Sailfish
Free, open-source Arc alternative for Mac on Chromium, with an iPhone companion app called Sail.
Sailfish is a native macOS browser written in Swift (SwiftUI with The Composable Architecture) that embeds Chromium 156 through its own EngineCore framework. It keeps Arc's sidebar model: spaces with their own themes, profiles that spaces can share, favorites, pinned tabs and folders, Today tabs that auto-archive, a command bar, split view of up to four panes, Peek, and Little Sailfish for links from other apps. uBlock Origin is built in and Chrome Web Store extensions install as in Chrome. It imports Arc, Zen, Chrome, Edge, Dia and Safari data. There is no Widevine licence yet, so streaming sites such as Netflix open in an embedded WebKit page. It has no account and no cloud sync; a signed Mac build only publishes its spaces to iCloud so the Sail iPhone app can show them read-only.
81% Arc feature parity (yes = 1, partial = ½).
AI on by default
Only AI is Tidy Downloads: Apple's on-device model renames downloaded files (macOS 26+). On by default; toggle in Settings > General. No assistant.
github.comNot counted in Arc parity: some people want AI, some avoid it.
None found
No ads, wallet, feed, upsells or account; no analytics or crash reporting of its own, only a daily update check. Google is the default search; Chromium's Safe Browsing stays on.
sail.fishAds, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Sailfish | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | ✓ | Tabs live in a left sidebar that hides with ⌘S and slides back in from the window edge.github.com |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Each space has its own pinned and Today tabs, name, icon and theme; ⌃1–9 or a swipe switches.github.com |
| Profiles per Space (shareable)Each Space can use its own browser profile (separate cookies, logins, history), and one profile can be shared by several Spaces. | ✓ | ✓ | Each space picks a profile (own logins, history, extensions); any number of spaces can share one.github.com |
| Global favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ✓ | ✓ | Favorite tiles belong to the profile, so every space on that profile shows them.github.com |
| Pinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-space pinned tabs with nested folders, mixed in any order.github.com |
| Auto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | ✓ | Today tabs archive after 12 h (default), 24 h, 7 d, 30 d or never; Library keeps them.github.com |
| Space themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-space theme: up to three colours, light or dark, intensity and grain.github.com |
Browsing
| Feature | Sailfish | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ✓ | ✓ | Up to four panes, horizontal or vertical, shown as one sidebar row.github.com |
| Link previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✓ | ✓ | Shift-click a link, or an outside link from a favorite or pin, opens a card over the page.github.com |
| Mini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ✓ | ✓ | Little Sailfish window is the default for links from other apps; ⌘O moves it into a space.github.com |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌘T searches open tabs, history and suggestions, runs commands and does sums.github.com |
| Link routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | ✓ | Space Linking rules send links from other apps to a space, the latest space or Little Sailfish.github.com |
| Site customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ✕ | ✓ | No per-site CSS/JS or element zapping in the source or in the README feature list.github.com |
| Auto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ◐ | ✓ | Mini player has a manual PiP button; the "Automatic Picture-In-Picture" site toggle is a disabled stub.github.com |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Sailfish | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✓ | – | Imports Arc spaces, pinned rows and folders, Today tabs, favorites, archive and shortcuts.github.com |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✓ | ✓ | Chrome Web Store installs run as in Chrome; Manifest V2 extensions are disabled except uBlock.github.com |
| DRM (Widevine)Netflix, Disney+, Spotify web and other DRM video/audio play. Chromium forks need a Google Widevine licence. | ◐ | ✓ | No Widevine licence yet; Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and others open in WebKit by default.github.com |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ✕ | ✓ | macOS passkey sheet needs Apple's entitlement, not yet granted; v0.1.10 is signed without it.github.com |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ◐ | ✓ | Mac publishes spaces and tabs to private iCloud for the iPhone app; read-only, one way.github.com |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ◐ | ◐ | Sail for iPhone and iPad (iOS 26+) has no spaces of its own; it shows the Mac's spaces read-only.github.com |
Extras
| Feature | Sailfish | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | ✓ | uBlock Origin is bundled and on by default; switch in Settings > General.github.com |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above. Not counted in Arc parity.
| Feature | Sailfish | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ◐ | ✕ | Only the built-in uBlock Origin 1.75 (MV2, full blocking) runs; other MV2 extensions are disabled.github.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ✓ | ✓ | Chrome Web Store installs run as in Chrome on Chromium 156, where MV3 is the supported format.github.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Chromium engine loads Chrome Web Store extensions only; Firefox add-ons (.xpi) aren't supported.github.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Chromium engine loads Chrome extensions only; Safari extension apps can't run.github.com |