Vivaldi vs Zen Browser

Vivaldi

• Power users who keep dozens of tabs open
• People who want mail, calendar and feeds inside the browser
• Those who like to customize shortcuts, themes and layout
• Users who want a browser without a built-in AI assistant

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

Vivaldi

• Proton VPN for Vivaldi works only in the desktop browser, and faster speeds, more servers and extra devices need a paid Proton VPN plan.
• New installs come with partner bookmarks and search engines that earn Vivaldi revenue. They can be replaced.
• Vivaldi deliberately leaves out an AI assistant, so there is no built-in chatbot or page summarizer.
• The current Mac download requires macOS 13 or later.

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.

Vivaldi

Mail, Calendar and Feed Reader

A built-in email client handles several accounts, mailing lists and feeds in one inbox, next to a private calendar and a feed reader that does not rank items by algorithm.

Tab Stacks, tiling and Workspaces

Tabs group into two-level Tab Stacks, open side by side in a split-screen view, and sort into Workspaces for switching between categories of tabs.

Ad and tracker blocker

A blocker for ads and trackers is built into the desktop and mobile browsers, so no extension is needed to remove them.

End-to-end encrypted Sync

Browsing history, passwords, bookmarks, tabs and notes sync between desktop and mobile devices, protected by end-to-end encryption.

Proton VPN for Vivaldi

An opt-in VPN from Proton is built into the desktop browser. It is free with no ads or data limits after signing in with a Vivaldi account.

Customization and Command Chains

Shortcuts, themes and features can be personalized, mouse gestures trigger actions, and Command Chains run a custom sequence of commands from one keystroke or gesture.

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.

Vivaldi

• Free$0

  The full browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, including mail, calendar, feed reader, sync and the free tier of Proton VPN on desktop.

Zen Browser

• Free$0

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