Arc made a big splash when it launched. The sidebar-first design, Spaces, Boosts, and the overall rethinking of browser UI felt genuinely fresh. Two years later, the shine has worn off, and some serious questions remain.
What Is It?
Arc is a Chromium-based browser from The Browser Company. It replaces the traditional tab bar with a collapsible sidebar, organizes tabs into Spaces, and includes built-in tools like easels, notes, and split-view browsing. It is completely free.
What We Liked
The sidebar tab management is still the best implementation of vertical tabs available. Pinned tabs, today tabs that auto-archive, and Spaces for separating work from personal browsing all work well.
Boosts let you customize any website's CSS and JavaScript without installing extensions. Surprisingly powerful for small quality-of-life tweaks.
What Could Be Better
Stability is the biggest problem. Arc crashes more frequently than Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. Memory usage spikes are common with more than 30 tabs open.
The Browser Company has publicly shifted focus toward a new product, making Arc's long-term future uncertain. Updates have slowed considerably.
Pricing
Arc is free with no paid tier. The Browser Company has not announced a monetization strategy, which is part of the concern about long-term sustainability.
Final Verdict
Arc introduced genuinely good ideas to browser design. But the stability issues, uncertain future, and slowing development make it difficult to recommend as a primary browser in 2026. Score: 6.5/10. Has Issues.
