- I've compared a lot of web browsers over the years, but Arc browser is the most unique one I've ever tested. In every way, Arc browser has reinvented the wheel of the browser experience. It's not even recognizable as a web browser, but does that really make it better than Chrome? Do the added features and unique interface make it the superior browser? Or is it just complicating the experience for the sake of looking new and different? Well, the customizability and productivity features are what make Arc browser unique, but if it doesn't get the basics right, none of those added features matter. Arc browser is built on Chromium, which is Google's open-source browser engine that powers Chrome, Edge, Brave, and countless other browsers. So Arc browsers should, in theory, have similar, if not identical, performance to Chrome. And in my real world testing, both browsers felt equally fast and reliable. I ran some tests on browserbench.org,

and Arc and Chrome were nearly identical in two of the three tests, with Arc scoring slightly better when it comes to graphics rendering. Sometimes, Chrome alternatives struggle to load pages accurately, even if those browsers are powered by Chromium. For example, in Brave, certain pages have had severe issues loading, all while opening the same pages in Chrome without any issues whatsoever. However, so far with Arc browser, I've not had any instances of pages getting hung up or not loading properly, and it seems to be one of the more reliable Chrome alternatives I've tested. Arc also supports all Chrome extensions since it's built on Chromium, and I've been using all my extensions flawlessly. So the performance and reliability of Arc browsers stand up to Chrome. But we need to address the elephant in the room, the interface and the features. One of my biggest reservations about even trying Arc browser was the radically different UI. Arc uses vertical tabs with a condensed URL bar.

and opening a new tab deploys a popup for you to visit your desired URL. Everything about the Arc browser screams, think different. These vary differences deter me from giving Arc a serious try long ago. I've been aware of the
browser for a few years, and every time I've thought
about downloading it, I just say to myself, that looks so confusing and different, and I don't wanna put in the mental energy to learn how this works. It honestly feels like you're switching operating systems. I had the same exact feeling when switching from Windows
to Mac many years ago. Web browsers all look and feel the same. Usually it's touting
speed or privacy benefits that make them unique, but Arc is breaking the mold. So is it actually better? Well, there's a lot to unpack here, but when it comes to
the basic layout of Arc, the vertical tabs, the condensed URL bar, the boxed view with websites not quite reaching the
edges of the window.

something about it just feels less distracting than a traditional browser. I am always jumping between tabs when I browse, and this is not always because I need to; it's because the tabs can become a distraction. I'll start to zone out of the page I have open, whether it's Google Docs or X or YouTube Studio, and I'll find myself clicking between my tabs without even thinking about it. And I have done that way less with Arc. Since the tabs and browser bar have been minimized and moved to the sidebar, I'm less distracted by them. Maybe this is temporary, and it's because I'm used to seeing my tabs at the top of the screen, and when I fully adjust to vertical tabs, they'll become equally as distracting. Or maybe there's some sort of psychology behind why a vertical tab UI is less distracting than a conventional browser. I'm not entirely sure, but the increased productivity I experienced

on the first day piqued my interest. Another thing that makes Arc stand out is the customization options. Web browsers have had themes for years, but customization is at the center of the Arc setup process. You're encouraged to make the browser your own with colors, gradients, and textures. Arc brings the same customization to websites with Arc Boost, allowing you to customize everything about individual websites like toggling dark mode, changing colors, changing fonts, removing elements, and even adding custom CSS. You can share these boosts with others, and Arc users have come up with some insanely creative ways to use boosts. This Debias Google News Boost uses ChatGPT to rewrite an article's headline based on the contents of the article to remove bias and seamlessly updates the page with all the new headlines. It's almost like Arc gave users a way to create basic browser extensions without having to create an actual extension. Boosts are one of the many features Arc has to rethink how the browser works.

And to be honest, there are so many features sprinkled in that I still don't feel I have a full grasp on everything it can do. But here are the standout features I noticed in my testing. Arc has a unique take on tab management. First, your bookmarks are displayed as permanent tabs. Instead of clicking a bookmark and having it open a tab, the bookmark is the tab. This applies to both bookmarks in folders and these pins you can add. For regular tabs that aren't bookmarked, they'll automatically be archived after 12 hours of inactivity. You can disable this or change the number of hours and settings. I've always been good about closing my tabs when I'm done with them, so I don't find this feature necessary, but I know a lot of users value it. There's also this feature to auto organize your tabs when you have more than six open, and this is super useful. Many times, I'll have multiple tabs open

with items if I'm shopping for something, and I may also have tabs
with social media open, and this groups all of
your related tabs together to minimize clutter. An essential feature of
any browser is profiles, and Arc does them well. They call them spaces, and you can customize the
look and feel of each space and have a unique set
of tabs for each space. You can also assign a
space its own profile for its own set of extensions and cookies to be signed into different accounts on the same site across two spaces. It blows my mind that you
can move tabs between spaces. I have never seen a web browser that lets you move tabs
between profiles before. You can be signed into two X accounts on two different spaces and move a post tab from
one space to the other to seamlessly that post
from your other account. And there's also a
centralized library in Arc that you can access from any space to add photos and recent
downloads to documents.

