Veb vs Helium

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 read it as our side.facts checked Oct 9 ↓

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.

Helium is a free, open-source Chromium browser by imput, still in beta, with ads blocked by default and Google’s AI and telemetry taken out, on Mac, Windows and Linux.

The short answer

Pick Vebours

if you miss Arc and want spaces, pins and folders kept, on a Mac
if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and want it to work in your signed-in tabs
if you want Claude Code, Codex or Cursor to drive a real browser over MCP

Pick Helium

if you want Chrome’s extensions without Google’s AI or telemetry
if you want ads blocked from the first launch
if you use Linux too

At a glance

Veb and Helium, side by side.

Veb vs Helium
What	Veb	Helium
Made by	Serafim Korablev	imput
Status	Updated	Updated
Runs on	Mac	Mac, Windows and Linux
Phone app	Veb for iPhone, in beta on TestFlight; syncs spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and chats	None; desktop only. An iOS build teased in Aug 2026 is being rethought
Price	Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan	Free and open source
AI	An agent that works in pages, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan	No AI
Driven by outside agents	MCP and a command line	No
Engine	WebKit	Chromium
Tabs down the side	Yes	A setting
Spaces	Yes	No
Split View	Yes	Yes
Extensions	Chrome Web Store	Chrome Web Store
Ad blocker	Built in	Built in
Open source	No	Yes

Checked October 9, 2026 on each maker’s own pages, linked under Sources. Prices are per month, in US dollars.

Where they differ

What separates them, area by area. Where one plainly has more, it says who; where it comes down to taste, it says so.

AIVeb leads

Only Veb has an agent that clicks, types and finishes tasks in your pages. Veb’s agent works in tabs of its own beside yours, signed in as you, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan; Send, Pay and Delete wait for your yes. Helium has no AI: Chromium’s Gemini features are taken out.

Agents like Claude Code and CodexVeb leads

Veb can be driven over MCP and a command line, through yab mcp and the yab command, for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and any MCP client. Helium has no MCP server or command line for outside agents.

Tabs and windowsVeb leads

Veb has tabs down the side, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep. Helium has tabs down the side as a setting, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep.

PriceVeb leads

Veb: Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan. Helium: Free and open source.

Where it runsHelium leads

Veb runs on Mac. Helium runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. On a Mac, Veb needs macOS 15.4 or later and Helium needs macOS 13 or later. On the phone, Veb: Veb for iPhone, in beta on TestFlight; syncs spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and chats. Helium has no phone app: desktop only. An iOS build teased in Aug 2026 is being rethought.

Engine and extensionsa matter of taste

Veb is built on WebKit, the engine Safari uses; Helium on Chromium, as Chrome is. Both take extensions from the Chrome Web Store.

PrivacyHelium leads

Veb has an ad blocker built in. Veb has no account and no server of ours between you and your sites; what your agent reads goes to Anthropic or OpenAI under your account. Helium has an ad blocker built in and open code. Helium makes no requests on first launch and has no analytics; updates, filter lists and extensions go through its services only once you approve.

Where Helium is better

Helium comes out ahead on where it runs, privacy. It is also the better pick if you:

Want Chrome’s extensions without Google’s AI or telemetry
Want ads blocked from the first launch
Use Linux too

The catch with each

Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.

Helium

Still in beta
No password manager or sync yet
No Widevine, so some streaming services won’t play
No phone app yet

Veb, honestly

Mac only for now: macOS 15.4 or later; the iPhone app is in beta, and there is no Windows or Android
New: first released in September 2026
Its AI needs a Claude or ChatGPT plan; ChatGPT’s free plan may work with low limits
WebKit, as in Safari: a site tested only in Chrome can misbehave
Closed source

What changed lately

September 25, 2026Veb: First release
March 13, 2026Helium: Vertical tabs left experimental status (0.10.3)
February 15, 2026Helium: Vertical tabs layout added (0.9.1)

Moving from Helium to Veb

Veb brings Helium’s pinned and open tabs, passwords, cards, bookmarks, history, extensions and your sign-ins, from every profile. It reads Helium’s files on your Mac; nothing goes through a server, and Helium stays as it was.

How to move from Helium Bringing in, in the Manual

Questions

Is Veb free?

Yes. Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan.

Is Helium free?

Yes. Free and open source.

Which has an AI agent, Veb or Helium?

Veb. Veb’s agent works in tabs of its own beside yours, signed in as you, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan; Send, Pay and Delete wait for your yes. Helium has no AI: Chromium’s Gemini features are taken out.

Which runs on Windows, Veb or Helium?

Helium does. Veb runs on Mac.

Do Veb and Helium have phone apps?

On the phone, Veb: Veb for iPhone, in beta on TestFlight; syncs spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and chats. Helium has no phone app: desktop only. An iOS build teased in Aug 2026 is being rethought.

Can I move from Helium to Veb?

Yes. Veb brings Helium’s pinned and open tabs, passwords, cards, bookmarks, history, extensions and your sign-ins, from every profile.

More comparisons

Helium vs Chrome Helium vs Safari Helium vs Edge Helium vs Firefox Helium vs Brave Helium vs Opera Helium vs Arc Helium alternatives

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 freeMove from Helium Release status