SurfPad
An Arc-inspired browser designed for iPad
SurfPad is a paid, iPad-only browser with a sidebar, color-coded Spaces, split view, a Cmd+K command bar and a built-in ad blocker. It is made by an individual developer (Muhammad Masykur, publishing as privdev) and requires iPadOS 17 or later. The developer states that data stays on the device and that there are no accounts or tracking. It has no desktop or iPhone version.
Bloat check
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No ads, wallet, feed, upsells or account: one-time purchase, no subscription. Privacy policy: no analytics or tracking; App Store label: Data Not Collected.
surfpad.appAds, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | SurfPad | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | ✓ | Sidebar is the main tab UI; locked beside the page by default, or floating and hideable.surfpad.app |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Each Space has its own tabs, folders, color and icon; swipe the sidebar to switch.surfpad.app |
| 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. | ? | ✓ | Spaces are said to keep browsing separate, but separate cookies/logins per Space are not documented. |
| FavoritesGlobal favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ? | ✓ | A favorites grid exists; whether it is shared by every Space is not stated.surfpad.app |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ✓ | ✓ | Pinned tabs plus colored folders; tabs and folders belong to each Space.surfpad.app |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ✕ | ✓ | Not in the official help guide; folders only hold tabs and bookmarks you move in by hand.surfpad.app |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | ✓ | Inactive tabs auto-archive (Never/12 Hours/Daily/Weekly) into a Library list you can restore.surfpad.app |
| Theme pickerSpace themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ✓ | ✓ | Each Space has its own name, color and icon; sidebar theme follows the Space.surfpad.app |
Browsing
| Feature | SurfPad | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ◐ | ✓ | Two panes only, side by side or stacked; resize 25-75%, swap panes.surfpad.app |
| PeekLink previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✕ | ✓ | Not in the official help guide; tab menu only offers Open in Split View.surfpad.app |
| Little ArcMini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ✕ | ✓ | Not in the official help guide or App Store listing.surfpad.app |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ◐ | ✓ | Cmd+K searches tabs, bookmarks, history and runs a few actions (New Space, Split View, Settings).surfpad.app |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✕ | ✓ | Settings list has no link-routing rules; only a default-browser setup guide.surfpad.app |
| BoostsSite customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ✕ | ✓ | Not in the official help guide; page menu has Reader Mode and Desktop Mode only.surfpad.app |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ? | ✓ | |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ✕ | ✓ | Not in the official help guide; its only Media section is for saved screenshots and photos.surfpad.app |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcherCtrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ✕ | ✓ | Help lists Ctrl+Tab and Shift+Ctrl+Tab as plain Next and Previous Tab; no recent-order switcher is documented.surfpad.app |
| Super CopyClean link copyA shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ◐ | ✓ | Shift+Cmd+C copies the page URL; the help guide mentions no tracking-parameter removal.surfpad.app |
| CaptureScreenshotsBuilt-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ◐ | ✓ | Alt+Cmd+3 saves the visible area and Alt+Cmd+4 the full page to Media; no area or element selection.surfpad.app |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | SurfPad | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✕ | – | Not in the official help guide or settings; only photo import is documented.surfpad.app |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✕ | ✓ | No extension support in the guide; WebKit app on iPadOS cannot install Chrome extensions.surfpad.app |
| 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. | ? | ✓ | Neither the listing nor the help guide mentions DRM or FairPlay playback. |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ? | ✓ | |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✕ | ✓ | Privacy policy: data stored only on the iPad (SwiftData/UserDefaults); no accounts.surfpad.app |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ◐ | ◐ | iPad-only app; there is no desktop version to share Spaces with.apps.apple.com |
Extras
| Feature | SurfPad | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | ✓ | Bundled filter lists, Basic/Balanced/Strict levels, YouTube ad skipper, per-site toggle.surfpad.app |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editorMost browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ✓ | ✓ | Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts: tap any shortcut to reassign it; all shortcuts can be customized.surfpad.app |
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 | SurfPad | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaselsA shareable canvas of live page captures, notes and drawings. | ✕ | ◐ | Not in the official help guide or App Store listing; the Library has no canvas or board section.surfpad.app |
| 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 actions cover single files and images; no way to share a Space, folder or tab set as a link.surfpad.app |
| PreviewsWeb app previewsHover a pinned Gmail, Calendar or other web app to glance at it; a pinned calendar shows the next meeting with Join. | ✕ | ✓ | Favorites are a plain tile grid; the help guide lists no hover glance, calendar widget or unread badge.surfpad.app |
| Developer modeA developer view that turns on by itself for localhost: full URL, quick DevTools and dev tools in reach. | ✕ | ✓ | Help guide lists Reader Mode and Desktop Mode only; no developer tools or developer mode.surfpad.app |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above.
| Feature | SurfPad | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | – | ✕ | Help guide lists no web extensions; its only 'extension' is a share-sheet one for images.surfpad.app |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | – | ✓ | Help guide lists no web extensions; its only 'extension' is a share-sheet one for images.surfpad.app |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | – | ✕ | Help guide lists no web extensions; its only 'extension' is a share-sheet one for images.surfpad.app |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | – | ✕ | Help guide lists no web extensions; its only 'extension' is a share-sheet one for images.surfpad.app |