Users of the Arc browser who are facing its shutdown have an alternative in the Zen Browser, a free and open-source project built on Firefox. Atlassian acquired Arc’s company last year and redirected its efforts toward Dia, a more AI-centric browser, and Arc is soon to be discontinued. Zen replicates much of what made Arc’s interface distinctive while leaving out the features that weighed it down.
Zen’s visual design closely resembles Arc’s. It offers pinned sites arranged like a launcher, a tab bar positioned on the left, separated workspaces called spaces, and Zen Mods that let users adjust the browser’s interface. Missing is a sidebar agent offering to take over tasks, and users need not worry about an LLM being trained on their browsing activity.
The project presents itself as privacy-focused, stating that it cares about user experience rather than user data. Zen is maintained by volunteers and supported by donations. Alongside Zen Mods, which can range from changing the appearance of an active tab to reworking how picture-in-picture videos behave, the browser supports Firefox extensions. Extensions do not always display correctly in either Zen or Arc because of their unconventional interfaces, but Zen is said to offer more workarounds.
Zen also includes features intended to reduce distraction. Links open in a temporary pop-over tab called a glance view, and a click opens them in a full tab. A floating bar appears when the user presses Command+T or CTRL+T, allowing a new tab, a switch to an existing tab, a search through the user’s chosen search engine, or an extension to be launched.
The browser has notable gaps. It cannot currently play DRM-protected video, which means Netflix, Spotify, HBO and Disney+ do not work in Zen. The Zen Team is pursuing a Widevine license from Google. Zen is built on Firefox, whose Web MIDI support is limited, so Chrome remains necessary for some tasks. Arc’s Boosts are also missed in some cases.
Users who abandoned Zen during its buggy early builds may find it has improved substantially. Those committed to Arc’s AI features are likely better served by Dia, while users drawn to Arc’s interface but not its approach may find Zen a fit.
More software news from TechManNews.
