Kevin’s Picks: Zen Browser
The Zen Browser is built on the Firefox engine and offers a unique and modern browsing experience. Zen’s homepage promises a browser that is “beautifully designed, privacy-focused, and packed with features. We care about your experience, not your data.”
It's now my primary browser. I love it!
Zen offers a refreshing UI, most notably side tabs. It also has performance tweaks, though early testing by The Register shows it's still catching up to the major Chromium-based browsers in many areas.
According to The Register, Zen outperforms Firefox on benchmarks like Basemark Web, indicating that “improvements have been made compared to the browser running the same engine.” For an alpha release, these differences are minor, with some even “within the margin of error.”
Features That Set Zen Apart
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Zen can be downloaded from zen-browser.app. It offers many features in other browsers, but what’s intriguing is how these are introduced in a Firefox-based browser with a fresh, modern user interface. This is especially notable as most advanced browsers are Chromium-based, making Zen a refreshing option for those looking to step away from Google's influence.
As Liam Proven at The Register mentions, “this is the first time I’d seen some of these implemented as a Firefox front end with such a modern feeling UI.”
Seamless Customization
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Zen’s customization is where the browser shines. Users can instantly apply themes from their store, with changes beautifully implemented as if built into the browser all along.
The theme store offers various tweaks, including modifying the bookmark toolbar, adding a floating URL bar, custom theming in private mode, and removing browser padding. This is in addition to custom color schemes and built-in theming options. It’s a level of personalization that makes Zen feel truly user-centric.
Tiling and Workspaces for Multitaskers
One standout feature is Zen’s ability to tile web pages within a single window, allowing users to multitask efficiently.
This makes it an excellent tool for those who frequently cross-reference pages or manage several tasks simultaneously.
This feature might not appeal to everyone, but it’s a game-changer for those who need it.
A Familiar, Yet Refined Tab System
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Zen reimagines the familiar Firefox tab system, replacing the horizontal tab bar with a vertical one by default.
Tabs appear on the side as a vertical column, instead of the tired old horizontal tab bar you’ll see in both Firefox and Chrome.
This provides a more streamlined approach to managing multiple tabs. Other browsers offer this, but Zen’s implementation feels more intuitive and less cluttered.
Since Zen is based on Firefox, it features Mozilla Sync integration, allowing users to seamlessly sync their bookmarks, tabs, and other data across multiple devices.
The new layout and customization options creates a balanced browsing experience for users who want a modern feel without losing the core functionality they’ve grown accustomed to in Firefox.
And that matters. Change is hard. In comparison, I think Arc is a great browser, but it's a steep and arguably unnecessary learning curve when you like the way Firefox does things already.
Is Zen Right for You?
Zen is aimed at those who want a more polished browsing experience but don’t want to rely on Google’s ecosystem, which Arc does. It aims to offer “power-user sophistication to mere mortals,” which Mozilla has struggled to achieve in recent years.
While it’s still in the early stages of development, in Alpha to be specific, with many features and tweaks likely to come, Zen holds excellent promise.
It could become the browser of choice for users who want customization, privacy, and innovation, all wrapped in a user-friendly package. Stay tuned—this browser may be the future of open-source web browsing.
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