{"id":72111,"date":"2024-07-31T20:21:18","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T20:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/?p=72111"},"modified":"2025-10-02T18:48:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T18:48:54","slug":"arc-vs-chrome-is-arc-the-best-chrome-alternative-heres-a-breakdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/arc-vs-chrome-is-arc-the-best-chrome-alternative-heres-a-breakdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Arc vs. Chrome: Is Arc the Best Chrome Alternative? Here\u2019s a Breakdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most browsers other than Google Chrome look and feel like knock-offs when you open them for the first time. But not Arc. The new web browser\u2019s user interface and experience have given everyone something to talk about and reasons to question Chrome\u2019s continued dominance.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll explore the similarities and differences between both browsers to help you decide whether to switch to Arc for Windows<\/a> or stick with Google\u2019s web browser.<\/p>\n

Arc vs. Chrome: Similarities<\/h2>\n

Before we start combing through their differences, let\u2019s remind you that Arc is built on Chromium, Google\u2019s open-source browser project. This baseline infrastructure means your Chrome extensions will work on Arc, and you\u2019ll experience certain similar behaviors.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find these similarities when you look closely enough at the settings that Arc tries to hide. For example, clicking the Arc logo and selecting Help > About Arc takes you to a Settings page that looks identical to Chrome\u2019s classic Settings environment.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"About\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Another example are the hidden menus, such as experimental features and URL lists, that you can open by typing chrome:\/\/flags <\/i> and chrome:\/\/chrome-urls <\/i> in the address bar. The History page (Ctrl + H) is also still similar for now.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"Chrome\r\n <\/div>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n
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There are differences between Chrome and Chromium <\/a>. The former is Google\u2019s main browsing application built on the latter, an open-source browser project. <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

Arc vs. Chrome: Comparisons<\/h2>\n

Now let\u2019s cover the differences you may experience when switching from Arc to Chrome and help you decide whether Arc is the best Google Chrome alternative.<\/p>\n

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Before we start the Chrome vs. Arc matchup, it\u2019s only fair to point out that Chrome was released more than a decade before Arc, and Google is a goliath of an institution compared to The Browser Company. <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

Browser privacy and security<\/h3>\n

Nobody really attributes privacy to Chrome, despite Google\u2019s continual efforts to convince users that they are protected. After all, the company makes most of its revenues from advertising, and tracking user behavior is the business\u2019s backbone.<\/p>\n

As for Arc, The Browser Company claims it doesn\u2019t know which websites you visit <\/a> and what you type. It also does not sell your data to third parties.<\/p>\n

However, the company does admit to collecting personal data and sharing them with service providers and other entities when required by law.<\/p>\n

Arc installs the uBlock extension by default, which you can activate yourself. But the extension, as well as others, are also available to Chrome users. The Browsing Company also disabled certain Chromium features, such as Google Accounts Integration and Google metrics, to prevent your browser from sending information to Google.<\/p>\n

Still, I ran both browsers through the Cover Your Tracks <\/a> website by EFF and found that both browsers do little to block trackers.<\/p>\n

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People who really want to mask their online identities and block invisible trackers may have to go for browsers other than Google Chrome and Arc or use additional tools and extensions. <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

That said, Chrome and Arc share a similar level of security, as Chromium is regularly updated with security patches, which Arc benefits from. Both companies also employ separate policies to further tighten security. For example, Google allows users to report malware websites <\/a>, which could be blacklisted later on.<\/p>\n

User interface and experience<\/h3>\n

The Arc browser vs. Chrome debate becomes interesting when we start discussing user interfaces and experiences. Arc is making its mark as one of the best web browsers <\/a> and Chrome alternatives because it is redefining how users interact with the Internet.<\/p>\n

The most glaring contrast between the two is tab arrangement and organization. Google Chrome favors horizontal rows for tabs and bookmarks, while Arc arranges folders <\/a>, bookmarks, and tabs vertically in its left sidebar.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"Arc\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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There are other differences, such as the lack of the address and bookmark bars <\/a> in Arc, a different Settings menu, and a generally different look.<\/p>\n

Address bar<\/b><\/p>\n

Arc doesn\u2019t have an address bar like Chrome. It does not display the specific webpage address you\u2019re viewing, just the parent website, like Auslogics.com or Microsoft.com.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"Arc\r\n <\/div>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

Clicking in the website name in the title bar activates what Arc calls the Command Bar <\/i>, its own version of the address bar. You\u2019ll see preset suggestions that can only change when you start typing.<\/p>\n

Tab management\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

As mentioned, Arc uses vertical tabs as opposed to the horizontal tab arrangement that everyone knows. However, Google Chrome <\/a> allows you to group tabs and make the row a little cleaner.<\/p>\n

Arc, on the other hand, allows you to utilize folders, spaces, and AI task grouping to manage and organize your tabs.<\/p>\n

