Kitsmith / Compare / Arc vs Brave
MacArc vs Brave
Arc vs Brave: verdict, pricing, and specs compared, so you can pick the right one for your Mac.
At a glance
Arc
FreeThe spatial browser that put Spaces, Split View, and a sidebar-first layout ahead of tabs — now in maintenance mode while its maker builds an AI-first successor.
Brave
FreeA Chromium browser with an ad blocker and tracker blocker on by default, built by an independent company that isn’t selling your data.
Spec comparison
Arc
- Price
- Free
- Pricing model
- Free
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Screen
- Channels
- Homebrew · Direct
- Category
- Utilities
Brave
- Price
- Free
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Screen
- Channels
- Homebrew · Direct
- Category
- Utilities
The verdict
The honest headline here is Arc’s status: The Browser Company (now owned by Atlassian) stopped building new Arc features in 2025 to focus entirely on Dia, its AI-first browser, so Arc still works and gets security patches but isn’t gaining anything new. Brave, meanwhile, is actively developed and blocks ads and trackers by default, no extension required, built by an independent company that isn’t selling your data. If Spaces and a sidebar-first layout are specifically what you want, know you’re adopting software in maintenance mode; if you want default privacy blocking in a browser that’s still moving forward, Brave is the one shipping updates.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Arc if…
- Pick Arc if the Spaces/sidebar-first layout is what you’re after — still the most-copied browser UI idea of the decade
- Pick Arc if you’re fine using software that still works and gets security patches but isn’t gaining new features
- Pick Arc if you already have muscle memory for it and aren’t ready to relearn a new layout
Pick Brave if…
- Pick Brave if you want a browser that’s actively developed, not in maintenance mode
- Pick Brave if you want an ad blocker and tracker blocker on by default, no extension required
- Pick Brave if you’d rather add paid extras later (Brave Talk Premium, Firewall + VPN) only if you need them, on top of a free core browser
Arc vs Brave — questions people ask
Is Arc still being updated?
Arc still works and gets security patches, but The Browser Company (now owned by Atlassian) stopped building new Arc features in 2025 to focus on its AI-first browser, Dia. No shutdown date has been announced.
Is Brave really free?
Yes — Brave is free and full-featured, with ad and tracker blocking on by default. Brave Talk Premium and Brave Firewall + VPN are optional paid add-ons on top, not a paywall on the core browser.
Which is more private by default, Arc or Brave?
Brave blocks ads and trackers by default, built by an independent company that says it isn’t selling your data. Arc’s listing doesn’t make an equivalent default-privacy claim.