Yes, Arc is completely free. There's no paid tier or subscription. The Browser Company makes money through enterprise features for teams, but individual designers get everything for free. No ads, no tracking, no premium upsells.

Does Arc work on Windows?

Yes, as of early 2024. Arc launched on Mac first but now supports Windows 11. The Windows version has feature parity with Mac. There's no Linux version yet, but the team has said it's being considered.

Can I use Chrome extensions in Arc?

Yes. Arc is built on Chromium (the same engine as Chrome), so any Chrome extension works perfectly. Install from the Chrome Web Store like normal. Arc also has a few built-in features that replace common extensions like ad blocking and password management.

What are Spaces in Arc?

Spaces are separate workspaces within Arc, like having multiple browsers. You might have a Space for work projects, another for personal browsing, and a third for research. Each Space has its own tabs, pinned sites, and visual theme. Switch between them with `Cmd/Ctrl + S`. It's how Arc replaces Chrome profiles or browser windows.

Is Arc good for designers specifically?

Yes. Designers love Arc for visual organization (Spaces with custom colors), Easel (built-in sketching and screenshots), Split View for comparing references, and Boosts for customizing sites with CSS. The keyboard-first navigation saves time, and the clean interface removes browser chrome. It feels designed by people who care about visual tools.

Easel is Arc's built-in canvas for quick notes, sketches, and moodboards. Press `Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E` to create one. Drop in screenshots, draw with basic tools, add text and links. It's not Figma, but it's perfect for quick visual thinking without leaving your browser. Easels save to your Arc profile and sync across devices.

Should I switch from Chrome or Safari?

Try Arc if you're drowning in tabs, juggle multiple projects, or want a browser that feels like a design tool. The learning curve is about 2 hours (keyboard shortcuts take practice), but most designers who switch don't go back. Keep Chrome or Safari installed for testing sites in different browsers. Arc isn't trying to replace your dev tools; it's a daily driver for creative work.

Arc Browser: Visual Workspaces for Design

Arc is a browser from The Browser Company that rethinks how designers organize, browse, and capture ideas online. Instead of tabs-across-the-top Chrome clones, Arc uses vertical Spaces for projects, Easel for visual sketching, and Boosts for customizing any site with your own CSS. It’s Chromium-based, so all your extensions work, but the interface prioritizes visual organization and keyboard shortcuts over traditional browser UI.

Key Specs


Price	Free
Platform	Mac, Windows (iOS coming 2025)
Best for	Project-based work, reference juggling, visual thinkers
Learning curve	2 hours to adjust; keyboard shortcuts are key

How Designers Use Arc

Arc adapts to how designers actually work: juggling projects, managing references, and switching contexts constantly.

Spaces for Project Organization

Create separate Spaces for each project or context. Your brand redesign Space has pinned Figma files, Dribbble references, and client docs. Your personal Space has YouTube and email. Switch with Cmd/Ctrl + S, and each Space has its own color theme so you can see which context you’re in at a glance. Tabs in each Space auto-close after 12 hours unless pinned, keeping your workspace clean.

Easel for Quick Mockups and Moodboards

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E to open a blank canvas. Drop in screenshots (Arc has a built-in screenshot tool), sketch with basic drawing tools, add text notes, and paste links. Easel isn’t a design tool, but it’s perfect for quick visual thinking: moodboards, rough layouts, annotated feedback. Save Easels to reference later or share a link with collaborators.

Split View for Side-by-Side Comparisons

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + D to split your browser into two or three columns. Compare design references, view Figma next to dev tools, or keep docs open while you work. Unlike browser extensions, Split View is built-in and works across tabs in the same Space. Resize columns by dragging, or swap which tab is where.

Boosts for Custom CSS on Any Site

Right-click any site and choose “New Boost” to inject custom CSS or JavaScript. Remove distractions from Notion, add dark mode to sites that don’t have it, or hide sidebars. Boosts apply every time you visit that site. Designers use this to customize tools like Linear or Jira to match their visual preferences. You can also share Boosts with your team.

Arc vs. Alternatives

How does Arc compare to browsers designers already use?

