Bow
Free, open-source Electron browser for Mac with Arc's sidebar, Spaces, Peek, Split View and auto-archive.
Bow is an Arc-style browser for Apple-silicon Macs, built with Electron and TypeScript, so pages run on Chromium. Its vertical sidebar holds Spaces with their own themes, Favorites, Pinned tabs with folders and live folders, and Today tabs that archive themselves. It has Peek, Split View up to four panes, a Command Bar, Little Windows for links from other apps, Air Traffic Control rules, Boosts with CSS and JavaScript, automatic picture-in-picture, and Chrome Web Store extensions. File › Import from Arc brings over Spaces, Favorites, folders, themes, archive, history and extensions. Spaces sync between Macs through a folder you choose, with no account. Favorites are per Space, ad blocking is off until you switch it on, and there is no Widevine DRM, mobile app or AI. It is a young, signed and notarized solo project at version 0.2.0.
Built-in AI
No AI
No AI features; the teardown's built list has none, and Translate Page just opens Google Translate in a tab.
github.comBloat check
None found
No ads, wallet, feed, upsell, account or analytics in the source. The update check fetches a release feed from GitHub and sends nothing about you.
github.comAds, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Bow | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | ✓ | Tabs live in a left sidebar that is the whole UI; ⌘S hides it and the left edge brings it back.github.com |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Spaces each have their own Favorites, Pinned and Today tabs; swipe or ⌃1–⌃9 switches.github.com |
| ProfilesProfiles per Space (shareable)Each Space can use its own browser profile (separate cookies, logins, history), and one profile can be shared by several Spaces. | ✓ | ✓ | Each profile has its own cookies and logins, and one profile can be shared by several Spaces.github.com |
| FavoritesGlobal favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ◐ | ✓ | Up to 12 Favorite tiles, but kept per Space, not one row shared by every Space.github.com |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-Space Pinned tabs with nested folders, drag and drop, and auto-filling live folders.github.com |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ✓ | ✓ | Live folders fill from GitHub PRs and issues, Jira, Linear, RSS/Atom or Hacker News; refresh every 10 minutes.github.com |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | ✓ | Unused Today tabs archive after 12 h by default (1 h to 30 d, or never); Library lists the archive.github.com |
| Theme pickerSpace themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ✓ | ✓ | Each Space has its own theme: up to three colours, intensity, grain, light or dark.github.com |
Browsing
| Feature | Bow | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ✓ | ✓ | Two to four tabs side by side, stacked or in a 2×2 grid; drop a tab on another to split.github.com |
| PeekLink previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✓ | ✓ | Links from Pinned tabs to other sites, and Shift-clicked links, open in a card over the page.github.com |
| Little ArcMini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ✓ | ✓ | Links from other apps open in a small Little Window when Bow is the default browser.github.com |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌘T/⌘L bar searches open tabs, history, search suggestions and about 40 browser actions.github.com |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | ✓ | Air Traffic Control rules by address or source app send outside links to a chosen Space.github.com |
| BoostsSite customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-site colours, fonts, Zap, plus own CSS and JavaScript (JavaScript off until enabled).github.com |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ✓ | ✓ | A video playing in a tab you leave floats into a picture-in-picture window by itself.github.com |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ✓ | ✓ | A sidebar player with play/pause and dismiss appears for a tab playing sound in the background.github.com |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcherCtrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ✓ | ✓ | Tabs > Recent Tab: ⌃Tab and ⌃⇧Tab show recently used tabs as cards, most recent first.github.com |
| Super CopyClean link copyA shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ◐ | ✓ | ⇧⌘C copies the page URL with a toast (⌥⇧⌘C as Markdown), unchanged; no tracking-parameter stripping.github.com |
| CaptureScreenshotsBuilt-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ◐ | ✓ | Control Center Screenshot grabs the visible page and Capture drags a region; no full-page capture.github.com |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Bow | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✓ | – | File › Import from Arc reads Spaces, Favorites, pinned folders, Today tabs, themes and archive.github.com |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✓ | ✓ | Chrome Web Store install per profile; side panels and tab capture only partly work in Electron.github.com |
| DRM streamingNetflix, Disney+, Spotify web and other DRM video/audio play, through Widevine or, on WebKit, FairPlay. Chromium forks need a Google Widevine licence; FairPlay counts once a major service is confirmed playing in the app. | ✕ | ✓ | Stock Electron 44.9.3 with no Widevine module, so DRM streaming is not supported.github.com |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ? | ✓ | Not tested; the 0.2.0 app bundle inspected had no passkey entitlement or keychain access group. |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✓ | ✓ | Spaces, pinned tabs, Favorites and Boosts sync between Macs via a shared folder; settings stay local.github.com |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ✕ | ◐ | Mac-only app for Apple silicon; no mobile app is published.github.com |
Extras
| Feature | Bow | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ◐ | ✓ | EasyList and EasyPrivacy blocking is built in but off until switched on in Settings.github.com |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editorMost browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ✓ | ✓ | Library > Shortcuts: click a command's keys and press new ones; clashes are refused and Reset All restores defaults.github.com |
More Arc features
Arc features shown but not counted in the score, because almost no replacement has them or only a few people need them.
| Feature | Bow | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaselsA shareable canvas of live page captures, notes and drawings. | ◐ | ◐ | Boards of text, drawings, pictures and live page captures that retake on open; no share link, only Mac sync.github.com |
| Shared CollectionsShared spaces & foldersShare a Space, folder or set of tabs as a link anyone can open, or another user can add to their sidebar. | ◐ | ✓ | File > Export Bow Backup writes all Spaces to JSON and Restore can add them; no share link for one Space or folder.github.com |
| PreviewsWeb app previewsHover a pinned Gmail, Calendar or other web app to glance at it; a pinned calendar shows the next meeting with Join. | ◐ | ✓ | Pinned tabs and Favorites show an unread dot when the page title changes (new mail count); no content glance or calendar widget.github.com |
| Developer modeA developer view that turns on by itself for localhost: full URL, quick DevTools and dev tools in reach. | ✓ | ✓ | Developer Mode per site, on by itself for localhost: striped toolbar with full address, Console, Network and Inspect buttons, yellow tab outline.github.com |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above.
| Feature | Bow | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ◐ | ✕ | Loads unpacked MV2, but Bow's own webRequest hook switches off extension webRequest: no blocking uBO.github.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ◐ | ✓ | MV3 service workers and content scripts run, but Electron 44 has no declarativeNetRequest for blockers.github.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Extensions come from the Chrome Web Store, Arc import or an unpacked folder; no Firefox add-on support.github.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Electron loads only unpacked Chrome-format extensions; no Safari extension support.github.com |