{"id":9344,"date":"2026-10-25T19:25:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T19:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=9344"},"modified":"2026-10-25T19:25:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T19:25:27","slug":"zen-browser-arc-replacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=9344","title":{"rendered":"Zen Browser is the Arc replacement I was looking for"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n

I know many of you are mourning the loss of the Arc browser, and I get it. It felt like the first app in a long time to really offer a new approach to browser design<\/a>. Atlassian bought the company last year and shifted its focus<\/a> to developing Dia<\/a>, its even more AI-focused browser. And soon enough, Arc will officially be no more<\/a>, leaving dedicated users in a lurch. But I abandoned Arc quite some time ago for the Zen Browser<\/a> and haven\u2019t really missed it. If you\u2019re willing to deal with some minor inconveniences, I think you\u2019ll find Zen is the Arc replacement<\/a> you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Zen unabashedly rips off all the best bits of Arc. Visually, they\u2019re almost indistinguishable. It has the launcher-like pinned sites, tab bar on the left, siloed spaces, and mods that let you customize the browser\u2019s UI to your liking. It takes the bits that made Arc\u2019s interface feel fresh, then strips out everything that made it bloated and drove me into the arms of another.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Most notably, Zen is AI-free<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

There\u2019s no agent in a sidebar hounding me to let it handle tasks. I\u2019m not worried about Zen training an LLM on my browsing activity. It\u2019s just a web browser.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Zen prides itself on its privacy features: \u201cBeautifully designed, privacy-focused, and packed with features. We care about your experience, not your data,\u201d it proudly proclaims. Now, I\u2019m no fool. I know that nothing I do on the internet is really private, but with Arc, it always felt like my data was an integral part of the business plan. That\u2019s not the case with Zen. It\u2019s a free and open-source project that relies on volunteers and donations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In addition to Zen Mods<\/a> that can do anything from tweak the look of an active tab to overhaul how PiP videos are handled, you can also install Firefox extensions. Yes, you can install Chrome extensions in Arc, but anecdotally, I\u2019ve found that Zen handles extensions better. Both Zen and Arc are different enough from a UI perspective that not all extensions display properly, but Zen offers more workarounds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Zen also just kind of lets me focus on the task at hand. Links open in \u201cglance\u201d view, which is a temporary pop-over tab, which is really great when you\u2019re doing some window shopping or light research. If I want to open it in a proper tab, it\u2019s just a click away. Zen also has a floating bar that pops up whenever you press Command+T or CTRL+T. From here you can launch a new tab, switch to an existing tab, perform a search from the search engine of your choice, and even trigger an extension.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Zen isn\u2019t perfect. I love its clean UI and organizational features, but it can\u2019t play DRM-protected video content right now. That means Netflix, Spotify, HBO, Disney+, and more do not work in Zen. The Zen Team is working to obtain a Widevine license from Google. In the meantime, I use Chrome when I want to watch a movie, which is fine. Zen is built on Firefox, and Firefox\u2019s Web MIDI support is lacking. So I have to fire up Chrome semi-regularly anyway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I also miss Arc\u2019s Boosts<\/a> in some cases, but I\u2019ve learned to accept the web as it is.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

If you tried Zen a long time ago and were turned off by its buggy early builds, rest assured it\u2019s come a long way. Look, if you are all in on Arc\u2019s AI features<\/a>, Dia<\/a> is probably more your speed. Personally, I always loved Arc\u2019s interface, but never really dug the vibes. Zen just feels right.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Follow topics and authors<\/strong> from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.<\/span><\/p>\n