Min vs Zen Browser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Min grades higher than Zen Browser: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Min grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Zen Browser
Free, open-source desktop browser built around vertical tabs
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Min if
- Fits if you keep lots of tabs open and want them grouped into tasks
- Works for people who want to search the text of pages they've visited
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want it on your phone, as there are no mobile versions
- Tight if you want paid help when something breaks, since it's a small open-source project with no paid support
- Watch out: the releases are separate files for each system, such as Windows installers, Debian and RPM packages and macOS zips
Pick Zen Browser if
- Fits if you prefer vertical tabs and want the rest of the screen left alone
- Works for Firefox users who want Workspaces and Split View built in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you watch DRM-protected streaming in your browser, which won't play on Windows or Mac
- Not for you if you want the same browser on your phone, as no mobile version is planned
- Not for you if you want horizontal tabs, because the team says they aren't coming in the near future
- Watch out: it's labeled a beta and kept up by a small team, so bug fixes and requests can take time
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAMinVery good | 2.8GPAZen BrowserGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree open-source software with no paid tier, and a program anyone can download and run. | AFree and open source with no paid tier at all. The team lives on optional donations through Patreon and Ko-fi and on sponsors, so whether you ever pay a penny is entirely your call. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole browser is free, with ad and tracker blocking already on. | AFree outright, with nothing kept back: Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode, Glance and the whole Zen Mods business. Sync is free too, riding on a Mozilla account. |
| Features | BTabs, tasks, Focus Mode, bookmark tags and full-text history search cover the browser's job, with nothing in the listing showing a gap. | CThe tab features are Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode, Glance and mods to restyle it. But it's a short list for a browser, and there's a hole in the middle of it: no Widevine license, so DRM-protected streaming won't play on Windows or Mac at all. Horizontal tabs aren't supported either. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it and use it, with keyboard shortcuts to learn if you want them. | CNo rating on record, and the whole thing is built round a vertical tab bar, with horizontal tabs not supported and not coming. If you've had tabs across the top for twenty years, that's relearning. It's also still labelled a beta, kept up by a small team. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux only. The release files cover no mobile versions. | CDesktop only: Mac, Windows and Linux, with add-ons, bookmarks, history and passwords synced through Firefox Sync. No Android or iPhone version, and the FAQ says none is planned, so your phone browses something else. |
| Best for | a plain browser with tasks and history search | vertical tabs on an open-source browser |
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: Min and Zen Browser. How we grade
Price against what you get
Min has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zen Browser has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Min scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Min for less, and none scores higher than Zen 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
- Min also covers ad and tracker blocking.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceWeb browser
At a glance
| Min | Zen Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Min is free, open-source software with no paid tier. | Zen is free and open-source with no paid tier. Development is supported by optional donations through Patreon and Ko-fi and by sponsors. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Min open-source project | Zen Team |
| Price read from | minbrowser.org | zen-browser.app |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Min
- There are no mobile versions; the release files cover Windows, macOS and Linux.
- It is a small open-source project, so there is no paid support.
- The release list names Windows installers, Debian and RPM packages, and macOS zip files rather than a single installer per system.
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.
Key features
Min
- Compact tabs and Focus Mode
- Tabs take little space, pages you have not looked at in a while fade out, and Focus Mode hides the other tabs.
- Tasks
- Tasks group and organize tabs, with keyboard shortcuts to switch between them, and tasks collapse automatically when unused.
- Full-text history search
- You can search the full text of every page you have visited, and the site says this happens on your device.
- Bookmark tags
- Bookmarks are organized with tags, and Min suggests similar pages based on what you have bookmarked.
- Ad and tracker blocking
- Most ads and trackers are blocked automatically, and the site says it does not share browsing history.
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.
Plans
Min
Free$0
The full browser, with ad and tracker blocking on by default.
Zen Browser
Free$0
The full browser for macOS, Windows and Linux, including Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode and Zen Mods.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Min or Zen Browser?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Min and Zen Browser are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Min or Zen Browser?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Min and Zen Browser have a free plan.
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.