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Arc
Browser designed for the way we use the internet in 2025
Web BrowsersFree
Arc — Official Website
Quick Take: Arc
4.8
Arc is not just a browser; it is a workflow revolution that challenges the fundamental paradigm of how we interact with the web. It successfully proves that the decades-old horizontal tab interface is obsolete, replacing it with a vertical sidebar and workspace model that is objectively superior for modern, high-volume internet use. While it demands a learning curve and consumes more resources than Safari, its ability to organize complex digital lives into manageable Spaces makes it indispensable for power users. The AI features in Arc Max have matured from novelty to genuine productivity tools, and the Split View and Little Arc features solve real pain points that no other browser addresses as elegantly. If you live in your browser and manage multiple projects, accounts, or identities simultaneously, Arc is the best upgrade you can make to your Mac in 2026. The only real trade-offs are the Chromium resource overhead and the requirement for an account, but for most professionals these are easily outweighed by the productivity gains.
Best For
- •Developers & Designers
- •Project Managers
- •Students & Researchers
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask arcWhat is Arc?
Arc is a paradigm-shifting web browser developed by The Browser Company that fundamentally rethinks how users interact with the internet. Launched initially in 2022 and maturing into a dominant power-user tool by 2026, Arc is built on the Chromium engine—ensuring compatibility with all Chrome extensions—but discards the traditional horizontal tab bar for a sophisticated vertical sidebar operating system. It treats the web less like a document viewer and more like an integrated OS for your workflow. Designed specifically to combat tab clutter and context switching, Arc introduces concepts like 'Spaces' for separating work and personal life, 'Profiles' for isolating cookies and login sessions, and 'Boosts' for rewriting the visual code of websites you visit. For Mac users in 2026, Arc represents the premier choice for productivity enthusiasts who find Safari too limiting and Chrome too chaotic. It seamlessly blends local application feel with web content, offering features like 'Little Arc' for quick lookups, 'Split View' for side-by-side multitasking, and deep keyboard integration that appeals to developers, designers, and knowledge workers alike. The browser is completely free for individual use, with The Browser Company monetizing through enterprise team features rather than ads or data collection.
Deep Dive: How Arc Reimagined the Web Browser for the Modern Workflow
Understanding the design philosophy and technical decisions that make Arc fundamentally different from every other browser.
History & Background
Arc was born from The Browser Company, a New York-based startup founded in 2019 by Josh Miller and Hursh Agrawal. The team spent over two years in invite-only beta before the public Mac launch in 2022. The browser was designed from scratch around the thesis that the traditional horizontal tab bar, unchanged since the 1990s, was fundamentally broken for modern web usage where users routinely have 50 to 100 tabs open. The Windows version followed in 2024, built using Swift ported to Windows to maintain codebase consistency with the Mac version.
How It Works
Arc is built on the Chromium rendering engine, which ensures full compatibility with web standards and the Chrome extension ecosystem. However, the entire user interface layer is custom-built in Swift, giving it a native macOS feel that Electron-based browsers cannot match. The sidebar architecture replaces tabs with a hierarchical tree of pinned items, folders, and temporary 'Today' tabs. Spaces are implemented as isolated browsing contexts that can optionally share or separate Profiles, giving users fine-grained control over cookie and session isolation. The auto-archiving system runs on configurable timers that clean up Today tabs after 12 hours by default.
Ecosystem & Integrations
The Arc ecosystem extends beyond the desktop browser. Arc Search for iOS provides a companion mobile experience with a unique 'Browse for Me' AI feature that summarizes search results into a single page. Arc Max, the AI integration suite, includes Tidy Tab Titles for automatic tab renaming, Five Second Previews for link summaries on hover, and Ask on Page for natural language content queries. The Boosts system allows users to write custom CSS and JavaScript that persists per-domain, effectively creating a user-controlled extension system without the overhead of traditional browser extensions.
