VebVeb vs Vivaldi
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 →
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.
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.
The short answer
- 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
- if you want mail, calendar, feeds, notes and a VPN in the browser
- if you want to customize nearly everything, and no AI
- if you need one browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android
At a glance
Veb and Vivaldi, side by side.
| What | Veb | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Serafim Korablev | Vivaldi Technologies |
| Status | Updated | Updated |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android |
| Phone app | Veb for iPhone, in beta on TestFlight; syncs spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and chats | iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords, history and notes |
| Price | Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan | Free; its Proton VPN is free with a Vivaldi account |
| 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 | Yes |
| Split View | Yes | Yes |
| Extensions | Chrome Web Store | Chrome Web Store |
| Ad blocker | Built in | Built in |
| Open source | No | No |
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. Vivaldi has no AI chat, summaries or agents, by choice.
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. Vivaldi 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. Vivaldi has tabs down the side as a setting, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep.
PriceVeb leads
Veb: Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan. Vivaldi: Free; its Proton VPN is free with a Vivaldi account.
Where it runsVivaldi leads
Veb runs on Mac. Vivaldi runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. On a Mac, Veb needs macOS 15.4 or later and Vivaldi needs macOS 13 or later. On the phone, Veb: Veb for iPhone, in beta on TestFlight; syncs spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and chats. On the phone, Vivaldi: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords, history and notes.
Engine and extensionsa matter of taste
Veb is built on WebKit, the engine Safari uses; Vivaldi on Chromium, as Chrome is. Both take extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
PrivacyVivaldi 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. Vivaldi has an ad blocker built in and a VPN. Vivaldi sends a daily ping with a unique ID, version and rough location to count users; crash logs only if you opt in.
Where Vivaldi is better
Vivaldi comes out ahead on where it runs, privacy. It is also the better pick if you:
- Want mail, calendar, feeds, notes and a VPN in the browser
- Want to customize nearly everything, and no AI
- Need one browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android
The catch with each
Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.
Vivaldi
- No AI assistant or agent, by design
- Tabs down the side are a setting, not the default
- Its interface code isn’t open source
- Sends a daily usage ping with a unique ID
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
- May 21, 2026Vivaldi: Vivaldi 8.0 redesigned the interface
- January 29, 2026Vivaldi: Vivaldi 7.8 restated its no-AI stance
- March 27, 2025Vivaldi: Proton VPN built into Vivaldi on desktop
Moving from Vivaldi to Veb
Veb brings Vivaldi’s pinned and open tabs, passwords, cards, bookmarks, history, extensions and your sign-ins, from every profile. It reads Vivaldi’s files on your Mac; nothing goes through a server, and Vivaldi stays as it was.
Questions
Is Veb free?
Yes. Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan.
Is Vivaldi free?
Yes. Free; its Proton VPN is free with a Vivaldi account.
Which has an AI agent, Veb or Vivaldi?
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. Vivaldi has no AI chat, summaries or agents, by choice.
Which runs on Windows, Veb or Vivaldi?
Vivaldi does. Veb runs on Mac.
Do Veb and Vivaldi have phone apps?
Vivaldi does. On the phone, Veb: Veb for iPhone, in beta on TestFlight; syncs spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and chats. On the phone, Vivaldi: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords, history and notes.
Can I move from Vivaldi to Veb?
Yes. Veb brings Vivaldi’s pinned and open tabs, passwords, cards, bookmarks, history, extensions and your sign-ins, from every profile.
More comparisons
- Veb Manual: Bringing in from another browser
- Veb Manual: Connecting Claude or ChatGPT
- Veb Manual: Extensions
- Veb Manual: Veb’s tools over MCP
- Veb Manual: Privacy
- Mobile plans
- Vivaldi features
- Vivaldi download (macOS 13+, universal; Windows, Linux, Android, iOS)
- Vivaldi macOS update feed (8.2.4133.84, minimum 13.0)
- Vivaldi desktop releases
- Vivaldi 8.2 release
- Vivaldi 8.0 release
- Vivaldi 7.8 release (no AI)
- Proton VPN built into Vivaldi, 2025-03-27
- Proton VPN for Vivaldi help
- Vivaldi tracker and ad blocker
- Vivaldi Memory Saver (automatic tab hibernation)
- Vivaldi Workspaces
- Vivaldi Tab Tiling
- Vivaldi Tab Stacks
- Vivaldi Tab Bar position
- Vivaldi import and export
- Is Vivaldi open source?
- Vivaldi browser privacy policy
- Vivaldi Help: Sync browser data on iOS
- Vivaldi Help: Sync browser data on Android
- Vivaldi blog: Introducing Vivaldi on iOS (Sep 28, 2023)
- Vivaldi on the App Store (iPhone and iPad)
- Vivaldi on Google Play
Veb, Very Expensive Browser.
Free for the Mac. Arc’s sidebar, your own Claude or ChatGPT as the agent, Chrome extensions on WebKit.