Out Of Beta, The Arc Browser Is Finally Released To Windows To Compete With Chrome

An underdog sometimes bites hard. And The Browser Company can bite really hard.

This is because as a browser, it doesn't wish to compete directly with more established products, like Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge, in their game. Instead, The Browser Company makes a browser to invent its own new game, and its own rules.

Founded by Josh Miller and Hursh Agrawal, the company takes a different route because the bar for the competition is just too high for a new company to ever compete.

According to Miller, the CEO of the company, building yet another web browser is pointless, and a huge waste of time.

With big and popular browsers having their own fans, there are little reasons for them to switch to other popular browsers, let alone a smaller browser from a much less established brand.

So instead of competing in the market where pretty much every web browser user use, the company created Arc, a freeware web browser that wants to be "the internet computer".

Initially, Arc was released as a beta on December 2023. This time, it's officially out to everyone.

When launching the web browser, what strikes the most is the user interface..

Unlike pretty much all other browsers out there, Arc combines the title bar and the address bar to create one unified user interface. All the controls and menus are placed on the left sidebar, which can be collapsed to expand the screen further.

It also has a few buttons, which makes the interface less cluttered and a lot less bloated.

The browser was initially introduced for Apple users on both Mac and iOS.

This time, it's making its way to Windows.

According to The Browser Company, the Arc browser for Windows was built using Apple's Swift programming language.

The developers opt for the programming language to build the Windows version in Arc, because they could reuse and share the majority of the codebase with the Mac version.

Swift is a programming language that Apple originally designed to develop iPhone and Mac apps. Using Swift on Windows should make it easier for the developers to maintain feature parity in the future.

But despite using Swift, Arc for Windows does not feel like a blatantly copied macOS app.

It uses native Windows frameworks, which means that users get a Windows-like user interface, familiar menus, toggles. Users can also make the browser o use the Mica design if they want.

There is also Acrylic support for those wanting a more transparent user interface.

But what really makes Arc different, is the way it reinvents web browsing.

Its approach to web browsing is quite different from traditional web browsers, like Chrome or Edge, because the Arc browser has a vertical tab navigation where users can put their favorite websites, bookmarks, folders.

And most importantly, this is where Spaces are organized.

On Arc, Spaces are like virtual environments, but integrated into a single window.

Users can use one Space for work, and create another Space for entertainment, for example.

And as for the tabs feature that is available on rivals, Arc replaces it with a Command Bar, where users can use to search or type in a website they want to visit.

Users can move from one Space to another Space, accessing one user profile to the next from a single window, without having separate account logins in each Space.

And in terms of usability, Arc is not far from Chrome and a handful of others.

Being Chromium-based, Arc does not compromise compatibility, and that users can use the many Chrome extensions.

That is not all, because as a tech company, The Browser Company also has its eyes on the generative AI hype.

This is why has 'Arc Max'.

It also has a product it calls the 'Arc Search, which blends AI with search engine and a web browser to create an entirely new experience.

Read: This 'Arc Search' Blends AI With Search Engine And Web Browser To Create One Experience

To conclude, the Arc browser may not be the Chrome alternative everyone waited for.

It's different, and by all means, it's not the browser for those who wish to use a browser without learning and relearning.

But for those who wish to experience something anti-mainstream, Arc does provide that uniqueness and the quirks.

The Browser Company is betting on Arc being different enough to entice Windows users to take notice and try the browser.

"Arc really is just calming and keeps you organized," said Hursh Agrawal. "It helps you handle your tasks during the day better."