Zen vs Arc

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, the third column.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.

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.

Zen is the closest open-source take on Arc’s layout, built on Firefox instead of Chromium. Arc will stop working on macOS and Windows on December 22, 2026; Zen ships often but is still labeled beta. The catch in moving: Zen runs Firefox add-ons, not Chrome extensions.

Arc shutdown update: October 22, 2026. Official dates, export instructions and what to do next. Other feature facts were checked October 9, 2026.

The short answer

Pick Zen

if you want Arc’s layout, free and open source
if you prefer Firefox’s engine and its add-ons
if you want no AI in your browser at all

Pick Arc

if you already use Arc and are preparing to move before December 22, 2026
if you need to export your Arc spaces and tabs before the desktop app stops working

Or 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

At a glance

Zen and Arc, with Veb beside them for a Mac.

Zen vs Arc
What	Zen Browser	Arc	Veb
Made by	Zen Browser team (open-source community project)	The Browser Company (Atlassian)	Serafim Korablev
Status	Updated	Closing December 22, 2026	Updated
Runs on	Mac, Windows and Linux	Mac and Windows	Mac
Phone app	None; Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version	Arc Search on iOS and Android; AI, sign-in and sync end November 23, 2026	Veb for iPhone, in beta on TestFlight; syncs spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and chats
Price	Free and open source	Free for existing members until the desktop app stops working December 22, 2026	Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan
AI	No AI	Chat about pages, on its own AI service	An agent that works in pages, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan
Driven by outside agents	No	No	MCP and a command line
Engine	Gecko	Chromium	WebKit
Tabs down the side	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spaces	Yes	Yes	Yes
Split View	Yes	Yes	Yes
Extensions	Firefox add-ons	Chrome Web Store	Chrome Web Store
Ad blocker	No	No	Built in
Open source	Yes	No	No

Arc’s shutdown announcement checked October 22, 2026; other features and prices checked October 9, 2026. 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.

AIArc leads

Arc has AI built in; Zen has less of it. Zen has no AI: Firefox’s AI features are switched off by default. Arc Max helpers tidy tab titles and downloads, preview links and put ChatGPT in the command bar; Ask on Page was removed in August 2025, and there is no agent.

Tabs and windowseven

Both have tabs down the side, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep.

PriceArc leads

Zen: Free and open source. Arc: Free for existing members until the desktop app stops working December 22, 2026.

Where it runsZen leads

Zen runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. Arc runs on Mac and Windows. On a Mac, Zen needs macOS 10.15 or later and Arc needs macOS 13 or later. Zen has no phone app: Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version. On the phone, Arc: Arc Search on iOS and Android; AI, sign-in and sync end November 23, 2026.

Engine and extensionsa matter of taste

Zen is built on Gecko, Firefox’s engine; Arc on Chromium, as Chrome is. Zen takes extensions from Firefox’s add-ons, Arc from the Chrome Web Store.

PrivacyZen leads

Zen has open code. Zen sends no telemetry or crash reports, by its privacy policy; optional sync keeps encrypted data on Mozilla’s servers. Arc has no ad blocker of its own. Arc accounts will be deactivated December 22, 2026, and their personal data deleted within 30 days; export what you want to keep before then.

UpdatesZen leads

Zen is updated as usual. Arc: Shutdown announced October 22, 2026: new accounts are closed, and Arc for macOS and Windows stops working December 22, 2026.

What their pages don’t lead with

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

Zen Browser

Releases are still labeled beta
No phone app, and none planned
Firefox add-ons only, not the Chrome Web Store
No ad blocker of its own beyond Firefox’s tracking protection

Arc

New Arc accounts closed October 22, 2026
Arc for macOS and Windows stops working December 22, 2026
Arc Search loses AI, sign-in and sync November 23, 2026; iOS keeps basic browsing
Arc accounts deactivate December 22, 2026; their personal data is deleted within 30 days
Arc says Arc Search for Android will be fully deprecated and removed from Google Play and installed devices December 22, 2026
No ad blocker of its own

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

October 22, 2026Arc: Shutdown announced: new accounts closed, mobile AI and sync end November 23, and Arc for macOS and Windows stops working December 22, 2026
September 5, 2026Zen: Spaces, folders and tabs sync between devices with a Mozilla account (1.22b)
February 28, 2026Zen: Live folders for GitHub issues, pull requests and RSS (1.19b)
October 21, 2025Arc: Atlassian completed its purchase of The Browser Company
August 28, 2025Arc: Ask On Page removed from Arc Max
August 27, 2025Zen: Tab folders added (1.15b)

Questions

Is Zen Browser free?

Yes. Free and open source.

Is Arc free?

Yes. Free for existing members until the desktop app stops working December 22, 2026.

Which has an AI agent, Zen or Arc?

Neither has an agent that does tasks in your pages. Zen has no AI: Firefox’s AI features are switched off by default. Arc Max helpers tidy tab titles and downloads, preview links and put ChatGPT in the command bar; Ask on Page was removed in August 2025, and there is no agent.

Do Zen and Arc run on Windows?

Yes, both. Zen runs on Mac, Windows and Linux; Arc on Mac and Windows.

Do Zen and Arc have phone apps?

Zen has no phone app: Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version. On the phone, Arc: Arc Search on iOS and Android; AI, sign-in and sync end November 23, 2026.

Is Arc still being updated?

Shutdown announced October 22, 2026: new accounts are closed, and Arc for macOS and Windows stops working December 22, 2026.

Is there a third option on a Mac?

Veb, Very Expensive Browser, is free for the Mac: tabs down the side with spaces, folders and Split View, as in Zen; an agent that works in your signed-in tabs, on the Claude or ChatGPT plan you already pay for. Claude Code, Codex and any MCP client can drive it too. It runs on WebKit, the engine Safari uses, and takes Chrome extensions. It is new, and its iPhone app is in beta.

More comparisons

Zen vs Vivaldi Orion vs Zen SigmaOS vs Zen Zen vs Chrome Zen vs Safari Zen vs Edge Zen vs Firefox Zen alternatives Veb vs Zen Vivaldi vs Arc Orion vs Arc SigmaOS vs Arc Arc vs Chrome Arc vs Safari Arc vs Edge Arc vs Firefox Arc alternatives Veb vs 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.

it’s freeMove from Arc Release status