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Zen Browser
Open source Firefox-based web browser From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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.
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Zen includes many of the layout changes and features associated with the Chromium-based web browser Arc.[6] After The Browser Company announced 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]
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Compatibility
Zen Browser is compatible with Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux.[10] It had three download options: optimized, made for newer systems; generic, made for older systems; and ARM64, made for devices that run on ARM64 architectures. The optimized version used Advanced Vector Extensions 2, a CPU instruction set that enhances performance for certain tasks. This instruction set is available only on modern processors.[11][non-primary source needed] The optimized builds were discontinued in December 2024 due to high power consumption, user confusion, and incompatibility with other Clang optimizations.[12][non-primary source needed]
The Linux version is available for download as a Flatpak, AppImage and as a Tarball. The macOS and Windows version are available for x86_64 and ARM64.[citation needed]
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Features
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Being based on Firefox, 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, though 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 that auto-hides it.[13]
Zen can be partitioned 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.[13] Similarly to Opera, tabs can be pinned to specific workspaces,[10] whereas Essential tabs remain visible across them.[8][better source needed]
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.[13] 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).[14]
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][13] As of February 12, 2025, 79 mods are available.[10]
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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
External links
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