YabOpera Neon vs Zen
Opera Neon is Opera’s agent browser for Mac and Windows. Its own agents act in your live session on a $19.90 plan, and since August 2026 outside agents like Claude Code can use it free through its MCP Connector.
Zen is a free, open-source browser built on Firefox that brings Arc’s layout, tabs down the side with spaces, folders and Split View, to Mac, Windows and Linux.
The short answer
- if you want Claude Code or another MCP client to use a real signed-in browser, free
- if you want one plan for an in-browser agent, deep research and making apps and media
- if you want a VPN and an ad blocker built in
- if you want Arc’s layout, free and open source
- if you prefer Firefox’s engine and its add-ons
- if you want no AI in your browser at all
- if you miss Arc and want spaces, pins and folders kept, on a Mac
- if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and want it to work in your signed-in tabs
- if you want Claude Code, Codex or Cursor to drive a real browser over MCP
At a glance
Opera Neon and Zen, with Yab beside them for a Mac.
| What | Opera Neon | Zen Browser | Yab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Opera | Zen Browser team (open-source community project) | Serafim Korablev |
| Status | Updated | Updated | Updated |
| Runs on | Mac and Windows | Mac, Windows and Linux | Mac |
| Phone app | None yet; Opera says a mobile version will come, no date given | None; Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version | Not yet |
| Price | Free, and free for outside agents; Opera’s own agents $19.90/month | Free and open source | Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan |
| AI | An agent that works in pages, on its own AI service | No AI | An agent that works in pages, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan |
| Driven by outside agents | MCP and a command line | No | MCP and a command line |
| Engine | Chromium | Gecko | WebKit |
| Tabs down the side | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| Spaces | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split View | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| Extensions | Not stated | Firefox add-ons | Chrome Web Store |
| Ad blocker | Built in | No | Built in |
| Open source | No | Yes | No |
Checked October 9, 2026 on each maker’s own pages, linked under Sources. Prices are per month, in US dollars.
Where they differ
What separates them, area by area. Where one plainly has more, it says who; where it comes down to taste, it says so.
AIOpera Neon leads
Only Opera Neon has an agent that clicks, types and finishes tasks in your pages. Neon Chat talks about your tabs, Neon Do acts in your live session, research agents dig, and Make builds apps and media on Opera’s servers. Zen has no AI: Firefox’s AI features are switched off by default.
Agents like Claude Code and CodexOpera Neon leads
Opera Neon can be driven over MCP and a command line, through its MCP Connector, read-only unless you allow more, and opera-browser-cli. Zen has no MCP server or command line for outside agents.
Tabs and windowsZen leads
Opera Neon has spaces. Zen has tabs down the side, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep.
PriceOpera Neon leads
Opera Neon: Free, and free for outside agents; Opera’s own agents $19.90/month. Zen: Free and open source.
Where it runsZen leads
Opera Neon runs on Mac and Windows. Zen runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. On a Mac, Zen needs macOS 10.15 or later. Opera Neon has no phone app yet: Opera says a mobile version will come, no date given. Zen has no phone app: Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version.
Engine and extensionsa matter of taste
Opera Neon is built on Chromium, as Chrome is; Zen on Gecko, Firefox’s engine. Opera Neon takes no extensions, Zen from Firefox’s add-ons.
PrivacyOpera Neon leads
Opera Neon has an ad blocker built in and a VPN. Page content used with Neon’s AI goes to Opera’s and OpenAI’s servers, kept up to 365 days; passwords, cards and cookies stay on your device. Zen has open code. Zen sends no telemetry or crash reports, by its privacy policy; optional sync keeps encrypted data on Mozilla’s servers.
What their pages don’t lead with
Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.
