Arc vs Strawberry Browser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Arc grades higher than Strawberry Browser: 3.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Arc grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Strawberry Browser
Browser with AI companions that do work in your tabs
Which one is for you
Pick Arc if
- Fits if you want work and personal browsing kept apart inside one window
- Works for Chrome users who want their extensions in a different-looking browser
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a browser that's still being built, since the maker now points people to Dia for security patches
- Not for you if you're on Linux, or on a Mac older than macOS 13.0
- Not for you if you'd rather not make an account just to browse
- Watch out: the phone app is Arc Search, a lighter companion, not Arc itself
- Watch out: Ask ChatGPT in Arc Max needs a ChatGPT account signed in on your Arc profile
Pick Strawberry Browser if
- Fits if you want AI to run research and drafting tasks while you browse
- Makes sense if your mail, Slack and Notion are the tools you want it to reach
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want unlimited AI use: the free plan is 500 credits a month
- Pricey if you use it heavily: 25,000 credits is $85 and 75,000 is $250 a month
- Watch out: unused plan credits do not roll over
- Not for you if you use Linux or a phone, as only macOS and Windows are listed
- Watch out: Team and Enterprise pricing was not shown in the page text we read
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAArcVery good | 2.0GPAStrawberry BrowserFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ANothing to pay, ever. Arc is a free download for Mac and Windows, arc.net lists no paid plan at all, and Arc Search on the phone is free too. The AI features are in there without a subscription. | CThe paid plans start at $20 a month for 6,000 credits, at the edge of this category's $19.99 dearer quarter, and go to $250 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe free version is the only version: the whole browser, the opt-in Arc Max AI features and Arc Search on your phone, with no plan above it to be nudged towards. You do have to make an account, which Arc uses to hold and sync your data. | CA free plan gives 500 credits a month with no card needed. Browsing never uses credits, but companion tasks will run out of them. |
| Features | CSpaces, Profiles, Split View across three tabs, hover previews of Gmail and Calendar, and every extension Chrome takes. But the maker says Arc now gets Chromium updates only and sends people to Dia for active security patches, and for a browser that's a gap in the job itself. | CCompanions, automations, schedules and meeting notes, but every task spends credits and the work depends on that monthly allowance. |
| Ease of use | AArc Search on iPhone carries 4.88 from about 25,000 App Store ratings. On a computer it pulls your Chrome data across during setup, so the first window isn't empty. | CNo rating on record. Companions, connected apps and credit use are things to set up and learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac and Windows on the desktop, nothing for Linux, and on the phone it's Arc Search, a lighter companion app rather than Arc itself, on iPhone and Android. Tabs sync between Mac, Windows and iOS, and it hooks into Google Calendar, Gmail, Notion, GitHub and Spotify. | CMac and Windows only, with links to Gmail, Slack, Notion, Linear, HubSpot, ChatGPT and Ashby. No phone app. |
| Best for | keeping work and personal tabs in one window | an AI browser that runs tasks in the background |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Arc and Strawberry Browser. How we grade
Price against what you get
Arc has no paid plan and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Strawberry Browser starts at $20 a month and scores 2.0.
Arc scores higher and starts $20 a month lower. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Arc for less, and 31 score higher than Strawberry Browser for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Strawberry Browser also covers meeting notes, workflow automation and AI agents.
At a glance
| Arc | Strawberry Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $20 per month for 6,000 credits, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Arc is a free download for Mac and Windows, and no paid plan is listed on arc.net. The mobile app, Arc Search, is listed as free on the App Store. | 500 credits a month, with Efficient and Default modes. Browsing itself never uses credits. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | The Browser Company of New York | Strawberry Browser Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | strawberrybrowser.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Strawberry Browser
- Desktop only for macOS and Windows.
- Credits run out: the paid plans add 6,000 to 75,000 a month, and unused plan credits do not roll over.
- Annual billing is advertised as 2 months free, but the page text we read shows monthly prices only.
- Team and Enterprise pricing was not shown in the page text we read.
Key features
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.
Strawberry Browser
- AI companions
- Official companions for sales, recruiting, executive support, marketing and consulting tasks, or custom ones you create.
- Works on any website
- The AI can use any website in the browser, including pages behind a login, according to the vendor.
- Automation and schedules
- Tasks can be put on a schedule, and the site describes automations that create tasks in Linear, add leads to HubSpot and save notes to Notion.
- Meeting notes without a bot
- Transcribes and summarizes meetings and suggests follow-ups, without a meeting bot joining the call.
- Memory and sync
- Memory across chats and sync across devices are included in every plan.
- Credits
- Companions use credits when they help; plan credits refresh monthly and do not roll over. Top-ups cost $0.01 per credit and do roll over.
Plans
Arc
Free$0
The full browser on Mac and Windows, the opt-in Arc Max AI features and the Arc Search mobile app.
Strawberry Browser
Free$0
per month, 500 credits
Everyday AI tasks with curated models. No card needed.
Intern$20
per month for 6,000 credits, billed monthly
Adds Expert mode, a choice of AI models and priority access at peak hours.
Part-Time$85
per month for 25,000 credits, billed monthly
Same features as Intern with a larger monthly credit allowance.
Full-Time$250
per month for 75,000 credits, billed monthly
Same features as Intern with the largest monthly credit allowance. Team and Enterprise tabs on the page are priced separately.
Ways to pay less
Arc
No public discounts listed.
Strawberry Browser
- Annual discount
Annual billing: 2 months free
The pricing page's Annual toggle is labeled 2 months free. The annual prices themselves are not shown in the page text.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Arc or Strawberry Browser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Arc is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20 a month for Strawberry Browser. Arc is free, and Strawberry Browser starts at $20 per month for 6,000 credits, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Arc or Strawberry Browser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Arc and Strawberry Browser have a free plan.
Which platforms do Arc and Strawberry Browser run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Arc lists iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.