Using Spaces <\/a> lets you create another environment within the browser. The Chrome alternative would be starting a new browser window. Both browsers have their own versions of browsing profiles, which host separate histories <\/a>, preferences, and passwords.<\/p>\n

You cannot open blank tabs and windows on Arc like you can with Google. Tapping Ctrl + T launches Arc\u2019s command bar (its address bar), where you must open a new webpage or run a search to create a new tab.<\/p>\n

Navigation<\/b><\/p>\n

Navigating Arc with your mouse is starkly different from finding your way around Google\u2019s browser. Before switching to Arc, Chrome users must make peace with its learning curve and take their time to adapt.<\/p>\n

Always moving your mouse <\/a> to the left side of the screen to access your tabs and bookmarks will take some getting used to. You\u2019ll also miss the perk of seeing how different tabs behave unless you leave Arc\u2019s sidebar visible, which takes up a lot of your screen.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"Arc\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Shortcuts<\/b><\/p>\n

As far as shortcuts go, some are quite similar but may behave differently. One major difference you\u2019ll notice is Ctrl + Tab, a Chrome-user favorite. The Chrome shortcut <\/a> always moves you to the next tab, even in browsers other than Google\u2019s.<\/p>\n

However, it switches you to recent tabs in Arc, just like the Alt + Tab shortcut does with different Windows, which can be upsetting at first.<\/p>\n

But holding the Ctrl <\/i>button and tapping Tab repeatedly works the way you would expect in Chrome. Again, just like Alt + Tab.<\/p>\n

Tapping Ctrl + number (1 to 8) takes you to the designated tab in both browsers. Here\u2019s a quick Chrome vs. Arc shortcuts <\/a> comparison to show how popular shortcuts behave \u0448n each browser:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Shortcuts<\/th>\nChrome<\/th>\nArc<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Ctrl + L<\/code><\/td>\nOpen the URL bar<\/td>\nOpen the command bar (same as URL bar)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ctrl + T<\/code><\/td>\nNew blank tab<\/td>\nOpen the command bar and then a new tab when you open a website or run a search<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ctrl + S<\/code><\/td>\nSave as dialog<\/td>\nToggle spaces<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ctrl + D<\/code><\/td>\nAdd or edit current tab to bookmarks<\/td>\nPin\/unpin the current tab in the sidebar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alt + left or right arrow key<\/code><\/td>\nGo forward or backward in tab history<\/td>\nGo forward or backward in tab history<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ctrl + F<\/code><\/td>\nFind in webpage<\/td>\nFind in webpage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Performance<\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s hardly an Arc browser vs. Chrome debate when it comes to performance since they both use Chromium. They boast similar blistering load speeds and streaming performance, as far as the eyes can tell.<\/p>\n

I ran the Jetstream 2 benchmark twice on the same computer and under the same conditions and got similar scores. However, the Arc browser edged Chrome a bit both times.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nChrome<\/th>\nArc<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
1st test<\/td>\n182.237<\/td>\n189.756<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2nd test<\/td>\n186.354<\/td>\n198.489<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
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Reminder<\/div>\r\n\t
It\u2019s important to note that browsing benchmarks do not represent real-world use cases and their scores mostly reflect the capabilities of the computers they run on rather than the browsers. I\u2019ve seen different Chrome vs. Arc benchmark results online, with higher and lower scores. There were also instances where Chrome left Arc in the dust. <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n

RAM usage<\/b><\/p>\n

One would also expect similar RAM usage <\/a> between both browsers, but you would be surprised. I closed every other program, restarted Chrome and Arc, and opened 4 tabs in each browser with the same websites. I also ensured only the Google Docs Offline <\/a> extension was enabled in both browsers.<\/p>\n

I gave them time to cool off and looked at the Task Manager <\/a>. Chrome consumed about double the amount of RAM used by Arc when running idle in the background. They consumed similar amounts of CPU <\/a> and disk resources.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"Arc\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Cross-platform syncing<\/h3>\n

The Arc browser vs. Chrome comparisons won\u2019t be complete without mentioning supported platforms.<\/p>\n

For now, Arc is only available on Windows 11 and macOS, with support for Safari on iOS. Google Chrome, on the other hand, is available on Android, iOS, Windows 11 and 10<\/a>, macOS, Linux<\/a>, and ChromeOS.<\/p>\n

Google Chrome takes the win here because it allows you to sync your histories, passwords<\/a>, and preferences across more platforms than Arc.<\/p>\n

Arc may support sidebar syncing, but the browser\u2019s absence on Windows 10 <\/a> and Android <\/a>means mainstream users of these platforms won\u2019t enjoy the feature.<\/p>\n

Notable Arc features<\/h3>\n

You may consider Arc the best Chrome alternative when you take time to go through specific features you won\u2019t see in Google\u2019s browser.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore them:<\/p>\n