Yab vs Vivaldi

We make Yab, so read it as our side.facts checked Oct 9 ↓

Yab, Yet Another Browser, is a free Mac browser that keeps everything from Arc (tabs down the side, spaces, folders, Split View) and gives your Claude or ChatGPT plan an agent that works in your signed-in tabs.

Vivaldi is a Chromium browser with a setting for nearly everything, mail, calendar and feeds built in, a free Proton VPN and no AI by design, on every desktop and phone.

The short answer

Pick Yabours
  • 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
Pick Vivaldi
  • if you want mail, calendar, feeds, notes and a VPN in the browser
  • if you want to customize nearly everything, and no AI
  • if you need one browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android

At a glance

Yab and Vivaldi, side by side.

Yab vs Vivaldi
WhatYabVivaldi
Made bySerafim KorablevVivaldi Technologies
StatusUpdatedUpdated
Runs onMacMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android
Phone appNot yetiPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords, history and notes
PriceFree; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT planFree; its Proton VPN is free with a Vivaldi account
AIAn agent that works in pages, on your Claude or ChatGPT planNo AI
Driven by outside agentsMCP and a command lineNo
EngineWebKitChromium
Tabs down the sideYesA setting
SpacesYesYes
Split ViewYesYes
ExtensionsChrome Web StoreChrome Web Store
Ad blockerBuilt inBuilt in
Open sourceNoNo

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.

AIYab leads

Only Yab has an agent that clicks, types and finishes tasks in your pages. Yab’s agent works in tabs of its own beside yours, signed in as you, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan; Send, Pay and Delete wait for your yes. Vivaldi has no AI chat, summaries or agents, by choice.

Agents like Claude Code and CodexYab leads

Yab can be driven over MCP and a command line, through yab mcp and the yab command, for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and any MCP client. Vivaldi has no MCP server or command line for outside agents.

Tabs and windowsYab leads

Yab has tabs down the side, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep. Vivaldi has tabs down the side as a setting, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep.

PriceYab leads

Yab: Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan. Vivaldi: Free; its Proton VPN is free with a Vivaldi account.

Where it runsVivaldi leads

Yab runs on Mac. Vivaldi runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. On a Mac, Yab needs macOS 15.4 or later and Vivaldi needs macOS 13 or later. Yab has no phone app yet. On the phone, Vivaldi: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords, history and notes.

Engine and extensionsa matter of taste

Yab is built on WebKit, the engine Safari uses; Vivaldi on Chromium, as Chrome is. Both take extensions from the Chrome Web Store.

PrivacyVivaldi leads

Yab has an ad blocker built in. Yab has no account and no server of ours between you and your sites; what your agent reads goes to Anthropic or OpenAI under your account. Vivaldi has an ad blocker built in and a VPN. Vivaldi sends a daily ping with a unique ID, version and rough location to count users; crash logs only if you opt in.

Where Vivaldi is better

Vivaldi comes out ahead on where it runs, privacy. It is also the better pick if you:

  • Want mail, calendar, feeds, notes and a VPN in the browser
  • Want to customize nearly everything, and no AI
  • Need one browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android

The catch with each

Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.

Vivaldi

  • No AI assistant or agent, by design
  • Tabs down the side are a setting, not the default
  • Its interface code isn’t open source
  • Sends a daily usage ping with a unique ID

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 25, 2026Yab: First release
  • May 21, 2026Vivaldi: Vivaldi 8.0 redesigned the interface
  • January 29, 2026Vivaldi: Vivaldi 7.8 restated its no-AI stance
  • March 27, 2025Vivaldi: Proton VPN built into Vivaldi on desktop

Moving from Vivaldi to Yab

Yab brings Vivaldi’s pinned and open tabs, passwords, cards, bookmarks, history, extensions and your sign-ins, from every profile. It reads Vivaldi’s files on your Mac; nothing goes through a server, and Vivaldi stays as it was.

Questions

Is Yab free?

Yes. Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan.

Is Vivaldi free?

Yes. Free; its Proton VPN is free with a Vivaldi account.

Which has an AI agent, Yab or Vivaldi?

Yab. Yab’s agent works in tabs of its own beside yours, signed in as you, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan; Send, Pay and Delete wait for your yes. Vivaldi has no AI chat, summaries or agents, by choice.

Which runs on Windows, Yab or Vivaldi?

Vivaldi does. Yab runs on Mac.

Do Yab and Vivaldi have phone apps?

Vivaldi does. Yab has no phone app yet. On the phone, Vivaldi: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords, history and notes.

Can I move from Vivaldi to Yab?

Yes. Yab brings Vivaldi’s pinned and open tabs, passwords, cards, bookmarks, history, extensions and your sign-ins, from every profile.

More comparisons

Yab, Yet Another Browser.

Free for the Mac. Arc’s sidebar, your own Claude or ChatGPT as the agent, Chrome extensions on WebKit.