Zen Browser review

Zen Browser is the pick for people who liked the clean, sidebar-first layouts of newer browsers but want something free and open source. It is built on Firefox and describes itself as privacy-focused, with the line that it cares about your experience, not your data. Workspaces keep projects apart, Compact Mode hides the tab bar to give you more screen until you need it, Glance lets you jump between your most used tabs, and Split View shows two tabs side by side. Zen Mods let you restyle the interface. Zen is available for macOS, Windows and Linux, but there are no mobile apps, and the project states plainly that it is currently in beta, so expect rough edges and frequent updates. Support runs through documentation, Discord and GitHub. Former Arc users should note that Arc is being shut down on December 22, 2026, which is why it is not on this list.

Who it is for

desktop users who want a calm, vertical-tab layout

Price

Free and open source; donations optional.

Free and open-source
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Workspaces to separate tab sets
• Compact Mode hides the tab bar until needed
• Glance for quick switching between tabs
• Split View for two tabs side by side
• Zen Mods for customizing the interface

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free and open source, funded by donations and sponsors
• Strength: Firefox-based, per the project's own GitHub page
• Strength: Available for macOS, Windows and Linux
• Weakness: Zen says it is currently in beta
• Weakness: No phone or tablet apps
• Weakness: A small team means fewer support channels, mainly Discord and GitHub

Key facts

• Price: Free
• Status: Beta
• Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux
• License: Open source
• Layout: Workspaces, Compact Mode, Split View

Where it ranks

Zen Browser is No. 9 in our Best Web Browsers verdict.