If you’ve spent any time in tech circles over the last few years, you’ve almost certainly heard someone rave about Arc Browser. It reimagined what a browser could look like, with built-in note taking, split views and workspace organization that felt revolutionary at launch. But for every fan, there are just as many people looking for 6 Alternatives for Arc Browser that fit their workflow better. Maybe Arc runs too slow on your older laptop, you hate the forced account sign up, or you just don’t want all the extra features weighing you down.

You don’t have to force yourself to love a browser that doesn’t work for you. Browsers are the most used tool on most people’s computers, and even small annoyances add up to hours of frustration every month. This guide breaks down every solid option, explains exactly who each one is best for, and gives honest pros and cons that you won’t find on brand marketing pages. By the end, you’ll know exactly which browser to test first this week.

1. Sidekick: The Closest Workflow Match For Arc Users

If you love Arc for the productivity features but hate the performance issues, Sidekick is the first alternative you should test. This browser was built for remote workers and power users long before Arc launched, and it shares almost all the core features that made Arc popular. You get native split tabs, workspaces that stay separated, built-in note taking, and the same side bar layout most Arc users already have muscle memory for. Unlike Arc, Sidekick doesn’t force you to make an account just to open the browser, and it will run smoothly on laptops with 8GB of ram or less.

Most independent speed tests show Sidekick uses 30-40% less memory than Arc when running the same number of tabs. That difference is night and day if you regularly keep 20+ tabs open during work days. It also doesn’t have the forced automatic updates that have been known to wipe Arc user workspaces without warning.

Here are the biggest differences you’ll notice switching from Arc:

• No mandatory internet connection required to launch the browser
• Built-in ad blocker and tracker protection enabled by default
• Ability to pin unlimited apps to the side bar with no premium paywall
• Native support for all Chrome web store extensions

The only real downside is that Sidekick has a smaller user community, so you won’t find as many third party guides or custom themes online. But for people who just want a browser that works without fuss, this is almost never an issue. If you tried Arc and thought “this is great but it’s just too slow”, stop your search here.

2. Brave: The Best Privacy-Focused Arc Replacement

If you left Arc over privacy concerns, Brave is the clear choice for you. This open source browser has spent years building a reputation as one of the most private mainstream options available, and it has quietly added most of the productivity features people love from Arc over the last 12 months. You get built-in workspaces, split tab views, and a customizable side bar that works almost exactly like Arc’s.

Unlike Arc, Brave never collects data about your browsing history, tab usage or search habits. It also blocks trackers and ads by default, which means pages load much faster and you won’t see targeted ads following you around the internet. For context, independent testing from the University of Dublin found Brave blocks 97% of all third party trackers, compared to just 21% for Arc.

Feature	Brave	Arc
Default Tracker Blocking	Yes	No
Account Required	No	Yes
Open Source Code	Yes	No

Brave does not have the native note taking or screenshot annotation that Arc includes, but you can add these features with one of hundreds of free extensions. For most users, this tradeoff is well worth the massive improvements to privacy and speed.

3. Vivaldi: The Most Customizable Alternative

If you loved Arc because it let you build your own workflow, you will fall in love with Vivaldi. This browser was built from the ground up for customization, and there is almost no part of the interface you can’t move, change or turn off entirely. Where Arc forces you into one specific design layout, Vivaldi lets you build exactly the browser you want.

You can put your tab bar on any side of the screen, stack tabs into groups, create custom keyboard shortcuts for every single action, and even build custom command chains that run multiple actions with one click. Vivaldi also includes native workspaces, split views, note taking and a screenshot tool, all without requiring you to make an account.

To get the closest Arc experience in Vivaldi, follow these simple steps:

1. Open settings and enable the vertical sidebar
2. Move your tab bar to the left side of the screen
3. Turn on workspace separation under tab settings
4. Pin your most used tools to the sidebar

The only downside is that this level of customization can feel overwhelming at first. Most new users spend about an hour setting up Vivaldi the first time they launch it. But once you have it configured, it will fit your workflow better than any other browser on this list.

4. Orion: The Lightweight Option For Apple Users

If you use a Mac, iPad or iPhone and found Arc runs hot and drains your battery, Orion is the alternative you’ve been looking for. This native Apple silicon browser is built on WebKit, the same engine that powers Safari, which means it gets all of the battery life and performance benefits that Apple builds into its operating system.

Orion added native workspaces and vertical tabs earlier this year, and it now matches almost every core productivity feature from Arc. It also supports both Chrome and Firefox extensions, which is almost unheard of for a WebKit browser. Independent battery tests show Orion will give you 2-3 extra hours of laptop battery life compared to Arc on the same device.

Key benefits for former Arc users include:

• Zero bloatware or extra features you don’t use
• No account required for any core functionality
• Full iCloud sync across all Apple devices
• Uses 50% less ram than Arc with the same tabs open

The biggest downside right now is that Orion only works on Apple devices. If you regularly switch between Windows and Mac, this won’t be a good fit for you. But for anyone who lives entirely in the Apple ecosystem, this is easily the best browser available right now.

5. Firefox With Multi-Account Containers

A lot of people forget that you don’t need a fancy new browser to get all the features people love about Arc. Regular Firefox, with a couple of small tweaks, can match almost every part of Arc’s workflow while being faster, more private and completely open source. This is the best option for people who don’t want to lock themselves into a new browser ecosystem.

The core feature that makes this work is Firefox’s official Multi-Account Containers extension. This tool lets you separate your browsing into completely isolated workspaces, just like Arc. You can have one container for work, one for personal use, one for banking, and they will never share cookies, logins or tracking data.

Add these free official extensions to get full Arc parity:

• Sidebery for vertical tabs and tab groups
• Firefox Notes for built in note taking
• Tile Tabs WE for native split screen views
• Simple Tab Groups for automatic workspace organization

The best part of this option is that Firefox has been around for 20 years. It will not get sold, shut down or lock features behind a paywall next year. If you value stability and long term support, this is the safest choice on this list.

6. Chrome: The No-Fuss Alternative For Most People

It sounds boring, but regular Chrome is actually one of the most practical 6 Alternatives for Arc Browser for most people. Almost everyone already knows how to use it, it works with every website ever made, and you can add almost every Arc feature with free extensions in about five minutes.

The biggest advantage Chrome has is compatibility. Every web developer tests their sites on Chrome first, so you will never run into the broken website bugs that regularly pop up on Arc and other newer browsers. It also syncs perfectly with every device, no matter what operating system you use.

Use Case	Recommended Extension
Vertical Tabs	Tree Style Tab
Workspaces	Workona Tab Manager
Split Views	Tab Split

Yes, Chrome uses more ram than some other options on this list. But for most people, that tradeoff is worth the rock solid reliability. If you don’t want to learn a whole new browser just to get a couple of nice features, Chrome with a few good extensions will serve you perfectly well for years.

At the end of the day, there is no perfect browser for everyone. Arc did the whole industry a favour by proving people wanted more than just a window to view websites. But that doesn’t mean it is the right choice for you. All six of these browsers will work well, and the best one comes down to what you actually value most: speed, privacy, customization, compatibility or simplicity.

Don’t spend weeks overthinking this choice. Pick one option that sounds like it fits your needs, install it tonight, and use it for three full days. You will know within an hour if it feels right. If it doesn’t, just try the next one on the list. You don’t owe any browser loyalty, and you deserve a tool that works for you.