Opera Neon
- Opera’s own agents need the $19.90 a month plan
- Mac and Windows only; the phone version isn’t out
- Its AI and the MCP Connector need an Opera account
- Page content used with its AI goes to Opera’s and OpenAI’s servers, kept up to 365 days
Zen Browser
- Releases are still labeled beta
- No phone app, and none planned
- Firefox add-ons only, not the Chrome Web Store
- No ad blocker of its own beyond Firefox’s tracking protection
Yab, honestly
- Mac only: macOS 15.4 or later, no Windows, iPhone or Android
- New: first released in September 2026
- Its AI needs a Claude or ChatGPT plan; ChatGPT’s free plan may work with low limits
- WebKit, as in Safari: a site tested only in Chrome can misbehave
- Closed source
What changed lately
- September 5, 2026Zen: Spaces, folders and tabs sync between devices with a Mozilla account (1.22b)
- August 12, 2026Opera Neon: Free plan: outside agents can use Neon without a subscription
- May 12, 2026Opera Neon: opera-browser-cli command line released
- March 31, 2026Opera Neon: MCP Connector lets outside AI clients act in Neon
- February 28, 2026Zen: Live folders for GitHub issues, pull requests and RSS (1.19b)
- August 27, 2025Zen: Tab folders added (1.15b)
Questions
Is Opera Neon free?
Yes, with limits on its AI. Free, and free for outside agents; Opera’s own agents $19.90/month.
Is Zen Browser free?
Yes. Free and open source.
Which has an AI agent, Opera Neon or Zen?
Opera Neon. Neon Chat talks about your tabs, Neon Do acts in your live session, research agents dig, and Make builds apps and media on Opera’s servers. Zen has no AI: Firefox’s AI features are switched off by default.
Do Opera Neon and Zen run on Windows?
Yes, both. Opera Neon runs on Mac and Windows; Zen on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Do Opera Neon and Zen have phone apps?
Opera Neon has no phone app yet: Opera says a mobile version will come, no date given. Zen has no phone app: Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version.
Is there a third option on a Mac?
Yab, Yet Another Browser, is free for the Mac: tabs down the side with spaces, folders and Split View, as in Zen; an agent in your signed-in tabs like Opera Neon’s, on the Claude or ChatGPT plan you already pay for. Claude Code, Codex and any MCP client can drive it too. It runs on WebKit, the engine Safari uses, and takes Chrome extensions. It is Mac only, and new.
More comparisons
- Opera Neon home page
- Opera Neon subscription and plan comparison
- Opera Neon FAQ (platforms, models, MCP, privacy, retention)
- Opera Neon news index
- Your AI agents can use Opera Neon free of charge (Aug 12, 2026)
- Opera Neon adds MCP Connector (Mar 31, 2026)
- Introducing opera-browser-cli (May 12, 2026)
- opera-browser-cli README (profile behavior)
- opera-devtools-mcp README (Chromium-based, Claude Code and Cursor setup)
- Opera Neon ships (Sep 30, 2025; Tasks, Do, Make, ad blocker, VPN)
- Opera Neon public early access (Dec 11, 2025)
- Opera press release: MCP Connector
- Prompt injection in Opera Neon: rapid response (Oct 23, 2025)
- Zen home page
- Zen download page (macOS universal, Windows, Linux; beta)
- Zen 1.23.2b release (macOS universal dmg; Info.plist minimum 10.15)
- Zen 1.23.1b release (Firefox 157.0.1)
- Zen license (MPL-2.0)
- Zen AI preferences (all off)
- Zen welcome flow (Firefox import wizard)
- Firefox import from another browser
- Zen 1.15b release (folders)
- Zen 1.19b release (live folders)
- Zen 1.22b release (sync)
- Zen 1.12.9b release (tab unloader uses Firefox tab discarding)
- Zen FAQ (no mobile plans, donations)
- Zen Workspaces
- Zen Split View
- Zen Extensions (addons.mozilla.org)
- Zen Privacy and Security (Firefox password manager, tracking protection)
- Zen privacy policy
- Firefox 157 system requirements
- Yab Manual: Bringing in from another browser
- Yab Manual: Connecting Claude or ChatGPT
- Yab Manual: Extensions
- Yab Manual: Yab’s tools over MCP
- Yab Manual: Privacy
Yab, Yet Another Browser.
Free for the Mac. Arc’s sidebar, your own Claude or ChatGPT as the agent, Chrome extensions on WebKit.