Arc Is Shutting Down: How to Keep Its Sidebar and Spaces on Mac

Arc is going away for good. On October 22, 2026, The Browser Company announced that Arc will be sunset on December 22, 2026. After that date, Arc will no longer open on macOS or Windows, Arc accounts will be deactivated, and their personal data will be deleted within 30 days. New Arc accounts can't be created anymore, and on November 23 Arc Search on iPhone and Android loses sign-in, tab sync and its AI features.

This isn't a slow fade like the last 18 months of maintenance mode. If Arc is your daily browser, you have about six weeks to move.

When people talk about missing Arc, it usually comes down to two things: the vertical sidebar, where pinned tabs, folders and today's tabs live in one tidy column, and Spaces, which let you swipe between work, personal and project setups in one window. This guide is about getting those two things back. Some options replace Arc with a new browser, and one keeps the browser you already like and adds an Arc-style sidebar on top.

(If you want a broader browser comparison, including AI features and privacy, see our Arc alternatives for Mac guide.)

Quick Takeaway

• Export your Arc data now, while Arc still runs: Arc > Settings > Advanced > Export Data saves your pinned tabs and favorites.
• Want the easiest move? Dia imports your Spaces (as Profiles), pinned tabs, folders, passwords, extensions and history, and has an optional sidebar tab layout. It needs an Apple silicon Mac.
• Want the most Arc-like browser from someone else? Zen Browser is free, has Workspaces and a vertical sidebar, and can now import Spaces from Arc and Dia.
• Want maximum control? Vivaldi has side tabs, Workspaces, Tab Stacks and split-screen tiling, all free.
• Want to stop switching browsers altogether? SupaSidebar adds an Arc-style sidebar with Spaces to Safari, Chrome or almost any other browser, and imports your Arc Spaces and folders.
• Happy with Chrome, Edge, Brave or Safari? Chrome, Edge and Brave already have vertical tabs, and Safari's vertical tabs are in beta now.

First, Export Your Arc Data

Do this before anything else, even if you haven't picked a replacement yet. Once Arc stops opening on December 22, you can't get anything out of it, and The Browser Company says it won't be able to retrieve deleted Arc data afterwards.

1. Update Arc to the latest version. The export option was added in the October update.
2. Go to Arc > Settings > Advanced > Export Data and save the file somewhere safe. This covers your pinned tabs and favorites.
3. Note your Spaces and folders. Take a screenshot of each Space's sidebar. Importers differ in what they carry over, and a screenshot makes rebuilding a Space a five-minute job.
4. Check your passwords. If Arc saved passwords for you, make sure they also live in a password manager or the Passwords app, so you're not relying on one browser's importer.
5. Keep Arc installed until December 22. Importers such as Dia's and Zen's read your setup from Arc, so leave it in place until you've moved.

What Each Option Gives You

Option 1: Dia, the Official Path

Dia is the browser The Browser Company built to replace Arc, and it's the move that asks the least of you. Arc's farewell page lays out the mapping: your Spaces become Profiles that you swipe between just like in Arc, Folders become Tab Groups, and your pinned tabs and favorites come over with their custom names. Passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history import too.

For the sidebar, choose Sidebar tabs in Dia for the familiar vertical layout, and hide it with Command-S when you want the full width. The Browser Company says the browser features you used in Arc are free in Dia and the AI is optional, so you don't have to touch the chat features if you only want Arc back.

Where it falls short:

• Apple silicon only. Dia needs an M1 or newer Mac running macOS 14 or later. Arc users on Intel Macs can't move to it.
• No iPhone app. If you relied on Arc Search syncing your Spaces and pinned tabs to your phone, Dia doesn't replace that.
• Not quite Arc. Early switchers report that Dia feels close enough for everyday use, but some miss deeper nesting of folders and Arc's smaller touches.
• Trust. It's the same company that's switching Arc off. Some readers will be fine with that; others won't want to go through this again.

Choose Dia if you want your exact setup back this week with the least effort. Our Dia vs Safari, Chrome and Firefox post covers its AI side in more depth.

Option 2: Zen Browser, the Closest Independent Alternative

Zen Browser is the browser most Arc fans point to first, and it has earned that. Tabs live in a vertical sidebar by default. Workspaces play the role of Spaces, with their own icons and pinned tabs, and you switch between them at the bottom of the sidebar. Essentials work like Arc's favorites, and Compact Mode hides the sidebar until you need it. You also get Split View and Glance, a quick preview of a link without leaving your tab, much like Arc's Peek.

The big news for Arc users is migration. Zen's v1.24b release notes (late October 2026) add the ability to import Spaces and Profiles from Arc and Dia, so you no longer have to rebuild each Space by hand or use community scripts.

Things to know:

• It's built on Firefox, not Chromium. You'll use Firefox add-ons instead of Chrome extensions. Most popular extensions have a Firefox version, but check the ones you depend on.
• Separate logins per Space work differently. Arc tied Spaces to profiles; in Zen you can assign Firefox containers to Workspaces to keep work and personal logins apart.
• It's still labelled beta and is a community project funded by donations, so expect occasional rough edges.

Zen is free and open source. Choose it if you want the closest thing to Arc's sidebar and Spaces and would rather not stay with The Browser Company.

