How we score
The “like Arc” percentage on every browser is its Arc feature parity: how much of what Arc did it does, weighted by how much each feature matters when leaving Arc.
The formula
Each counted feature gets a value from the browser’s data, backed by a source:
- ✓ Yes = 1
- ◐ Partial = ½
- ✕ No = 0
- ? No source found = 0, until a source turns up
- – Not applicable = left out entirely, so it neither helps nor hurts
The value is multiplied by the feature’s weight. The score is the weighted sum divided by the highest possible weighted sum over the features that apply to that browser.
- ×2: what decides whether someone can leave Arc at all.
- ×1: the rest of what made Arc feel like Arc.
- ×¼: nice extras most people don’t miss.
Counted features
| Feature | Weight | Counts as partial |
|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebar. Tabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ×1 | Vertical tabs exist but are an optional mode or an extension. |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ×2 | Tab groups or workspaces without separate pinned tabs per space. |
| 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. | ×2 | Profiles or containers exist but are 1:1 with spaces, or cannot be shared across spaces. |
| FavoritesGlobal favorites. Pinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ×1 | Pinned icons exist but only per space. |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & folders. Per-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ×1 | Pinned tabs without folders, or folders without per-space pinning. |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ×¼ | Folders that sort themselves from browser data only (e.g. by domain), or need a manual refresh or an extension. |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabs. Unpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ×1 | Tabs get unloaded or closed, but there is no archive or no time setting. |
| Theme pickerSpace themes. Per-space colour or gradient themes. | ×1 | One global theme, or colours without per-space themes. |
| Feature | Weight | Counts as partial |
|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ×1 | Only two panes, or only via an extension. |
| PeekLink preview. Open a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ×1 | Preview limited to certain links or a hover card. |
| Little ArcMini window. A small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ×1 | A popup window exists but is not the default for external links. |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ×1 | Search bar that covers only some of tabs, history or commands. |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routing. Rules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ×1 | A default space for external links, but no per-site rules. |
| BoostsSite customization. Per-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ×1 | Only CSS, only zap, or only through userChrome/extensions. |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picture. Playing video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ×1 | PiP exists but must be triggered manually. |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ×¼ | Controls only in a popover or menu, or a tab speaker icon that can only mute. |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcher. Ctrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ×¼ | A recent-tabs list only under another shortcut or command, or Ctrl+Tab that only flips to the last tab. |
| Super CopyClean link copy. A shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ×¼ | A copy-URL shortcut that keeps trackers, or tracker removal only from a menu. |
| CaptureScreenshots. Built-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ×¼ | Only one of the two, or only the visible page. DevTools screenshots do not count. |
| Feature | Weight | Counts as partial |
|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ×2 | Imports only bookmarks, history or passwords from Arc. |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ×2 | Some Chrome extensions work, or only Firefox/Safari extensions. |
| 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. | ×2 | Works on some services or at lower resolution only, only for a fixed list of sites moved to another engine, or FairPlay works but no major service is confirmed. |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ×1 | Passkeys work only with security keys or without the system keychain. |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ×2 | Only bookmarks/passwords sync, or sync is manual export. |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ×1 | Mobile app exists but does not share spaces, or is in beta. |
| Feature | Weight | Counts as partial |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ×1 | Tracker blocking only, or ad blocking off by default. |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editor. Most browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ×¼ | Only a few shortcuts can be changed, or only through a config file. |
Shown but not counted
- Easels: Almost no replacement has it.
- Shared Collections: Only a handful of replacements have it, and most people never shared a Space.
- Previews: Only a handful of replacements have it, and it only helps with a few web apps.
- Developer mode: Only people building websites need it.
- Extension support (Manifest V2 extensions, Manifest V3 extensions, Firefox add-ons, Safari extensions): Arc never differed from Chrome here. The Chrome Web Store itself is a counted feature.
- Built-in AI: a preference, not a merit. Some people want it, some avoid it.
- Bloat and maintenance: shown as their own checks and filters.
Arc features we don’t compare
Everything else Arc shipped, from its release notes and old help center, and why it has no row of its own.
- Arc Notes: Arc removed it in April 2024 and pointed people to Notion, Google Docs or Word.
- Reader Mode: A beta Arc removed in June 2024.
- TypeTravel: The action mode of the Command Bar (Tab in an empty ⌘T), so it is part of Command Bar.
- Library: A panel for downloads, media, Easels and the archive: layout, not something a browser can or cannot do.
- Live Calendars: Part of Previews (next meeting and Join button on a pinned calendar).
- Share Quote, Copy URL as Markdown, Copy All Links: Small copy actions; the everyday one, Super Copy, is compared.
- Google Meet tools: Share This Tab Instead and Meet chat in picture-in-picture work on one site only.
- AppleScript API: Mac-only scripting for other apps; it says nothing about Windows or Linux browsers.
- Restore Data, Blank Window, Battery Saver: Housekeeping most browsers have in some form.
- Translate, Cast, Incognito, tab sleeping, password manager: Every Chromium browser has them, so they would not tell browsers apart.
- Arc Max (5-Second Previews, Ask on Page, Tidy Tabs, Instant Links…): Built-in AI, shown as its own preference instead.
Where the data comes from
Values are checked against the browser’s source code or app bundle, and each one links to the source it came from on the browser’s page. Spot something wrong? Use “Suggest an update” on that page.
The Pick 2027 score uses this parity as one part, next to reviews and votes; its rules are on that page.