Lilo
Free, open-source Mac browser on WebKit with Arc-style Spaces, Chrome extensions and terminal tabs.
Lilo is a native Mac browser written in Swift and AppKit on the WebKit engine that ships with macOS, with its sidebar and settings in Svelte. It keeps Arc's sidebar model: Spaces with their own profiles, pinned tabs and folders, favorites, Peek, a Little window, split view, a command bar, link rules and auto-archived tabs. It imports Arc spaces, folders and favorites straight from the Arc app data, installs Manifest V3 extensions from the Chrome Web Store, and blocks ads by default. It has no account, sync, telemetry or built-in model; terminal tabs and a local MCP server let your own AI agents drive it. It is a Mac-only public beta that needs macOS 26 or later, and DRM video runs through FairPlay only.
Built-in AI
AI optional
No model of its own. Agent control (MCP server) and sidebar chats with your own agents are both off until you enable them in Settings.
github.comBloat check
None found
Privacy policy: no account, sync, telemetry or analytics, and no project server. No ads, wallet, feed or upsells found; update checks send only the version.
github.comAds, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Lilo | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | ✓ | Tabs sit in a left sidebar by default; they can also go right, top or bottom.github.com |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Spaces with emoji and colour, each with its own tabs; swipe between them; private Spaces forget on close.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. | ✓ | ✓ | Every Space has a profileId; profiles hold their own cookies and extensions and can be shared by Spaces.github.com |
| FavoritesGlobal favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ◐ | ✓ | Favorite tiles are stored per Space; Arc import copies them into each Space of a profile.github.com |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-Space pinned section; folders nest up to five levels and can be locked.github.com |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ✕ | ✓ | Folders are manual and nest five levels; no live-folder code in Lilo/ or lilo-ui/ at 87081fa.github.com |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | ✓ | Idle unpinned tabs are archived after 12 h by default (0 = never), set per Space; archive is searchable.github.com |
| Theme pickerSpace themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ✓ | ✓ | Each Space has its own colour, colour mode (fixed, time, page, wallpaper) and material (solid, glass, grain).github.com |
Browsing
| Feature | Lilo | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ✓ | ✓ | Up to four tabs side by side, restored on relaunch.github.com |
| PeekLink previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✓ | ✓ | Shift-click any link, or a pinned tab's link to another site, opens it in an overlay.github.com |
| Little ArcMini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ✓ | ✓ | Little window opens from any app with a global shortcut and can be the target for external links.github.com |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | ✓ | Cmd+T field searches tabs, history, bookmarks, Spaces and actions, ranked by use.github.com |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | ✓ | Rules by host or URL text send links from other apps to a chosen Space or the Little window.github.com |
| BoostsSite customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ◐ | ✓ | Hide Element zaps a page element per site; no custom per-site CSS or JS of its own.github.com |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ✓ | ✓ | On by default: leaving the app or tab during playback or a call starts picture-in-picture.github.com |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ✓ | ✓ | Sidebar media card for another tab: previous, play/pause, next, mute; click jumps to the tab.github.com |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcherCtrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌃Tab and ⌃⇧Tab are bound to "Switch to Recent Tab" by default, listing tabs by last use across Spaces.github.com |
| Super CopyClean link copyA shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ◐ | ✓ | ⇧⌘C Copy Page URL copies the address as-is and flashes a copied state in the URL bar; no parameter stripping in the copy code.github.com |
| CaptureScreenshotsBuilt-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ✓ | ✓ | File > Take Screenshot offers Selected Area (⇧⌘2), Visible Area and Full Page, opening an editor card.github.com |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Lilo | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✓ | – | Reads Arc's StorableSidebar.json: spaces, pinned tabs, folders, splits, favorites; plus cookies, history.github.com |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✓ | ✓ | One-click Chrome Web Store install on WebKit's extension runtime; Manifest V3 only, no blocking webRequest.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. | ◐ | ✓ | FairPlay works as in Safari; Widevine and PlayReady are rejected. Streaming services not hand-tested.github.com |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ✕ | ✓ | Apple has not granted the browser passkey entitlement, so published builds refuse WebAuthn (passkeys, security keys).github.com |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✕ | ✓ | No account or server by design, so nothing syncs between devices.github.com |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ✕ | ◐ | Mac app only; the site says there is no mobile app.getlilo.app |
Extras
| Feature | Lilo | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | ✓ | Content blocker on by default: EasyList, EasyPrivacy and uBlock Origin lists with cosmetic filtering.github.com |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editorMost browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ✓ | ✓ | Settings > Shortcuts remaps nearly every menu action, handles conflicts, and offers Lilo and Arc presets.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 | Lilo | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaselsA shareable canvas of live page captures, notes and drawings. | ✕ | ◐ | No easel or board code; the Arc importer's tests skip Arc easels.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. | ✕ | ✓ | Share… opens the macOS share sheet for one page URL; no space, folder or tab-set sharing or export.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. | ◐ | ✓ | Favorite tiles show an unread count or dot read from page titles like "Inbox (3)"; no content glance or Join widget.github.com |
| Developer modeA developer view that turns on by itself for localhost: full URL, quick DevTools and dev tools in reach. | ◐ | ✓ | Develop menu plus terminal tabs and a git Changes view for builders; localhost only triggers a one-time tip toast.github.com |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above.
| Feature | Lilo | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ✕ | ✕ | Manifest validation rejects anything but MV3 ('only MV3 is supported'); MV2 is listed as missing.github.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ✓ | ✓ | Runs MV3 on WKWebExtension plus Lilo's own APIs; webRequest is observe-only, so no blocking.github.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Extensions come from the Chrome Web Store; no addons.mozilla.org or .xpi install path in the code.github.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Extensions come from the Chrome Web Store; no Safari .appex or app-bundle install path in the code.github.com |