Arc

Arc Browser Review: A Radical, Opinionated, and Brilliant Reinvention of the Web Browser

For decades, the web browser’s core design has remained largely unchanged: tabs across the top, a URL bar, and a bookmarks bar. Arc, from The Browser Company, throws that entire playbook out the window. It’s not an incremental update; it’s a bold, opinionated reimagining of what a browser should be, and for the right user, it’s a genuine game-changer.

Key Features & Benefits:

Arc’s most striking feature is its vertical sidebar, which replaces the traditional horizontal tab bar. This isn’t just a cosmetic change. It fosters incredible organization. You create dedicated "Spaces" (e.g., Work, Personal, Projects) and within them, pin "Favorites" and group "Today's Tabs." This eliminates tab clutter anxiety forever. Tabs you don't pin automatically archive after a set period, keeping your workspace pristine.

The command bar (Cmd/Ctrl + T) is your control center. Search open tabs, open a specific website, run a command—it’s lightning-fast and reduces reliance on mouse navigation.

Other standout features include Boosts, which let you easily customize the CSS and JS of any website, and Little Arc, a minimal pop-up window for quick glances that disappears when closed. The integrated Notes and Easels (collaborative whiteboards) tools are surprisingly useful for quick captures without leaving your workflow.

Pricing:

Here’s the best part: Arc is completely free. The Browser Company has stated they are focused on building a great product first and are exploring future business models that don’t involve selling user data. For now, you get access to all its innovative features at no cost.

Customer Support:

As a new-age product, Arc’s support is primarily community-driven. They have an active and helpful community on Twitter and their own forums. While there isn’t a traditional 24/7 phone line, the team is highly engaged and responsive to feedback and bug reports submitted through the app.

The Verdict:

Arc is a breath of fresh air. Its learning curve is steep for about a day as you unlearn decades of browser habits, but the payoff in productivity and organization is immense. It’s designed for power users, designers, developers, and anyone who lives in their browser and is tired of the stagnant status quo.

Try it. It’s free, and it might just change how you interact with the web forever.

Platform: macOS (now), with Windows in early development. Price: Free Visit: https://arc.net/