Best Arc alternatives for Mac.

Reference archive: this page documents the original Yab browser. Features, platforms and release dates here do not describe the current Veb prototype. Veb release plans →

We make Veb, so it’s first. The rest, by the facts.checked Oct 9 ↓

On October 22, 2026, The Browser Company announced that Arc for macOS and Windows will stop working on December 22, 2026. Existing users can use Arc until then; new account sign-ups are closed. See Arc’s announcement and our shutdown and export guide.

Shutdown announcement checked October 22, 2026. Other browser features and prices checked October 9, 2026.

What Arc has that people look for elsewhere: tabs down the side, spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, AI chat about pages, Chrome extensions, a Windows version and a free price. Below, 7 browsers ranked by how much of that they keep, and Veb.

Choose by what you want to keep

The best replacement depends on your Arc workflow and the computer you use.

VebA familiar workflow on Mac

Keep spaces, pinned tabs, folders and Split View. Veb can read Arc’s files on your Mac; check what imports and what stays behind. We make Veb.

ZenFirefox add-ons

Choose Zen if you want a sidebar and workspaces with Firefox extensions. It uses Firefox add-ons rather than the Chrome Web Store.

DiaThe Browser Company’s successor

Choose Dia if you want to stay with The Browser Company and use its AI browser. Dia now has a sidebar and profiles, plus an Arc import path; compare its workflow with the parts of Arc you use.

WindowsCheck platform support first

Options in this comparison include Dia, Zen, Vivaldi, Aside, Edge and Opera. Veb runs on Mac, with an iPhone app in beta.

Arc alternatives, one by one

1

Veb

ours
Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT planMacWebKit

Veb, Very Expensive Browser, is a free Mac browser that keeps everything from Arc (tabs down the side, spaces, folders, Split View) and gives your Claude or ChatGPT plan an agent that works in your signed-in tabs.

Keeps: tabs down the side, spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, AI chat about pages, Chrome extensions and a free price. Misses: a Windows version.

Pick it if you miss Arc and want spaces, pins and folders kept, on a Mac. The catch: Mac only for now: macOS 15.4 or later; the iPhone app is in beta, and there is no Windows or Android.

2

Dia

Browser free; AI on Better Answers $20/month or Better Days $100/monthMac and WindowsChromium

Dia is the AI browser The Browser Company builds now instead of Arc. It is Chromium-based, for Macs with Apple silicon and, since October 2026, Windows, and its AI chats with your tabs and the tools you connect.

Keeps: tabs down the side (as a setting), spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, AI chat about pages, Chrome extensions, a Windows version and a free price.

Pick it if you want the current browser from Arc’s makers, with Arc import and tabs down the side as a setting. The catch: AI costs $20 or $100 a month for new users; the free plan has none after a 14-day trial.

3

Zen Browser

Free and open sourceMac, Windows and LinuxGecko, Firefox’s engine

Zen is a free, open-source browser built on Firefox that brings Arc’s layout, tabs down the side with spaces, folders and Split View, to Mac, Windows and Linux.

Keeps: tabs down the side, spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, a Windows version and a free price. Misses: AI chat about pages and Chrome extensions.

Pick it if you want Arc’s layout, free and open source. The catch: Releases are still labeled beta.

4

Vivaldi

Free; its Proton VPN is free with a Vivaldi accountMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and AndroidChromium

Vivaldi is a Chromium browser with a setting for nearly everything, mail, calendar and feeds built in, a free Proton VPN and no AI by design, on every desktop and phone.

Keeps: tabs down the side (as a setting), spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, Chrome extensions, a Windows version and a free price. Misses: AI chat about pages.

Pick it if you want mail, calendar, feeds, notes and a VPN in the browser. The catch: No AI assistant or agent, by design.

5

Aside

Free with 500 AI credits a month; Pro $20/month; Max $200/month; or your own ChatGPT or Claude planMac and WindowsChromium

Aside is an AI agent browser from a Y Combinator startup, on Chromium, for Mac and Windows. Its agent does multi-step work in the sites you are signed in to, on Aside’s own models or your ChatGPT or Claude plan.

Keeps: tabs down the side, spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, AI chat about pages, Chrome extensions, a Windows version and a free price.

Pick it if you want an agent for multi-step work across your signed-in sites, on Mac or Windows. The catch: The free plan has 500 AI credits a month; more is Pro at $20 or Max at $200.

6

SigmaOS

Free; Personal Pro $20/month or Personal Max $30/month for more AIMacWebKit

SigmaOS is a Mac browser on WebKit that treats tabs like a to-do list, in workspaces down the side, with an AI assistant called Airis.

Keeps: tabs down the side, spaces, Split View, AI chat about pages, Chrome extensions and a free price. Misses: folders in the sidebar and a Windows version.

Pick it if you want workspaces and tabs you mark done, on a Mac. The catch: Mac only.

7

Microsoft Edge

Free, with Copilot; Browse with Copilot needs Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/month (US)Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and AndroidChromium

Edge is Microsoft’s Chromium browser on every desktop and phone, with Copilot built in. Since Copilot Mode was retired in May 2026, its agent, Browse with Copilot, comes with Microsoft 365 Premium in the US.

Keeps: tabs down the side (as a setting), spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, AI chat about pages, Chrome extensions, a Windows version and a free price.

Pick it if you use Microsoft 365 and want Copilot in the browser. The catch: Browse with Copilot needs Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99 a month) and is US only.

8

Opera

Free, with Opera AI and a browser VPN; VPN Pro is paidMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and AndroidChromium

Opera One is Opera’s free Chromium browser on every desktop and phone, with a free browser VPN, an ad blocker, messengers in the sidebar and Opera AI. Its agents are in a separate browser, Opera Neon.

Keeps: tabs down the side (as a setting), spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, AI chat about pages, Chrome extensions, a Windows version and a free price.

Pick it if you want a free browser VPN and an ad blocker built in. The catch: Opera AI only chats and sums up; agents need Opera Neon at $19.90 a month.

What each keeps of Arc

Arc has all of these. Which alternative has which.

BrowserTabs down the sideSpacesFoldersSplit ViewAI chatChrome extensionsWindowsFree
VebYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYes
DiaA settingYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Zen BrowserYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
VivaldiA settingYesYesYesNoYesYesYes
AsideYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
SigmaOSYesYesNoYesYesYesNoYes
Microsoft EdgeA settingYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
OperaA settingYesYesYesYesYesYesYes

Questions

When does Arc shut down?

Arc for macOS and Windows will stop working on December 22, 2026, according to The Browser Company’s October 22 announcement. Existing users can keep using Arc until then; new account sign-ups are closed.

What is the best Arc alternative?

It depends on what you used Arc for. For tabs down the side and spaces: Zen. For an AI agent: Aside. Free, on Windows too: Dia. On a Mac, Veb keeps the sidebar and adds an agent on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan; it is ours, so weigh that.

Is there a free alternative to Arc?

Yes. Free to use: Dia, Zen, Vivaldi, Aside, SigmaOS, Edge and Opera, and Veb. Some charge for their AI: see each one’s price above.

Which Arc alternatives run on Windows?

Dia, Zen, Vivaldi, Aside, Edge and Opera. Veb is for the Mac, with its iPhone app in beta.

Compared with Arc

Sources. Arc’s shutdown announcement read October 22, 2026; other sources read October 9, 2026. Something out of date? Write to hello@serafimlabs.io and we fix it.

Veb, Very Expensive Browser.

Free for the Mac. Arc’s sidebar, your own Claude or ChatGPT as the agent, Chrome extensions on WebKit.