Brave vs Arc: Complete 2026 Comparison

Not dead, but in maintenance mode since May 2025. Arc will continue to receive security updates and bug fixes, but no new features will be developed. The Browser Company (now owned by Atlassian) has shifted focus to Dia, an AI-first browser that launched publicly in October 2025. If you're choosing a new browser today, consider whether Arc's current features meet your needs long-term, or look at Brave or Dia instead.

In May 2025, The Browser Company announced Arc was entering maintenance mode because its innovative UI was "too different" for mainstream adoption. In September 2025, Atlassian acquired the company for $610 million. The team is now focused on Dia, which has a simpler interface while incorporating AI-native features. Arc's "greatest hits" like Spaces and sidebar mode are being migrated to Dia.

Yes, significantly. Brave is built around privacy with no account required, built-in ad/tracker blocking (Brave Shields), fingerprint protection, Tor integration, and minimal data collection. Arc requires a mandatory account, uses analytics services (Segment, Sentry, Firebase), and is closed-source so its privacy claims can't be independently verified. For privacy-focused users, Brave is the clear choice.

Brave Leo offers more AI models (Llama, Claude, Mixtral, Qwen), BYOM support for connecting your own models, and crucially better privacy since all models are self-hosted by Brave with no conversation logging. Arc Max features like 5-Second Previews and Tidy Tabs are useful but send data to OpenAI. Since Arc is in maintenance mode, Leo will continue improving while Arc Max won't. For cutting-edge AI, consider Dia which has memory and agentic features.

Arc syncs Spaces, tabs, pinned items, and Boosts across devices using Firebase cloud infrastructure. The mandatory account enables this sync feature. Unlike Brave Sync which uses encrypted sync chains without requiring email registration, Arc's design requires an account to function. This is a trade-off that privacy-conscious users should consider.

Brave has Profiles (separate browser instances with different bookmarks, history, and settings) but not Spaces. Spaces are more fluid, allowing you to swipe between contexts within one window with different colors and pinned tabs per Space. If Spaces are critical to your workflow, Arc still offers them. Alternatively, Dia is planned to inherit the Spaces feature from Arc.

Arc Boosts let you inject custom CSS and JavaScript into any website, enabling changes like custom dark modes, removing distracting elements, or modifying layouts. These customizations persist across visits. Brave doesn't have a built-in equivalent, though you can use extensions like Stylus for CSS or Tampermonkey for JavaScript to achieve similar results.

If you value privacy, cross-platform support, or crypto features, switch to Brave. If you want cutting-edge AI and plan to use Atlassian tools, consider Dia. If Arc's current features work well for you and you're on Mac/Windows, you can continue using it since it will receive security updates. However, for a browser that will continue evolving, Brave or Dia are better long-term choices.