Arc Browser on Windows: Why I Finally Ditched Chrome After 10 Years

I've been using Chrome since 2008. I had the original beta. I defended it against Firefox fans, I ignored the memory complaints, I stuck with it through extensions, profiles, and endless tabs. Then, two weeks ago, I installed Arc Browser for Windows — and I haven't opened Chrome since. I feel a little silly about it, honestly. It's just a browser. But Arc convinced me that Chrome has been holding me back in ways I didn't even notice.

The Vertical Tabs: Obvious in Hindsight

Arc puts all your tabs on the left side of the screen, in a vertical sidebar. This is not new — Edge and Vivaldi do it too. But Arc does it with a polish that makes you wonder why anyone ever put tabs at the top. On a widescreen monitor, I have so much horizontal space now. I can have 20 tabs open without squinting. The sidebar also groups tabs into 'Spaces' — like 'Work', 'Personal', 'Projects' — and you can switch between them instantly. I have my work email, Slack, and docs in one space, and my Reddit, YouTube, and news in another. It's like having multiple browsers without the overhead.

The Split-Screen Feature: Game-Changer for Multitasking

I do a lot of research for my articles — comparing sources, taking notes, checking facts. Before Arc, I'd have two Chrome windows side by side, fiddling with the resize. Arc has a built-in split-screen that just works. Drag a tab to the side, and it splits the window. You can have two, three, even four tabs visible at once. I'm using it right now to write this article while looking at the Arc documentation. It's seamless.

The 'Little Arc' Mode: Quick Searches Without Breaking Focus

One of my favorite features is 'Little Arc' — a minimal window that opens when you click a link from another app. Instead of opening a full browser window, it opens a small, floating window that you can dismiss quickly. I use it for links in Slack or email. It doesn't clutter my sidebar with random tabs. When I'm done, I just close it. It's such a small thing, but it's saved me from tab overload dozens of times already.

Profiles Are Actually Useful Now

Chrome had profiles, but they were clunky — separate windows, separate bookmarks, and you had to manually switch. Arc does it differently. Each 'Space' can have its own profile, with its own extensions, cookies, and bookmarks. I have a Space for work with my corporate Google account, and a Space for personal with my personal accounts. Switching is a click on the sidebar. No more logging in and out of Gmail. It's the kind of design decision that makes you wonder why Chrome hasn't done it yet.

Performance: Is It Actually Faster?

Arc is built on Chromium, the same engine as Chrome. So it's not magically faster. But it uses less memory because it doesn't load all your extensions in every window. I've noticed my laptop fan spinning less. The startup time is faster because Arc doesn't restore all your tabs immediately — it loads them on demand. I've had 30 tabs open in Arc without the lag I used to get in Chrome with 15. Is it a night-and-day difference? No. But it's noticeable.

The Downsides: Not Perfect Yet

Arc for Windows is still in beta (as of June 2026), and it shows. Sometimes the sidebar glitches, and I have to restart. Some extensions don't work perfectly — I had issues with one password manager. The mobile version is iOS-only, so if you're on Android, you're out of luck. And the learning curve is real. For the first few days, I kept reaching for the top of the screen where tabs used to be. But after a week, it felt natural.

Should You Switch?

If you're a casual browser user — you open a few tabs for Facebook, YouTube, and email — stick with Chrome. Arc's features are aimed at people who live in their browser. But if you're a power user, a multitasker, or someone who works with dozens of tabs open, give Arc a try. It's free, it's available now on Windows, and it might just change how you think about browsers. I'm not going back.