These Are the Best Arc Browser Alternatives, Now That It’s Shutting Down

Well, it happened: The Browser Company has finally announced that it will be sunsetting the Arc browser before the end of 2026. The writing has been on the wall for well over a year now: Arc had already been put on ice, receiving only maintenance updates after the Browser Company switched its focus to Dia, an AI browser that shares Arc’s framework but lacks the wonderful interface features that made Arc such a joy to use.

This is sad news for the Arc faithful. If you’re one of them, or if you’re looking for an alternative to the regular browsers like Safari and Chrome, all hope is not lost. Export your Arc data, and try out one of these Arc-like alternatives.

The Zen Browser is the best Arc alternative

Credit: Zen Browser

Zen has become the de facto option for all users looking to find something that looks and works like Arc. In some ways, it’s better than Arc; in some ways it falls short.

It has the look and feel down to a T. Zen has the same vertical sidebar, with customizable workspaces and pinned tabs up top. And like Arc, Zen has mods that let you customize the browser’s user interface (plus a ton of community-developed mods ready to go). Zen is also free to use, and it’s open-source. Cherry on top? There are no AI features. None. No upsells, no VPN, no schemes, nothing. It’s built on Firefox, and it has a privacy-first approach.

I’ve been using Zen for months, and I’m quite happy with it. The only downside I can see is the Firefox web engine; while Gecko has come a long way, it can still sometimes fall short of Chromium, mostly because Google Chrome is such a popular browser, most websites are designed to run best on it. When I run into an issue with a website, I tend to switch to Chrome for a while. Zen can also sometimes be a memory hog, but once I got better at tab hygiene (automatically closing older tabs and being vigilant about workspace management), the experience got quite a bit better.

And yes, there is extension support: Anything that runs on Firefox will run here too. Firefox has most of the important extensions covered, and it’s the only major browser that still supports the full-scale uBlock Origin ad blocker (which works like a treat in Zen, too).

Vivaldi takes a maximalist approach to web browsing

Credit: Vivaldi

Alternatively, you can go to the opposite end of the spectrum and try out a maximalist browsing approac:. For a while, Microsoft Edge was the cleaner, faster, better version of Chrome, but now, that title goes to Vivaldi. Under the hood, Vivaldi uses the same Chromium engine that powers Google Chrome, so all your websites will work as expected, and all the extensions will be familiar. But Vivaldi is an extremely customizable browser, and for a certain kind of user, it might be the perfect fit.

There are tons of built-in features. It comes with an ad blocker and integrates with ProtonVPN for free, limited VPN access. You can add a free reader, email accounts, note-taking, and a calendar to the sidebar. Using the Web Panels feature, you can dock any website to the sidebar as well (this works well for media and messaging sites).

Vivaldi also has robust tab management features: You can use two websites in split screen (like with Zen and Arc), and you can organize tabs in workspaces. You can also group related tabs in Tab Stacks, Vivaldi’s unique two-level tab management system. One thing Vivaldi lacks by default is a vertical sidebar, which even Firefox and Chrome now support, though it can be added using a mod.

If you want to keep to a Chromium-based browser, but one that offers all the customization features you can think of, go for Vivaldi. At its core is a powerful, fast, and reliable browser that you can slowly remake to be your own.

Other alternatives to consider

• Brave: If you want a simple browser that’s already set up for privacy and speed, go for the Brave browser. It doesn’t have all the customization options under the sun, but it does an impressive job of blocking pop-ups and trackers. All the AI features can be disabled, and you can use your Chrome extensions in peace.

• Helium: Think of it as a minimalist version of Google Chrome. Same Chromium engine, but no Google tracker, no popups, ads, or extra features.

• Dia: If you really want to use something that’s built by the same team as Arc, and don’t mind the AI features, you can try the Dia browser as well. It’s not an exact replacement, but Dia now has an option to use a vertical sidebar and pinned apps.

• Quiche: If you were using Arc on iPhone or iPad, try using the Quiche browser, which is our favorite browser for the iPhone. It’s a tastefully designed independent browser, with a fully customizable layout.