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Arc

The browser that wanted to reinvent Chrome with workspaces and integrated notes. Revolutionary tab management with polished design. Has become too complex over updates.

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Who's it for?SolopreneurOps

Review by a Growth Engineer

My verdict: a seductive promise that got lost along the way.

Arc was incredible at the beginning: a browser that truly rethought tab management with Spaces, an intelligent sidebar, and impeccable design. I was convinced.

But it's become too cluttered. Too many features, loaded interface... the experience has degraded. It's still a good browser, but the promise of simplicity and focus got a bit lost along the way.

What I like less: resource consumption, growing complexity, and uncertainty about the business model. The team seems scattered (Arc Max, Arc Search on mobile...).

My advice: if you're on Chrome and everything works well, no reason to switch. If you want to test, give yourself a full week to see if the workflow suits you. Many give up before really trying.

Why add it to your stack?

Arc introduced interesting concepts: Spaces to separate work/personal/projects, the permanent sidebar, split views. On paper, it's perfect for an ops person juggling between 50 tabs and 10 different contexts.

But in practice, the browser has become too ambitious. Too many features, too many concepts to master, and degrading performance. The initial promise of simplicity got lost.

What you can do with it

  • 1Organize your tabs by client/project with dedicated Spaces
  • 2Keep a permanent sidebar with your recurring tools (CRM, email, Slack)
  • 3Take quick notes during your web research
  • 4Compare two pages side-by-side with split view
  • 5Customize the appearance of sites you use every day

What it does

  • Spaces to organize tabs by context
  • Sidebar with favorites and notes
  • Split view to display multiple pages
  • Boosts to customize sites
  • Little Arc for quick searches
  • Sync between devices

How much?

Starting at Free

Free. The business model remains unclear (no premium so far).

The detailed verdict

Do I really need this?

Honestly, Arc isn't indispensable. Innovative concepts (spaces, sidebar) can be replicated with Chrome extensions or simply discipline in tab management.

It's a 'nice to have' for power users who have time to learn the workflow. But you can stay on Chrome/Brave and be just as productive.

Does it play nice with my stack?

Arc is Chromium-based, so all Chrome extensions work. The ecosystem is compatible. Boosts allow customizing sites (CSS, JavaScript), which is handy for adapting SaaS tools to your workflow.

No API or specific integrations with third-party tools. Sync between devices (Mac, iOS) works correctly.

Is it easy to pick up?

Arc's learning curve is real. The concepts (Spaces, Favorites, Pinned Tabs, automatic Archive) require adaptation time. Onboarding guides well, but it takes several days to really integrate the workflow.

If you're coming from Chrome, you'll first be frustrated before (maybe) becoming productive. Many users give up before reaching that point.

Is the UX any good?

Arc's UX was its initial strong point: polished design, fluid animations, attention to detail. But with the accumulation of features, the experience has become heavier. The sidebar is practical but takes up space. Spaces are powerful but add cognitive complexity.

Onboarding tries to explain everything, which confirms the tool is no longer intuitive. For a browser that wanted to simplify, it's paradoxical.

Is it worth it?

Arc is free, so hard to criticize the value for money. The problem is rather the time cost in learning and system resources consumed (more resource-hungry than Chrome on some machines).

The Browser Company's business model remains unclear. No paid plan announced, which raises questions about long-term viability. To be monitored.

What I like

  • Power users who like customizing their workflow
  • Multitaskers with many different contexts
  • Designers and creatives who appreciate polished UX

What I like less

  • Those who want simplicity and lightness as it's become heavy
  • Windows users with still limited support
  • Need for maximum stability for daily work

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