Zen alternatives.

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 ↓

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.

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

Zen 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 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

Arc

Free for existing members until the desktop app stops working December 22, 2026Mac and WindowsChromium

Arc is The Browser Company’s Chromium browser for Mac and Windows, with tabs down the side, spaces, folders and Split View. Its shutdown was announced October 22, 2026: new accounts are closed, and the desktop app will stop working December 22, 2026.

Keeps: tabs down the side, spaces, folders in the sidebar, Split View, a Windows version and a free price.

Pick it if you already use Arc and are preparing to move before December 22, 2026. The catch: New Arc accounts closed October 22, 2026.

3

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, a Windows version and a free price.

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

4

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, 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.

5

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 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.

6

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, 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.

7

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, 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.

8

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, 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.

What each keeps of Zen

Zen has all of these. Which alternative has which.

BrowserTabs down the sideSpacesFoldersSplit ViewWindowsFree
VebYesYesYesYesNoYes
ArcYesYesYesYesYesYes
VivaldiA settingYesYesYesYesYes
AsideYesYesYesYesYesYes
SigmaOSYesYesNoYesNoYes
Microsoft EdgeA settingYesYesYesYesYes
OperaA settingYesYesYesYesYes
DiaA settingYesYesYesYesYes

Questions

What is the best Zen alternative?

It depends on what you used Zen for. For tabs down the side and spaces: Arc. For an AI agent: Aside. Free, on Windows too: Arc. 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 Zen?

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

Which Zen alternatives run on Windows?

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

Compared with Zen

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.

it’s freeRelease status