Why former Arc users look at Dazr
The usual reasons, briefly.
Arc isn't being actively developed anymore
The Browser Company announced in late 2024 / early 2025 that they were moving development off Arc and onto Dia. Arc still runs, but it's not getting meaningful new features or major security updates. For a daily-driver browser, that matters.
Dia leans heavily into AI
Dia is interesting if you want an AI-first browser, but its core feature is an assistant that watches your tabs and your typing. If your reason for using Arc was "a clean, modern, design-first browser", Dia is a different product entirely.
The Browser Company is US-based
Both Arc and Dia are made by a New York company. For European users, US-based browsers can put your data in reach of US laws. Dazr is European: no US parent company, no US cloud underneath.
You don't want a browser that needs the cloud
Arc relied on cloud sync for tabs, spaces, and pinned content. If sync went down or your account had a problem, your workflow broke. Dazr stores everything locally by default. There's no account to lose access to.
You want better tracking protection
Arc didn't ship a built-in ad blocker or fingerprint defense. Dazr does, and both are on by default. The web feels lighter and faster the moment you switch.
You like vertical tabs
One of the best things about Arc was the vertical tab sidebar. Dazr has vertical tabs built in too, you can switch them on in settings.
Dazr vs Arc
Side by side.
| Feature | Arc | Dazr |
|---|---|---|
| Active development | Sunset 2025 | Actively maintained |
| Country / jurisdiction | USA (The Browser Company) | EU |
| Browser engine | Chromium | Chromium |
| Vertical tabs | Yes (sidebar) | Yes |
| Built-in ad blocker | No | Yes, by default |
| Stops fingerprinting | No | Yes, by default |
| AI features | Some (Max) | None |
| Account required | Yes (sync, Spaces) | No account at all |
| Cloud-dependent features | Yes | Local-first, no cloud needed |
| Diagnostic data sent to vendor | Yes | None |
| Streaming (Netflix, Spotify, etc.) | Yes | Yes |
| Free | Yes | Yes |
What changes when you switch
A browser that's actually getting updates
Arc is in maintenance mode. New features go to Dia. Security fixes for Arc are limited. Switching to a browser that's actively developed isn't optional for long, it's the whole point of using a browser. Dazr ships updates regularly and security patches the moment they're needed.
- Active development, not maintenance mode
- Security patches shipped quickly
- Public release notes and changelog
No AI assistant watching you
Dia's whole pitch is an AI that watches your browsing context to help you. Some people love that. If you don't, Dazr is the opposite philosophy: a browser that doesn't see your tabs, doesn't read your typing, doesn't summarise your pages, doesn't talk to AI providers. It's just a browser.
- No AI sidebar, no AI summaries, no AI tab grouping
- No third-party AI provider in the data path
- You can use any AI website you want, that's the open web
Local-first, no account
Arc tied a lot of its features to a Browser Company account. Spaces, pinned tabs, sync, all of it depended on the cloud. Dazr stores everything on your machine. There's no account to forget the password to, no account to be locked out of, no service to go down.
- Local bookmarks, history, and settings
- No account required to use any feature
- Cross-device sync is delegated to a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password) that you control