Yalqen
Open-source Electron/Chromium browser for Mac developers with vertical tabs, a command bar and ad blocking.
Yalqen is a free, MIT-licensed browser for developers, written in Svelte and TypeScript on Electron (Chromium). It has a vertical tab panel with circular pins, Spaces you switch by swipe or Ctrl+number, a command bar (⌘L) that searches tabs, bookmarks, history and developer commands, built-in ad and tracker blocking, Chrome Web Store extensions, and developer tools such as phone view, request rules and screenshots. An AI panel drives your own Claude, Codex or Gemini CLI agent. It also has a favorites grid, nested tab folders, split view (up to four panes), link peek, live folders for RSS and GitHub feeds, per-site styling, and an opt-in auto-close for idle tabs. It has no sync or DRM, and imports Chrome, Brave, Edge, Firefox and Arc data. macOS 13+ on Apple silicon; a Linux AppImage is an experimental build-from-source preview.
Built-in AI
AI optional
AI panel (⇧⌘A) starts closed and runs your own Claude, Codex or Gemini CLI once you start a session; new tab shows a dismissible promo for it.
github.comBloat check
None found
No ads, wallet, feed, upsell or account found. The daily active-install counter is opt-in and off by default (usageCounting: false).
github.comAds, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Yalqen | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | ✓ | Vertical tab panel; ⇧⌘P cycles wide, narrow and hidden; can sit left or right.github.com |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Sidebar Spaces, each with its own pinned and open tabs and folders; switch by swipe on the panel or Ctrl+1-9. None in private and developer windows.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. | ◐ | ✓ | Named profiles and developer/private sessions switch from the toolbar profile menu; an opt-in Tab modes switch moves one tab between modes. Every Space in a window shares one session.github.com |
| FavoritesGlobal favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ✓ | ✓ | Favorites grid above the pins, shared by every window and Space and kept across restarts (max 24).github.com |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ◐ | ✓ | Pins and nested tab folders are kept per Space; a closed pin returns to its pinned URL (an opt-in setting keeps it on its site). Folders hold only ordinary tabs, not pins.github.com |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ✓ | ✓ | Sidebar live folders from an RSS/Atom feed or a GitHub repo's releases, commits or tags; refreshed every 30 min with unread marks. Pull requests are not a source.github.com |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ◐ | ✓ | Opt-in: idle tabs close after 12 h–30 days and reopen from history; another opt-in adds Clean Tabs (⇧⌘K). No archive list.github.com |
| Theme pickerSpace themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ◐ | ✓ | One global accent colour, glass tint and window colour (tints sidebar and toolbar); Spaces have only an emoji icon, no theme.github.com |
Browsing
| Feature | Yalqen | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ✓ | ✓ | Up to four tabs side by side; drag a tab to the page's left or right side, or Open in Split View.github.com |
| PeekLink previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✓ | ✓ | Shift-click or Peek Link in the context menu opens the page in a card over the tab; Open in tab expands it.github.com |
| Little ArcMini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ◐ | ✓ | Opt-in setting (off by default) opens one link from another app in a small window that can be moved into the main window; otherwise links open as tabs.github.com |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌘L bar ranks developer commands, open tabs, bookmarks and history.github.com |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | ✓ | Settings > General rules send links from other apps to a Space by host and path (most specific wins); not applied when the mini window takes the link.github.com |
| BoostsSite customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-site styling page: accent, background, font, custom CSS and hidden elements (pick one on the page); no custom JS.github.com |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ✓ | ✓ | "Mini player" setting, off by default: leaving a tab with a playing video floats it in picture-in-picture, and returning closes it.github.com |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ✓ | ✓ | A sidebar player shows play/pause, previous/next and a seek pill for the playing tab, with no menu to open.github.com |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcherCtrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ✕ | ✓ | Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab move to the next or previous tab in strip order within the Space; there is no recent-tab switcher.github.com |
| Super CopyClean link copyA shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ✕ | ✓ | Copy address, Markdown link and curl are menu or command-bar items with no shortcut; the plain address is copied unchanged.github.com |
| CaptureScreenshotsBuilt-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ◐ | ✓ | Screenshot and Full-page screenshot save PNGs from the menu or command bar; no area picker (element picker only feeds the AI agent).github.com |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Yalqen | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✓ | – | Imports Arc's sidebar: spaces as Spaces, pinned tabs, folders and favorites; Arc history too.github.com |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✓ | ✓ | Installs from the Chrome Web Store, plus unpacked; Electron supports only some extension APIs.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 has no Widevine, so Netflix and Disney+ do not play; no CDM in the bundle.github.com |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ? | ✓ | No passkey code in source and the entitlements file has no keychain entry; not tried live. |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✕ | ✓ | Official FAQ: "Not today"; no account or sync service.yalqen.com |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ✕ | ◐ | Desktop Electron app; packaging scripts target macOS and Linux only.github.com |
Extras
| Feature | Yalqen | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | ✓ | Ghostery filter engine blocks ads and trackers; on by default, per-site exceptions.github.com |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editorMost browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ✕ | ✓ | Shortcuts are fixed menu accelerators; Settings panes cover privacy, appearance, extensions and more, but not shortcuts.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 | Yalqen | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaselsA shareable canvas of live page captures, notes and drawings. | ◐ | ◐ | Easels page holds page clips (static JPEG), notes and pen strokes, up to 100 items each; no way to share one.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. | ✕ | ✓ | Only a whole-bookmarks HTML export; no way to share or export a Space, folder, easel or set of tabs.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. | ✓ | ✓ | Hovering a Gmail or Calendar tab or favorite shows unread mail or the next events; no Join button, and no other web apps.github.com |
| Developer modeA developer view that turns on by itself for localhost: full URL, quick DevTools and dev tools in reach. | ◐ | ✓ | Developer window or tab (opt-in mode switch, clean session) with docked DevTools, phone view, throttling, request rules and element picker; manual, not triggered by localhost.github.com |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above.
| Feature | Yalqen | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ◐ | ✕ | Store refuses MV2; unpacked folders load, but the app's own webRequest hook bypasses extension blocking.github.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ◐ | ✓ | Store installs MV3 only; Electron lists no declarativeNetRequest, so MV3 blockers cannot block.github.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Chrome Web Store (Chromium) installs only; no Firefox add-on support.github.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Chrome-format extensions only; Electron has no Safari extension host.github.com |