Arc browser has tons of little features sprinkled in that make browsing simpler. Auto picture-in-picture is my favorite. If I have a YouTube video playing, I can switch to another tab and view the video in this mini window that I can drag anywhere on the screen. I've only seen this functionality in Opera before, and I've wished it was common in every web browser. Arc Max is Arc's set of power-ups that make your browsing experience smoother. These features include the tab organization I talked about earlier, and this new Instant Links feature where you can press Shift plus enter on any web search to automatically open the top results. I don't quite understand this feature. It almost feels like Google's I'm Feeling Lucky button. I would personally rather look at the search results myself and select which page I would like to visit. There's also ChatGPT built into the command bar, but you still have to be signed into ChatGPT for this to work.

And all it really does is open ChatGPT in a new tab with your query pre-submitted. So honestly, a lot of these features are hit or miss for me. It feels like they just threw a bunch of ideas at the wall to see what sticks. But there are some cool ones like five-second previews to see instant summaries when hovering over links. And since Arc Max lets you enable or disable individual features, it's not like the ones I don't use are getting in the way. One thing that surprised me was that Arc does not have a native ad blocker or tracker blocker. Chrome doesn't have one built-in either, but having used privacy-oriented browsers like Brave and Firefox, I would've liked to see one built into Arc. Arc comes pre-installed with the uBlock Origin plugin as the suggested solution to block ads and trackers. It's a solid plugin, but I've had some issues with links and emails being blocked entirely because they use trackers.

Some users would consider this a success because the plugin protects your privacy, but I found it to be annoying because these were all links that I needed to visit no matter what, so I would click the button to proceed anyway. And the amount of times that I would get this full screen popup stopping me from visiting a link was quite high. It's not a bad solution, but I prefer when browsers invest resources to build a native ad blocker and tracker blocker for the best experience. So I wanted to know about Arc's commitment to privacy. Their primary marketing surrounds the features and experience. When compared to the Privacy First marketing of Brave and Firefox, it may seem like Arc doesn't care about privacy. I don't think that's true though. I think it just makes more sense for them to push what's most unique about Arc, which is definitely the productivity features. Arc makes it clear that they don't see which sites you visit, they don't see what you type into the browser.

and they don't sell your
data to third-parties. There are instances
where your browsing data is sent to OpenAI for processing to power a lot of the Arc Max features, so you'll have to determine whether you want to use
those features or not. Whenever a browser involves AI, there are going to be some
concerns about privacy, but I trust Arc browser with my data any day over Chrome. It's no secret that Google Chrome is designed to collect as
much user data as possible. Google is a data company. They make their money
by collecting user data, curating groups of accounts based on shared traits and interest, and letting advertisers
target those users with ads. Google wants to collect as much data on you as possible, and the more you use
their apps and services, the easier that is. With the web browser almost being a second operating system, it's no secret they're collecting massive amounts of user data in Chrome. So after testing all the features

that Arc browser has to offer, would I use it over Chrome? Yes. And I've decided to make Arc my default browser and
use it indefinitely. It's honestly difficult
to compare Arc and Chrome, or Arc and any browser, because Arc is just so unique. I'd say if you're
comfortable with the layout of a traditional browser and you're just looking for a faster or more secure option than Chrome, you may be better off
with Brave or Firefox. But if you're open-minded and willing to try a
radically different browser to see if you might like it, download Arc and give it a shot. I don't know if it's gonna stick yet for my daily usage. Whenever I switch to a new browser, it typically takes me a few months to determine if I'm
ultimately gonna stick to it for the long run or end up switching back to what I used before. There's a lot of things I like about Arc, but the primary reason
I'm making the switch

is because it minimizes
clutter and distractions. I don't have to stare at all
these controls or options. I don't have to stare at
this giant browser bar or bookmarks bar. I just feel more immersed in the page that I'm currently viewing. If you're not quite ready
to try Arc browser yet, but you still want to ditch Chrome, you might enjoy Brave. I've got a full video
comparing Brave and Chrome that you can check out here.

Arc Browser vs. Chrome: Worth The Hype??

Arc Browser vs. Chrome: Worth The Hype??