Key Features
Spaces & Profiles
Arc allows you to organize your digital life into distinct 'Spaces,' which act as separate containers for different contexts—such as 'Work,' 'Personal,' or 'Side Project.' Each Space can be assigned a unique 'Profile,' meaning they can maintain separate login sessions, cookies, and browsing histories. For example, you can be logged into your work Gmail in one Space and your personal Gmail in another without conflict. You can switch between these contexts instantly with a swipe, changing the entire browser theme color to provide visual confirmation of your current mindset.
Vertical Sidebar & Pinned Tabs
Abandoning the crowded top bar, Arc utilizes a collapsible vertical sidebar to house your URL bar, tabs, and bookmarks. This design leverages the width of modern widescreen monitors, providing a clearer view of website content. Tabs are categorized into 'Pinned' tabs (persistent, app-like favorites that stay open) and 'Today' tabs (temporary tabs that auto-archive after a set period, usually 12 hours). This auto-archiving philosophy aggressively prevents digital hoarding, ensuring your workspace remains clean and relevant to your current task.
Arc Max (AI Integration)
Arc Max embeds meaningful AI utility directly into the browsing experience without being obtrusive. By 2026, these features have refined into essential tools: 'Tidy Tab Titles' automatically renames ambiguous tabs like '404 - Page...' to 'Project Specs PDF'; 'Five Second Previews' generates concise summaries of links when you hover over them, saving you a click; and 'Ask on Page' allows you to hit Command-F to ask natural language questions about the current page's content rather than just searching for keywords.
Split View & Little Arc
Multitasking is native to Arc. Users can drag and drop tabs to create vertical or horizontal Split Views, allowing up to four active panes simultaneously—perfect for referencing documentation while coding or watching a video while taking notes. Additionally, 'Little Arc' is a lightweight, floating browser window designed for quick interruptions. When you click a link from another app (like Slack or Mail), it opens in Little Arc first; you can quickly glance at the content and dismiss it, or choose to expand it into a full workspace.
Boosts & Air Traffic Control
Boosts give users granular control over the web's appearance and functionality. Using a simplified interface for CSS and Javascript, you can permanently remove distracting elements (like YouTube Shorts), change fonts, or restyle entire sites to match your aesthetic. Coupled with 'Air Traffic Control,' a routing feature that automatically sends specific URL types (e.g., Jira links) to specific Spaces (e.g., 'Work Space'), Arc offers a level of customization and automation that standard browsers cannot match.
Who Should Use Arc?
1The Full-Stack Developer
A developer keeps three distinct Spaces: 'Frontend,' 'Backend,' and 'Personal.' In the 'Frontend' space, they use Split View to keep localhost open alongside React documentation and a Figma prototype. They utilize Arc's developer mode integration to inspect elements without clutter. When they click a Jira link in Slack, 'Air Traffic Control' automatically routes it to their 'Backend' space, preventing context pollution. They use a custom Boost on GitHub to highlight specific issue labels, streamlining their triage process significantly.
2The Social Media Manager
Managing five different client accounts usually requires constant logging in and out. This user sets up a dedicated Space for each client, assigning a unique Profile to each. This isolates cookies, allowing them to be logged into five different Instagram and Twitter accounts simultaneously in one window. They use the 'Media' tab in the sidebar to drag-and-drop assets quickly and rely on Arc Max to summarize long trend articles instantly before sharing them with clients.
3The Graduate Researcher
Drowning in PDFs and citations, the student uses Arc to organize their thesis. They have a 'Thesis' space with Pinned folders for different chapters. They use the 'Capture' feature to take clean screenshots of charts that link back to the original source. Little Arc is their superpower: as they read through a bibliography, they Command-click citations to peek at the source material in a floating window without losing their place in the main text, only filing the tab away if it's truly relevant.
How to Install Arc on Mac
Arc is a native Mac application. While it is available via direct download, the most efficient way for power users to install and maintain it is via Homebrew.
1
Install Homebrew
If you haven't installed Homebrew yet, open your Terminal and execute the official installation script: /bin/bash -c '$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)'
2
Install Arc
Run the cask installation command in your terminal: brew install --cask arc
3
Verify Installation
Launch Arc from Spotlight (Cmd+Space, type 'Arc'). On first launch, you will be prompted to create an account and import data from your previous browser.