Feature	Arc	Chrome	Safari	Firefox	Brave
Price	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
Platform	Mac, Windows	All	Mac, iOS	All	All
Visual Spaces	✅ Built-in	❌ Profiles only	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Split View	✅ Native	⚠️ Extensions	❌ No	⚠️ Extensions	❌ No
Built-in notes	✅ Easel	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Custom CSS per site	✅ Boosts	⚠️ Extensions	❌ No	⚠️ Extensions	❌ No
Chrome extensions	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	⚠️ Limited	✅ Yes
Ad blocking	✅ Built-in	❌ No	⚠️ Basic	⚠️ Extensions	✅ Built-in

Choose Arc if: You juggle projects, want visual organization, and prefer keyboard shortcuts to clicking around. Arc feels designed for people who care about aesthetics.

Choose Chrome if: You need maximum compatibility, prefer traditional browser UI, or use Google Workspace heavily.

Choose Safari if: You’re a Mac user who values battery life and native Apple integration. Safari is faster on Mac hardware.

Choose Firefox if: You want open-source software, care about privacy, or need developer tools Arc doesn’t have yet.

Choose Brave if: Privacy is your top concern. Brave blocks everything by default and has built-in crypto features.

Getting Started with Arc

A 20-minute walkthrough to set up your first workflow:

Step 1: Create your first Space

Open Arc and press Cmd/Ctrl + S to create a new Space. Name it (e.g., “Design Projects” or “Research”). Pick a color and icon. Spaces are independent workspaces, so create one for each context: work, personal, client projects. Tabs in each Space stay separate. You’ll quickly develop muscle memory for switching.

Step 2: Pin your essential sites

In your new Space, open sites you visit daily (Figma, Dribbble, Notion). Hover over the tab in the sidebar and click the pin icon. Pinned tabs stay in your Space permanently and load when you open Arc. Unpinned tabs auto-archive after 12 hours (you can change this in settings). Think of pinned tabs like bookmarks that are always one click away.

Step 3: Try Easel and Split View

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E to open Easel. Take a screenshot (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + 2), drag it into Easel, and annotate it. Then press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + D to try Split View. Open two tabs side-by-side and resize them. These two features replace dozens of browser extensions designers usually install.

Arc in Your Design Workflow

Arc works best as your daily browser for creative work, not a replacement for testing tools.

Before Arc: Research and wireframing tools (Figma, Miro, Notion)
During design: Arc for reference juggling, Easel for quick notes, Boosts for customizing tools
After Arc: Export Easels as images, share links, test in Chrome/Safari for cross-browser QA

Common tool pairings:

Arc + Figma for keeping references open in Split View while designing
Arc + Notion for pinning project docs in a dedicated Space
Arc + Dribbble/Behance for collecting references in Easel instead of screenshots folder
Arc + Linear for customizing your PM tool with Boosts (hide noise, adjust colors)

Common Problems (and How to Fix Them)

“I have too many tabs and Arc is slow”

Arc’s performance depends on how many tabs you keep open. Unlike Chrome, Arc encourages closing tabs (they auto-archive). If you’re hitting slowdowns, check your pinned tabs. Do you really need 30 sites pinned? Use Favorites (drag a pinned tab to the Favorites folder) for occasional sites. Clear your Library (archived tabs) monthly. Arc is faster than Chrome with 20 tabs, slower with 200.

“Keyboard shortcuts are confusing”

Arc is keyboard-first, so there’s a learning curve. The essentials: Cmd/Ctrl + T for new tab, Cmd/Ctrl + S to switch Spaces, Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + D for Split View, Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E for Easel. Print the shortcuts (Arc > Keyboard Shortcuts) and keep them visible for a week. Most designers get comfortable in 2-3 days.

“I need Chrome for testing”

Keep Chrome installed. Arc is Chromium-based so it renders sites identically, but you should still test in actual Chrome for client work. Arc’s dev tools are Chrome’s dev tools (press F12). Use Arc as your daily browser, Chrome for cross-browser testing.

“Spaces are overwhelming”

Start with 2-3 Spaces max: Work, Personal, Research. Don’t create a Space for every project or you’ll spend more time organizing than working. Spaces are for contexts, not tasks. As you get comfortable, add more. You can archive unused Spaces in settings.

“How do I move tabs between Spaces?”

Drag a tab from the sidebar to the Space icon at the top, or right-click and choose “Move to Space.” You can also use Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + M to bring up the move menu. Tabs don’t duplicate across Spaces; moving removes them from the current Space.