Arc vs Zen Browser

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

Zen Browser

• People who prefer vertical tabs and a minimal interface
• Firefox users who want workspaces and split view built in
• Those who want an open-source browser funded by donations

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.

Zen Browser

• Zen is labeled a beta and is maintained by a small team, so bug reports and feature requests can take time.
• There is no Android or iOS version, and the FAQ says none is planned.
• The FAQ says Zen has no Widevine license, so DRM-protected streaming does not play on Windows or macOS.
• Horizontal tabs are not supported; the team says they will not be added in the near future.

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.

Zen Browser

Workspaces

Tabs are organized into Workspaces so that separate projects stay apart, with quick switching from one to another.

Vertical tabs and Compact Mode

The whole interface is built around a vertical tab bar. Compact Mode hides that bar until it is needed, leaving more of the screen for the page.

Split View

Split View shows tabs side by side for comparison. Tabs are selected with Ctrl or Shift and split from the right-click menu.

Glance

Glance gives quick access to the tabs a person uses most, without scrolling back through history to find them.

Zen Mods

Zen Mods are themes and modifications that change how the browser looks and behaves, and the documentation covers live CSS editing for further customization.

Sync through Firefox Sync

Signing in with a Mozilla account syncs add-ons, bookmarks, history, passwords and other browser data across devices.

Arc

• Free$0

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

Zen Browser

• Free$0

  The full browser for macOS, Windows and Linux, including Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode and Zen Mods.