Search and Brave Talk video calls.

• Search premium$3.00

  per month, or $29.99 per year

  Ad-free Brave Search results and a cleaner view on all results pages.

• Talk premium$7.00

  per month, or $69.99 per year

  Video calls with hundreds of people, call recordings, participant muting and passcodes. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Brave VPN$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  Whole-device VPN for up to 10 devices across desktop, Android and iOS, with speeds up to 500 Mbps. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Leo AI premium$14.99

  per month, or $149.99 per year

  More AI models, higher rate limits and early access to new Leo features. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Brave Origin$59.99

  one-time purchase

  A minimalist version of the browser that can switch off or remove Leo, News, Rewards, VPN, Wallet and other features. Free on Linux.

Arc

No public discounts listed.

Brave

• Annual discount

  About 17% off with yearly billing

  Each Brave premium subscription costs about 17% less when paid yearly: Brave VPN is $99.99 a year against $119.88 for twelve months at $9.99, and Leo AI premium is $149.99 against $179.88.