Option 3: Vivaldi, If You Want Every Setting

Vivaldi has been doing what Arc did, and more, for years. Move the tab bar to the left or right side for vertical tabs, then use Workspaces to group tabs by project. When you pick a Workspace, the window shows only its tabs, which is very close to switching Spaces in Arc. Workspaces can have a name, an icon or an emoji, and they're saved automatically when you quit.

Inside each Workspace you can group tabs into Tab Stacks (Vivaldi's take on Arc folders) and view two or more tabs side by side with Tab Tiling. Web panels in the sidebar can keep chat or mail apps one click away. It's Chromium-based, so Chrome extensions work.

The catch is the flip side of its strength: Vivaldi has a huge number of settings and takes some setup to feel calm. We didn't find an Arc-specific importer in Vivaldi, so plan on rebuilding your Workspaces by hand (this is where those screenshots help).

Vivaldi is free. Choose it if you like tuning your tools and want a mature browser with Arc-style organization built in.

Option 4: SupaSidebar, Keep Your Browser and Add Arc's Sidebar

The options above all ask you to change browsers again. SupaSidebar takes a different approach: it's a native Mac app that puts an Arc-style sidebar beside whatever browser you use, whether that's Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Zen, Dia, Orion or any of the 33+ browsers it supports.

That's useful if you went to Arc for the sidebar and Spaces but would otherwise be happy in Safari (for battery life, iCloud Passwords and iPhone sync) or Chrome (for compatibility). What you get:

• Spaces for work, study, clients or hobbies, each with its own color, folders and saved links. Each Space can be connected to a specific browser or browser profile, and it then shows that browser's open tabs live in the sidebar.
• All your open tabs in one list, from every browser, so you can jump to any tab with one click.
• One-click Arc import that brings over your Arc Spaces and folders, plus bookmarks from Safari, Chrome, Zen and others. A dedicated Zen import arrived in version 1.3.
• A command panel that fuzzy-searches open tabs, bookmarks, browser history, folders and Spaces.
• Air Traffic Control-style rules that send links to the browser or Space you choose, a feature many Arc users relied on.
• Finder files and folders in the same sidebar, so project documents sit next to project links.
• Local storage with iCloud sync between your Macs, through your own iCloud account.

It also suits people who use more than one browser, for example Safari for personal browsing and Chrome for work. One sidebar can hold both setups instead of two sets of bookmarks.

The tradeoffs: SupaSidebar sits next to your browser rather than inside it, so your browser keeps its own tab bar as well. It needs Accessibility and Automation permissions to see and control browser tabs, and it requires macOS 14 or later. It's built by a single independent developer, though it's actively updated (version 1.7 is current) and says it has more than 6,000 users.

Pricing is friendly to try: Free forever with 3 Spaces (after a 7-day Pro trial), Personal at $29.99 one-time for two Macs with a year of updates and unlimited Spaces, Lifetime at $79 for three Macs and all future updates, and Believer at $99 for five Macs. There's a 14-day money-back guarantee and a 50% student discount.

Choose SupaSidebar if what you really miss is the sidebar and Spaces, not Arc itself, and you'd rather pick your browser on its own merits.

Option 5: Stay With Chrome, Edge, Brave or Safari

If you came to Arc from a mainstream browser, it may now cover enough of what you need on its own:

• Chrome added built-in vertical tabs in spring 2026. Right-click the tab strip and choose Show Tabs Vertically. Use separate Chrome profiles for work and personal browsing, and tab groups in place of folders. There's no in-window Space switcher, though; each profile opens in its own window.
• Microsoft Edge has had vertical tabs on Mac since 2021 and adds Workspaces for grouping tabs by project, alongside profiles.
• Brave has vertical tabs, tab groups and profiles, plus built-in ad and tracker blocking.
• Safari has Profiles (separate history, cookies and extensions) and Tab Groups in its sidebar today. Real vertical tabs arrived in the first Safari 27.3 developer beta on November 3, 2026, alongside Tab Groups. Apple hasn't given a release date, so don't plan on it before Arc shuts down.

None of these recreates Arc's swipe between Spaces in one window, which is why pairing one with SupaSidebar is worth a look if Spaces were the part you used most.

Which Should You Pick?

• You want everything back with the least effort and have an Apple silicon Mac: Dia.
• You want the most Arc-like browser that isn't from The Browser Company: Zen Browser.
• You enjoy customizing and want Chrome extensions: Vivaldi.
• You want the sidebar and Spaces but prefer Safari or Chrome, or use several browsers: SupaSidebar.
• You only needed vertical tabs: turn them on in Chrome, Edge or Brave, or wait for Safari 27.3.
• You're on an Intel Mac: Zen, Vivaldi, Chrome, Edge, Brave or Safari with SupaSidebar; Dia won't install.

Final Verdict

Start by exporting your Arc data today; the rest can wait a few weeks, but that can't. Dia is the smoothest move because it imports your Spaces, pinned tabs and folders almost one to one. Zen Browser is the best independent replacement now that it imports Arc Spaces too, and Vivaldi is the most capable if you're willing to set it up. If you'd rather not bet on another browser at all, SupaSidebar keeps Arc's sidebar and Spaces while letting you use Safari, Chrome or whatever browser suits you, and its free tier is enough to find out whether that works for you before Arc goes dark on December 22.

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Note: Features, dates and prices are current as of November 2026. Browsers change quickly; check each developer's site before switching.