SigmaOS vs Zen Browser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Zen Browser grades higher than SigmaOS: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zen Browser grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SigmaOS
Mac browser with vertical tabs, workspaces and an AI assistant
Zen Browser
Free, open-source desktop browser built around vertical tabs
Which one is for you
Pick SigmaOS if
- Fits if you live on a Mac and want tabs down the side in separate workspaces
- Works for people who want an assistant that answers questions about the page
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as it runs on macOS only
- Pricey if you want unlimited AI, which needs Pro at $20 a month
- Watch out: the help docs list an older Pro price of $10 a month, against $20 on the homepage
- Watch out: iOS and Windows versions are described as coming, and pages on the site carry a 2024 copyright notice
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
| 2.4GPASigmaOSFair | 2.8GPAZen BrowserGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe Personal plan is described as free forever, so the browser costs nothing. Unlimited Airis needs Pro at $20 a month, which is where this category's dearest tenth starts. | 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 | BA free-forever plan one person could live on, with the AI helper limited rather than missing. | 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 | CWorkspaces, vertical tabs, search across tabs and an ad blocker. Unlimited AI use is Pro only, and the help docs list an older Pro price of $10 against the homepage's $20. | 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 | CNo store rating on record. Workspaces, profiles and keyboard-first search take some learning. | 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 | DmacOS only. The FAQ says iOS and Windows support are coming. | 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 Mac browser with vertical tabs and an AI helper | 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: SigmaOS and Zen Browser. How we grade
Price against what you get
SigmaOS starts at $20 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zen Browser has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Zen Browser scores higher and starts $20 a month lower. Of the other browsers on the chart, 22 score higher than SigmaOS 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
- Zen Browser is open source, according to its own site.
- SigmaOS also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| SigmaOS | Zen Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $20 per month (Pro) | Free |
| Free plan | SigmaOS Personal is described as free forever; unlimited Airis AI usage is a Pro feature. | 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 | SigmaOS, Inc. | Zen Team |
| Price read from | sigmaos.com | zen-browser.app |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SigmaOS
- It runs only on macOS; the FAQ says iOS and Windows support are coming.
- Unlimited Airis usage needs the paid Pro plan.
- The company's help docs list an older Pro price of $10 per month ($8 billed yearly); the homepage FAQ says $20 a month. Check the price in the app before buying.
- Pages on the site carry a 2024 copyright notice.
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
SigmaOS
- Workspaces and vertical tabs
- Tabs are kept in separate workspace lists down the side of the window, and a workspace can use separate profiles to sign in to different accounts.
- Tabs as tasks
- Tabs can be marked as done when finished or locked to a workspace to keep them.
- Lazy Search
- Pressing the spacebar searches across open tabs, the web, commands and bookmarks.
- Airis assistant
- The AI companion can answer questions about the page you are on, search the web and read several pages at once, and a Simplify view summarizes a page.
- Ad blocker and Focus Mode
- A built-in ad blocker is included, and Focus Mode hides everything except the current page.
- Chromium extensions
- The FAQ says SigmaOS is a WebKit browser that also supports Chromium extensions.
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
SigmaOS
Personal$0
The browser for macOS, free, without unlimited Airis AI usage.
Pro$20
per month; billing basis not stated on the page
Unlimited Airis usage. The site says Pro starts at this price and gives students and educators 50% off.
Zen Browser
Free$0
The full browser for macOS, Windows and Linux, including Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode and Zen Mods.
Ways to pay less
SigmaOS
- Education
50% off Pro for students and educators
The homepage FAQ says students and educators are eligible for a 50% discount on SigmaOS Pro.
Zen Browser
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SigmaOS or Zen Browser?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Zen Browser is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20 a month for SigmaOS. SigmaOS starts at $20 per month (Pro), and Zen Browser is free.
Which has a free plan, SigmaOS or Zen Browser?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both SigmaOS and Zen Browser have a free plan.
Which platforms do SigmaOS and Zen Browser run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Zen Browser lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list a macOS app. 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.