Pro Tips
- • Set Arc as your default browser immediately to enable Little Arc functionality.
- • Import your Chrome extensions during setup; most will work seamlessly.
- • Enable 'iCloud Sync' in settings if you plan to use Arc on a secondary Mac or the iOS companion app.
Configuration Tips
Configure Archive Timing
By default, Arc archives unpinned tabs every 12 hours. If you find tabs disappearing too fast, go to Settings > General and change 'Archive tabs after' to 24 hours or 30 days. This balances cleanliness with object permanence depending on your workflow style.
Master the Command Bar
Arc is designed for keyboard navigation. Hit Command+T (or Command+L) to open the Command Bar. This isn't just for URLs; use it to search open tabs, trigger extension actions, or rename files. Configuring your muscle memory for Command+T is essential for the 'Arc flow.'
Setup Air Traffic Control
Navigate to Settings > Links > Air Traffic Control. Here you can define rules like 'If URL contains [figma.com], open in [Design Space].' This configuration is critical for users who maintain strict separation between personal and professional browsing environments.
Create Boost Templates
Build CSS Boosts for sites you visit frequently to remove distracting elements. For example, create a Boost that hides the YouTube Shorts shelf, Twitter trending sidebar, or Reddit promoted posts. Once created, Boosts persist automatically for that domain, ensuring every future visit is cleaner and more focused without needing a third-party extension.
Pin Your Essential Web Apps
Treat frequently used web apps like Slack, Gmail, Linear, and Notion as pinned 'apps' in your sidebar rather than regular tabs. Pinned items stay persistent across sessions and do not auto-archive, effectively turning Arc into an app launcher for web-based tools. Organize these pinned items into folders within your sidebar for even cleaner visual hierarchy.
Alternatives to Arc
While Arc leads the 'browser for operating systems' category, other contenders offer similar vertical layouts or privacy focuses.
O
Orion
Orion uses the WebKit engine (like Safari) rather than Chromium, making it significantly more battery-efficient and native-feeling on macOS. It supports both Chrome and Firefox extensions, offering a middle ground for users who want power features without the resource heaviness of Chromium.
M
Microsoft Edge
Edge offers robust vertical tabs and workspace features similar to Arc. It is more enterprise-focused and less design-centric. If you need vertical tabs but prefer a traditional UI layout over Arc's sidebar-only approach, Edge is a stable, corporate-friendly alternative.
S
SigmaOS
SigmaOS is Arc's closest conceptual rival, focusing heavily on keyboard shortcuts and workspaces. It treats tabs as 'tasks' to be completed. It has a steeper learning curve than Arc but offers similar productivity benefits for users who want a pure keyboard-driven workflow.
B
Brave
Brave focuses heavily on privacy and ad-blocking with built-in tracker protection and an optional crypto-rewards system. While it is Chromium-based like Arc, it sticks with a traditional horizontal tab interface and does not offer workspace-style organization features like Spaces. Brave is a better fit for privacy-focused users who want a familiar browser layout, while Arc is superior for productivity-oriented users who want to reimagine their browsing workflow.
Pricing
Free for Individuals / Paid Teams
As of 2026, Arc remains completely free for individual personal use. There are no paywalls for core features like Spaces, Split View, or standard Arc Max AI usage. The Browser Company monetizes through 'Arc for Teams,' an enterprise tier that offers centralized billing, collaborative shared spaces, and advanced administrative controls for organizations. Optional specialized AI features may incur usage costs, but the browser itself is free.
Pros
- ✓Revolutionary sidebar UI eliminates tab clutter and maximizes screen real estate for content.
- ✓Spaces and Profiles completely solve the context-switching problem for multi-project workflows.
- ✓Split View allows efficient side-by-side multi-tasking without external window management tools.
- ✓Little Arc streamlines opening links from external apps like Slack, Mail, and Notion.
- ✓Built-in ad-blocking and tracker-blocking provide baseline privacy without extensions.
