2 Best Open-Source Alternatives to Arc in 2026
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
Compared: open-source alternatives to Arc
| Alternative | Best for | Standout | Biggest weakness | Learning curve | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcreference | users who already adopted Arc's Spaces workflow and want a free, stable Chromium browser, not those looking for a browser with an active development roadmap | Spaces and Profiles, which group tabs, extensions, and favorites into separate switchable environments instead of one flat tab bar. | The Browser Company halted active development on Arc in May 2025 to focus on its new AI browser Dia, and Atlassian acquired the company in October 2025; Arc now receives only minimal security fixes, not new features, so it is effectively a discontinued product going forward. | Moderate | Free |
| Brave | privacy-conscious users who want built-in ad and tracker blocking plus an optional device-wide VPN without installing separate browser extensions | Ships with ad and tracker blocking, script blocking, and fingerprint randomization built in and on by default, with no extensions needed to match what competitors require several add-ons to replicate. | Brave Rewards' opt-in BAT-token ad program has drawn criticism from users who find its ad-serving and crypto-wallet defaults confusing to disable, and the VPN/Firewall add-on requires a separate $9.99/month subscription rather than being bundled free. | Low | Free tier · paid from $9.99/mo |
| Zen Browser | Firefox users who want vertical tabs, workspaces, and split view built in without installing separate extensions or switching to a Chromium-based browser | Workspaces and native split view ship built into the browser itself, letting users separate browsing contexts and view two tabs side by side without third-party extensions, on top of Firefox's Gecko engine. | Zen Browser has no official mobile app, so it can't replace Firefox or Chrome as a synced browser across phone and desktop, and as a smaller community-run fork it lags behind Firefox itself on security patch turnaround and enterprise policy support. | Low | Free |
Arc
Brave
Zen Browser1.Brave — best Arc alternative for privacy-conscious users who want built-in ad and tracker blocking plus an optional device-wide VPN without installing separate browser extensions
Brave is the best Arc alternative for privacy-conscious users who want built-in ad and tracker blocking plus an optional device-wide VPN without installing separate browser extensions. Brave's browser is free, matching Arc's $0 price, and it ships with ad and tracker blocking, script blocking, and fingerprint randomization built in and on by default, with no extensions needed to match what competitors require several add-ons to replicate — a capability Arc itself doesn't build in natively. Brave's client code is open source (MPL-2.0) and independently auditable, unlike Arc's closed-source codebase, and its built-in Brave Search runs on an independent index rather than reselling another engine's results. Brave is also under active development across every major desktop and mobile platform, unlike Arc's frozen roadmap since May 2025. Arc is still worth keeping for users who specifically want its Spaces and Profiles workflow: Brave's optional Firewall + VPN add-on costs a separate $9.99/month rather than being bundled free, its opt-in BAT-token ad Rewards program confuses some users about what's on by default, and some sites misidentify Brave's fingerprint randomization as bot activity, occasionally breaking site functionality.
Compared to Arc: built-in ad/tracker/script blocking and fingerprint randomization by default, open-source (MPL-2.0) and independently auditable client code, actively developed vs Arc's frozen roadmap
Wins:Ships with ad and tracker blocking, script blocking, and fingerprint randomization built in and on by default, with no extensions needed · Client code is open source (MPL-2.0) and independently auditable, unlike Arc's closed-source codebase · Actively developed across every major desktop and mobile platform, unlike Arc's frozen roadmap since May 2025
Loses:No Spaces/Profiles-style workflow that groups tabs, extensions, and favorites into separate switchable environments the way Arc does · Firewall + VPN add-on costs a separate $9.99/month rather than being bundled free · Opt-in BAT-token ad Rewards program confuses some users about what's on by default versus optional
Pros
- Blocks ads and trackers by default with no extensions required to set up.
- Client code is open source (MPL-2.0) and independently auditable.
- Built-in Brave Search runs on an independent index rather than reselling another engine's results.
- Available on every major desktop and mobile platform with nearly 160 languages supported.
Cons
- Brave Rewards' opt-in BAT-token ad program confuses some users about what's on by default versus optional.
- Brave VPN is a separate $9.99/month subscription, not bundled free with the browser.
- Built on Chromium, so it inherits Google's engine-level decisions and roadmap even while blocking Google's tracking.
- Some sites misidentify Brave's fingerprint randomization as bot activity, occasionally breaking site functionality.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $9.99/mo — $0 browser ($9.99/month optional VPN) vs Arc's $0 (verified undefined NaN, NaN)
2.Zen Browser — best Arc alternative for firefox users who want vertical tabs, workspaces, and split view built in without installing separate extensions or switching to a Chromium-based browser
Zen Browser is the best Arc alternative for Firefox users who want vertical tabs, workspaces, and split view built in without installing separate extensions or switching to a Chromium-based browser. Zen Browser is free and open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, with the code public on GitHub and over 44,000 stars, while Arc's code is closed-source and its development has been frozen since May 2025. Zen's Workspaces and native split view ship built into the browser itself, closely mirroring Arc's own Spaces concept, but built on Firefox's Gecko engine and extension compatibility rather than another Chromium skin like Arc. Zen holds a 4.8/5 rating from 9 Product Hunt reviews, and its Zen Mods system provides community themes and interface customization Arc's frozen roadmap can no longer add. Arc is still worth keeping for users who need broader Chromium extension compatibility or a mobile app: Zen Browser has no official iOS or Android app, so it can't be a cross-device replacement the way Arc at least offered on desktop, it's a smaller, community-run project without Mozilla's release cadence or enterprise/managed-policy support, and its only support channels are Discord and GitHub issues.
Compared to Arc: free and open source (MPL-2.0) with 44,000+ GitHub stars vs Arc's closed-source, frozen codebase, Workspaces and split view mirror Arc's Spaces concept, built on Firefox's Gecko engine rather than Chromium
Wins:Free and open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, with the code public on GitHub (44,000+ stars), vs Arc's closed-source, frozen codebase · Workspaces and native split view closely mirror Arc's own Spaces concept, built in rather than bolted on · Built on Firefox's Gecko engine and extension compatibility rather than another Chromium skin like Arc
Loses:No official iOS or Android app, so it can't be a cross-device replacement for Chrome, Firefox, or even Arc's own mobile presence · Smaller, community-run project without Mozilla's release cadence or enterprise/managed-policy support · No official support channel beyond Discord and GitHub issues
Pros
- Free and open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, with the code public on GitHub (44,000+ stars).
- Vertical tabs, workspaces, and split view are built in, not bolted on through extensions.
- Inherits Firefox's Gecko engine and extension compatibility rather than being another Chromium skin.
- Zen Mods provides a built-in system for community themes and interface customization.
Cons
- No official iOS or Android app, so it can't be a cross-device replacement for Chrome or Firefox mobile.
- Smaller, community-run project without Mozilla's release cadence or enterprise/managed-policy support.
- As a Firefox fork, it depends on Mozilla continuing to maintain the underlying Gecko engine and Firefox codebase it forks from.
- No official support channel beyond Discord and GitHub issues.
Pricing: Free (verified undefined NaN, NaN)