YabZen 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.
Edge is Microsoft’s Chromium browser on every desktop and phone, with Copilot built in. Since Copilot Mode was retired in May 2026, its agent, Browse with Copilot, comes with Microsoft 365 Premium in the US.
The short answer
- 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 use Microsoft 365 and want Copilot in the browser
- if you want tabs down the side, workspaces, split screen and sleeping tabs built in
- if you work on Windows with Edge set up by your company
- 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
Zen and Edge, with Yab beside them for a Mac.
| What | Zen Browser | Microsoft Edge | Yab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Zen Browser team (open-source community project) | Microsoft | Serafim Korablev |
| Status | Updated | Updated | Updated |
| Runs on | Mac, Windows and Linux | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android | Mac |
| Phone app | None; Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version | iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, favorites, passwords and history | Not yet |
| Price | Free and open source | Free, with Copilot; Browse with Copilot needs Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/month (US) | Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan |
| AI | No AI | An agent that works in pages, on its own AI service | An agent that works in pages, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan |
| Driven by outside agents | No | MCP and a command line | MCP and a command line |
| Engine | Gecko | Chromium | WebKit |
| Tabs down the side | Yes | A setting | Yes |
| Spaces | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split View | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extensions | Firefox add-ons | Chrome Web Store | Chrome Web Store |
| Ad blocker | No | No | Built in |
| Open source | Yes | No | 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.
AIEdge leads
Only Edge has an agent that clicks, types and finishes tasks in your pages. Zen has no AI: Firefox’s AI features are switched off by default. Copilot reads the page, your tabs and history and sums up videos and PDFs; Browse with Copilot scrolls and types in pages for you, signed in, on Microsoft 365 Premium in the US.
Agents like Claude Code and CodexEdge leads
Zen has no MCP server or command line for outside agents. Edge can be driven over MCP and a command line, through Microsoft’s Playwright MCP, which can launch Edge or attach to your running Edge.
Tabs and windowsZen leads
Zen has tabs down the side, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep. Edge has tabs down the side as a setting, spaces, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep.
PriceEdge leads
Zen: Free and open source. Edge: Free, with Copilot; Browse with Copilot needs Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/month (US).
Where it runsEdge leads
Zen runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. Edge runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. On a Mac, Zen needs macOS 10.15 or later and Edge needs macOS 13 or later. Zen has no phone app: Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version. On the phone, Edge: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, favorites, passwords and history.
Engine and extensionsa matter of taste
Zen is built on Gecko, Firefox’s engine; Edge on Chromium, as Chrome is. Zen takes extensions from Firefox’s add-ons, Edge from the Chrome Web Store.
Privacyeven
Zen has open code. Zen sends no telemetry or crash reports, by its privacy policy; optional sync keeps encrypted data on Mozilla’s servers. Edge has a VPN. Copilot may use your question, the page, your open tabs and history; Browse with Copilot keeps screenshots up to 30 days, not for training, Microsoft says.
What their pages don’t lead with
Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.
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
Microsoft Edge
- Browse with Copilot needs Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99 a month) and is US only
- Copilot reads pages, tabs and history unless you turn it off
- Workspaces lost sharing in 2026, and Collections were removed
- No ad blocker of its own
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)
- June 4, 2026Edge: Collections removed in Edge 149
- May 13, 2026Edge: Copilot Mode retired; its features moved into Edge, and Copilot Actions became Browse with Copilot for Microsoft 365 Premium (US)
- February 28, 2026Zen: Live folders for GitHub issues, pull requests and RSS (1.19b)
- August 27, 2025Zen: Tab folders added (1.15b)
Questions
Is Zen Browser free?
Yes. Free and open source.
Is Microsoft Edge free?
Yes, with limits on its AI. Free, with Copilot; Browse with Copilot needs Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/month (US).
Which has an AI agent, Zen or Edge?
Edge. Zen has no AI: Firefox’s AI features are switched off by default. Copilot reads the page, your tabs and history and sums up videos and PDFs; Browse with Copilot scrolls and types in pages for you, signed in, on Microsoft 365 Premium in the US.
Do Zen and Edge run on Windows?
Yes, both. Zen runs on Mac, Windows and Linux; Edge on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android.
Do Zen and Edge have phone apps?
Edge does. Zen has no phone app: Zen says it has no plans for a mobile version. On the phone, Edge: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, favorites, passwords and history.
Can I move from Edge to Zen?
Yes: Zen’s own help says it brings in from Edge.
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 Edge’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
- 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
- Edge blog: new updates, Copilot Mode retired (2026-05-13)
- Microsoft Support: Browse with Copilot
- Edge policy: AllowBrowsingWithCopilot (macOS 148+)
- Microsoft Support: getting started with Copilot in Edge
- Copilot in Edge page (free limits, upgrade)
- Microsoft 365 plans compared (US prices)
- Edge supported operating systems
- Edge vertical tabs (Windows and macOS)
- Edge policy: SplitScreenEnabled (macOS 117+)
- Edge policy: SleepingTabsEnabled
- Microsoft Support: getting started with Edge Workspaces
- Microsoft Support: Collections retirement
- Edge Secure Network VPN
- Edge for Mac page (Secure Network, password management, sleeping tabs)
- Microsoft Support: Chrome extensions in Edge
- Microsoft Support: what’s imported to Edge (Chrome)
- Microsoft Support: import from Safari on macOS
- Microsoft Learn: Chrome DevTools MCP with Edge
- Playwright MCP (Microsoft, --browser msedge, --extension)
- Playwright CLI (Microsoft)
- Microsoft Support: Sign in to sync Microsoft Edge across devices
- Microsoft Learn: Configure Microsoft Edge enterprise sync
- Microsoft Edge on the App Store (iPhone and iPad)
- Microsoft Edge on Google Play
- 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.