- ✓Arc Max AI features like Tidy Tab Titles and page summaries add genuine utility without being intrusive.
- ✓Full Chrome extension support means zero compromise on your existing browser toolkit.
Cons
- ✗Chromium engine can be resource and battery intensive compared to WebKit-based Safari.
- ✗Steep learning curve for users deeply habituated to horizontal tab bar interfaces.
- ✗Requires an account login to use the browser, which raises privacy concerns for some users.
- ✗Mobile app Arc Search is a distinct experience, not a one-to-one replica of the desktop browser.
- ✗Not open-source, requiring trust in The Browser Company's privacy policies rather than code verification.
- ✗Heavy sidebar customization can become overwhelming for users who prefer a minimal browser interface.
Community & Support
The Arc community is one of the most engaged browser user bases on the internet, particularly active on Reddit at r/ArcBrowser with tens of thousands of members sharing tips, custom Boosts, and workflow configurations. Twitter/X is another major hub where power users and The Browser Company team frequently interact. The company maintains a remarkably transparent approach to product development, regularly publishing 'Arc Update' videos on YouTube that explain new features, design decisions, and the team's roadmap thinking. While there is no public GitHub repo for the browser source code since it is proprietary, the team is extremely responsive to bug reports submitted through the in-app 'Contact the Team' command, often acknowledging and triaging issues within hours. Documentation is clean, modern, and accessible via the Arc Resources page. The company has also fostered an active Discord community where beta testers and early adopters discuss upcoming features and provide direct feedback to the development team.
Video Tutorials
Getting Started with Arc
The Browser Company324.5K views
More Tutorials
This Free App Is a Game-Changer For Students | Arc Set Up & Tutorial
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How to Install Arc Browser on macOS
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Switching to a MacBook for Arc Browser ❤️
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Frequently Asked Questions about Arc
Yes, Arc is built on the Chromium engine, which is the same open-source foundation that powers Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave. This is a significant advantage for compatibility, as it ensures that virtually all websites render correctly and that Arc supports the vast library of extensions available in the Chrome Web Store. However, The Browser Company has customized the rendering and interface extensively to create a unique user experience.
Our Verdict
4.8/5
Arc is not just a browser; it is a workflow revolution that challenges the fundamental paradigm of how we interact with the web. It successfully proves that the decades-old horizontal tab interface is obsolete, replacing it with a vertical sidebar and workspace model that is objectively superior for modern, high-volume internet use. While it demands a learning curve and consumes more resources than Safari, its ability to organize complex digital lives into manageable Spaces makes it indispensable for power users. The AI features in Arc Max have matured from novelty to genuine productivity tools, and the Split View and Little Arc features solve real pain points that no other browser addresses as elegantly. If you live in your browser and manage multiple projects, accounts, or identities simultaneously, Arc is the best upgrade you can make to your Mac in 2026. The only real trade-offs are the Chromium resource overhead and the requirement for an account, but for most professionals these are easily outweighed by the productivity gains.
Best for:Developers & DesignersProject ManagersStudents & Researchers
About the Author
Related Technologies & Concepts
The Browser CompanyChromiumSpacesSwiftArc Max
The Browser Company (Developer of Arc), Chromium (Underlying engine powering Arc), Spaces (Core organizational unit in Arc), Swift (Programming language used for Arc's UI), Arc Max (AI suite integrated into Arc)
Related Topics
Productivity Browsers
Browsers designed with features for task management, focus, and workflow organization.
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Feb 15, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Arc is built on the Chromium engine, ensuring compatibility with Chrome extensions.[cite-1]
- Arc remains free for individual use, with monetization focused on team features.[cite-1, cite-2]
- The browser includes an AI suite called Arc Max featuring Tidy Downloads and page summaries.[cite-3]
- 1Arc from The Browser Company
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 2Arc Privacy Policy
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 3Arc Max Announcement
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 4Homebrew Formulae - Arc
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 5The Browser Company on Twitter
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
Research queries: Arc Mac 2026 features pricing review