Bay
Free open-source Mac browser on Chromium with Spaces, Peek, Split View, Boosts, Easels and Arc import.
Bay is a free, open-source browser for Apple-silicon Macs (macOS 14+) by Krish Kalaria, pitched at Arc users ("everything you loved about Arc", with a Switch from Arc page). It is a React Native macOS app on a patched ungoogled Chromium 154 built through CEF; Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming sites open in system WebKit. Each Space has an emoji, a gradient theme and its own sign-ins or another Space's, and its own auto-archive time. It has Favorites tiles, pinned tabs in nested folders, Live Folders, 3-pane Split View, Peek, Little Bay, a ⌘T/⌘L command bar, Boosts with zap and CSS, Capture, Easels, a Library and sidebar undo, hover Previews, built-in ad blocking on adblock-rust, encrypted folder sync, Touch ID before passwords and Arc import. The source is Apache-2.0; an iPhone and Android app is in the repo but not released. Telemetry is opt-in.
Built-in AI
AI optional
Tidy Tabs, Tidy Downloads and tab titles use Apple's on-device model, else a site-based fallback; Tidy Tabs waits for a click, the rest are off.
github.comBloat check
None found
Crash/usage sharing is opt-in (off until you agree); the maker's server only counts update checks. No ads, account, wallet or feed.
github.comAds, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Bay | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | ✓ | Favorite tiles, pinned rows and today's tabs live in the sidebar; it docks left or right, auto-hides (hold ⌥ to show it) or turns into a top tab bar.github.com |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Each Space has a name, emoji, theme and its own tabs, pinned rows and folders; swipe the sidebar to move between them.github.com |
| ProfilesProfiles per Space (shareable)Each Space can use its own browser profile (separate cookies, logins, history), and one profile can be shared by several Spaces. | ✓ | ✓ | Every Space gets its own signed-in profile; a new Space can instead share another Space's sign-ins (cookies, passwords, history, extensions).github.com |
| FavoritesGlobal favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ◐ | ✓ | Pinned tiles sit on top of the sidebar in every window, but each Space keeps its own tiles; none are shared across Spaces.github.com |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-Space pinned tabs that are never closed by tidying, in folders nested up to 5 levels deep.github.com |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ✓ | ✓ | New Live Folder: your GitHub pull requests (checks, conflicts), Bitbucket PRs, Notion, Confluence and Drive pages, refreshed every few minutes.github.com |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | ✓ | Idle tabs are put away after 12 hours by default, a time set per Space, or never; they stay searchable in the command bar and in Library's archive.github.com |
| Theme pickerSpace themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-Space theme editor: up to three colours (a gradient), intensity and grain, light/dark/auto.github.com |
Browsing
| Feature | Bay | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ✓ | ✓ | Two or three tabs side by side, shown as one sidebar row; a fourth is refused ("up to 3 tabs"). A split can be pinned.github.com |
| PeekLink previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ◐ | ✓ | Links to other sites from pinned tabs and favorites open in a Peek card; from other tabs only the 5-second Shift-hover card offers Peek.github.com |
| Little ArcMini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ✓ | ✓ | Little Bay opens links from other apps in a small window by default; ⌥⌘N from any app and a menu bar button are opt-in; idle ones are put away after 6 hours.github.com |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌘T/⌘L bar searches open tabs, history, bookmarks, put-away tabs, search suggestions and browser commands; ⇧↩ opens the top result.github.com |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | ✓ | Link rules send links from other apps to a Space, Little Bay, the latest Space or a new window, by URL (contains/equals) and/or the app they came from.github.com |
| BoostsSite customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-site tint, invert, font, size and case; zap elements (or keep one part with Focus); your own CSS, and JavaScript on this Mac only (off until enabled).github.com |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ✓ | ✓ | Playing video pops into picture-in-picture when you leave its tab or the app; on by default, with a per-site off list.github.com |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ✓ | ✓ | Media playing in a tab you left gets a player in the sidebar with playback and skip controls.github.com |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcherCtrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌃Tab cycles the most recent tabs of every Space in recency order, with a list showing after a short hold.github.com |
