Arc Browser Is Dead, but Firefox-Based Zen Is a Great Alternative
Arc, the much-hyped privacy-focused web browser, will no longer be getting new features. That fact was announced months ago by its developer, The Browser Company, and clarified yesterday in a blog post in which the venture-backed organization behind Arc announced plans to focus on an as-yet-unreleased AI browser.
For now, Arc will still receive security updates, most of which are inherited from the open-source Chromium project , but it’s understandable that some dedicated Arc users might look for an alternative, and I know of a good alternative: the open-source Zen Browser , which is currently in beta.
Zen is just as beautiful as Arc, with its sleek vertical tabs running down the left side. Like Arc, it supports multiple workspaces and offers a compact mode with no toolbars or tabs. It also offers themes, split view, and link previews. Even better, it’s built on the same browser engine as Firefox, not Chromium, which means it supports legitimate ad blockers and privacy blockers like uBlock Origin.
One feature that Arc Zen lacks is AI integration; whether this is a disadvantage or an advantage will depend on your attitude towards the use of AI in your browsing experience.
How to get started with Zen Browser
When you install Zen, you’ll be prompted to import your bookmarks, history, and even passwords from another browser on your system. You’ll then be prompted to choose a color scheme and select key tabs you’d like pinned to the top of your workspaces(). After that, you can start browsing the web as you normally would.
Arc users won’t have to do much configuration when switching to Zen – I expect everything will feel pretty familiar. (Personally, I like that it uses the same approach to entering addresses or searching as the command line, as it saves space compared to the address bar, which is constantly taking up space whether you’re typing in it or not.)
There are several ways to customize Zen. In the settings, you can choose between a single, multiple, or collapsed toolbar. If you want more customization, there are Zen Mods , community-created plugins that let you customize all sorts of things in the user interface. More importantly, the browser offers full support for Firefox extensions, meaning you can also browse the Firefox extension gallery and install whatever you want.
Bottom line: Zen is a clean, fast alternative browser. If you like Firefox but hate its user interface, I recommend checking it out, and the same goes for anyone looking for an alternative to Arc, which is still being actively developed.