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| Zen Browser | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=logo}  | |
 Zen Browser 1.8.2b on macOS | |
| Developer | Zen Browser Team[1] |
| Initial release | July 11, 2024[2] |
| Stable release | 1.19b[3] 
/ 28 February 2026 |
| Written in | C++, JavaScript, CSS, HTML |
| Engine | Gecko |
| Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| License | Mozilla Public License 2.0 |
| Website | zen-browser |
| Repository | github |
Zen Browser is a free and open-source fork of Mozilla Firefox introduced in 2024,[4][5] with a focus on privacy, customizability, and design.
Zen includes many of the layout changes and features associated with the Chromium-based web browser Arc.[6] Since The Browser Company announced that the Arc browser was no longer going to receive new features, Zen has been considered a major alternative[7] and a continuation in spirit.[8]
It is licensed under the terms of the Mozilla Public License 2.0.[9]
Compatibility
Zen Browser is compatible with Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux.[10]
The Linux version is available for download as a Flatpak, AppImage and as a Tarball.
Each of the app versions is available for x86_64 and ARM64.[11]
Features
Zen is compatible with Firefox browser extensions, and offers browser synchronization through a Mozilla account.[6]
Tab management
Zen Browser presents a vertical list of tabs in a sidebar[5] –a design pattern associated with Arc, although also present in earlier browsers such as Vivaldi and Microsoft Edge.[6] This sidebar can be displayed on the left or right side of the window,[6] and there is a Compact Mode which auto-hides it.[12]
Zen can be grouped into workspaces,[5][6] which separates tabs within the same window and shows one set at a time, allowing for grouping by topic or project.[12] Similarly to Opera, tabs can be pinned separately in specific workspaces.
Tabs in the same workspace can be displayed together in Split View,[5] a tiled interface within a single Zen window.[6]
Glance[5] opens a link in a modal view that is more easily dismissed than a new tab.[12] It is invoked by clicking a link while holding a modifier key. The feature is based on Arc's Peek function (confused with tabless "Little Arc" windows in several reviews).[13]
Tab folders were added in August 2025.[14] Tab folders are similar to tab groups found in other browsers like Chrome and Firefox, with the key difference that tab folders can be nested.
Customization
Zen Browser's user interface can be themed with color gradients and texture.[10]
Zen Mods (formerly called Themes Store) is a collection of user-generated theme add-ons designed to further customize Zen's interface.[4][5][12] As of February 12, 2025, 79 mods are available.[10]
Reception
Zen Browser has been commended for its similar feature set to Arc in an open-source, non-Chromium environment, and for iterating on Firefox during a period of perceived stagnation.
Liam Proven from The Register praised Zen for being "free of Google code", having more usable implementations of Arc's features, and being compatible with older versions of operating systems, focusing on the vertical tab bar and tiling capabilities.[6]
Jack Wallen of ZDNet recommended Zen for improving on Firefox's customization and tab management, listing several Zen Mods to indicate its customizability.[5][10]
Writing for XDA, Adam Conway considered Zen to "combine the best of Floorp, Vivaldi, Firefox, and Chrome", noting the developer's willingness to add popularly requested features, and emphasizing the browser's detachment from Google's "web rendering monopoly". Conway described incompatibility with DRM-protected content as the "only major downside", while suggesting that software bugs that had drawn earlier criticism had been corrected.[8]
References
- ^ "Dev Team - Zen Browser".
- ^ "Release Notes - Zen Browser".
- ^ "Release build - 1.19b (2026-02-28)". February 28, 2026. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ a b "Zen Browser: An open-source alternative to Chromium-based browsers". The Business Standard. September 20, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Zen Browser is the customizable Firefox I've been waiting for - here's why". ZDNET. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Proven, Liam (September 2, 2024). "Zen Browser is a no-Google zone that offers tiling nirvana". The Register. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ Adamson, Bon (November 9, 2024). "Arc Browser fell off -- here's why I'm returning to Chrome". Pocket-lint. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Conway, Adam (February 13, 2025). "Zen Browser is better than Brave, Arc, and Chrome, and I can't recommend anything else". XDA. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ zen-browser/desktop, Zen Browser, July 10, 2025, retrieved July 10, 2025
- ^ a b c d Wallen, Jack (February 12, 2025). "5 reasons why Zen is my new favorite browser (RIP, Opera)". ZDNET. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ zen-browser. "Release Release build - 1.18.1b (2026-01-24) · zen-browser/desktop". GitHub. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Hernandez, Alex (March 19, 2025). "Kagi Search and Zen Browser Review: A Dynamic Privacy-Focused Duo". Techaeris. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Garg, Sakshi (October 27, 2023). "What's 'Little Arc' in the Arc Browser and How to Configure It". All Things How. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Sneddon, Joey (September 1, 2025). "Linux App Release Roundup (August 2025)". OMG! Ubuntu. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