| Super CopyClean link copyA shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ✓ | ✓ | ⇧⌘C copies the page address without tracking parameters (a toast says so); Site Controls has Copy Clean Link, ⌥⇧⌘C copies Markdown.github.com |
| CaptureScreenshotsBuilt-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ✓ | ✓ | ⇧⌘2 lights up the element under the pointer or drags an area; Capture Full Page saves the whole page. Copy, save to Library, add to an Easel or mark up.github.com |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Bay | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✓ | – | Settings › General › Import: Arc spaces (name, theme, emoji, profile), pinned tabs and folders, favorites and today's tabs, plus bookmarks, history and passwords.github.com |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✓ | ✓ | Installs Chrome Web Store extensions with toolbar buttons and side panels; also Add from a link and Load unpacked.github.com |
| DRM streamingNetflix, Disney+, Spotify web and other DRM video/audio play, through Widevine or, on WebKit, FairPlay. Chromium forks need a Google Widevine licence; FairPlay counts once a major service is confirmed playing in the app. | ◐ | ✓ | Chromium has no Widevine: 14 streaming sites open in WebKit (FairPlay), and a page whose protected video fails moves there too. No playback test found.github.com |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ◐ | ✓ | Touch ID, phone and security-key passkeys run in Chromium; no iCloud Keychain (Apple's browser passkey entitlement is not granted), none on WebKit pages.github.com |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✓ | ✓ | Spaces, tabs, pinned rows, bookmarks, history, passwords and settings sync across Macs, end-to-end encrypted, through a folder you choose (iCloud Drive).github.com |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ✕ | ◐ | Mac only. An iPhone and Android app is in the repo (apps/mobile) but not on TestFlight, the App Store or Google Play yet.github.com |
Extras
| Feature | Bay | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | ✓ | Built-in blocker on Brave's adblock-rust with uBlock Origin's default lists (EasyList, EasyPrivacy, cookie notices); on by default, per-site pause.github.com |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editorMost browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ✓ | ✓ | Settings › Shortcuts records a new key combo for any menu command, with filters for customized and conflicting shortcuts.github.com |
More Arc features
Arc features shown but not counted in the score, because almost no replacement has them or only a few people need them.
| Feature | Bay | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaselsA shareable canvas of live page captures, notes and drawings. | ✓ | ◐ | Local whiteboards for captures, images, links, text, pens and shapes; captures can stay live; export as PNG or HTML, or publish a web link.github.com |
| Shared CollectionsShared spaces & foldersShare a Space, folder or set of tabs as a link anyone can open, or another user can add to their sidebar. | ✓ | ✓ | Share Folder, Split View or selected tabs as a bay.krishkalaria.in/share link whose token carries the links, no account; Easels publish to a page.github.com |
| PreviewsWeb app previewsHover a pinned Gmail, Calendar or other web app to glance at it; a pinned calendar shows the next meeting with Join. | ✓ | ✓ | Hover a folder or group (its tabs), a pinned Gmail tab (unread mail), GitHub (pull requests) or the calendar; each preview has a setting, on by default.github.com |
| Developer modeA developer view that turns on by itself for localhost: full URL, quick DevTools and dev tools in reach. | ✓ | ✓ | Developer Mode per site (offered for local servers): full address, inspector, one-click DevTools and a foldable JSON viewer.github.com |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above.
| Feature | Bay | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ✓ | ✕ | Ungoogled-Chromium's extensions-manifestv2 patch is applied to the engine, so MV2 extensions are accepted; not exercised, and the Web Store no longer lists them.github.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ✓ | ✓ | Chrome Web Store MV3 extensions install and run on the Chromium engine (not on WebKit pages).github.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Extensions come from the Chrome Web Store, a link or an unpacked folder; no Firefox add-ons.github.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Chromium engine: only Chrome extensions load; Safari extensions are not supported.github.com |