Blanc
A minimal Chromium browser with one floating Island, Spaces and an Arc importer; free and open source.
Blanc is an Electron browser by Bananify, a solo-maintained studio. It swaps the tab strip and toolbar for one floating 'Island' pill with tabs, search and slash commands, with optional vertical tabs. It has free Blanc Spaces (saved tab sets with colour and symbol), tab groups, Glance cards, a two-pane Split View, a Mini Window, link-routing rules and an opt-in tab Archive. Bring Your Tabs imports Arc Spaces, pinned and Today tabs, folders as groups and top-row Favorites from the sidebar file. Ad and tracker blocking is on by default, with full uBlock Origin optional; no other extensions can be installed. It runs castLabs' Electron with Widevine, has end-to-end encrypted sync and an iPhone and iPad app, and has no AI. A separate Blanc Beta, built directly on Chromium for Apple Silicon Macs, is in public preview without Widevine.
Bloat check
2 things you didn't ask for
- Telemetry on by defaultAnonymous launch ping with a random install ID, plus first-day events, is on by default; opt out in Settings. No browsing data is sent.github.com
- Paid upsellsStart Page shows a dismissible Patron upgrade pill that returns after 90 days. Patron is optional support and unlocks nothing.github.com
No ads, wallet, feed or account; sync needs no account.
Ads, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Blanc | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ◐ | ✓ | Vertical tabs are an optional layout; the default is a floating 'Island' pill, not a sidebar.github.com |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Each space keeps its own tabs, groups and pinned tabs plus a colour and symbol; switch from the ⌘L panel's Spaces button or the vertical-tabs rail.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. | ◐ | ✓ | Local profiles split cookies and logins, but a space lives inside one profile and cannot pick another.github.com |
| FavoritesGlobal favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ◐ | ✓ | Pinned tabs are saved per space; 'Favorites' are bookmarks, not a top row shared by all spaces.github.com |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ◐ | ✓ | Per-space pinned tabs and named groups, but groups are flat; Arc's nested folders get flattened.github.com |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ✕ | ✓ | No live-folder code in src; Blanc groups are flat named groups.github.com |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | ✓ | Off by default; at 12 h to 30 d idle loose tabs go to a 30-day Archive (500 max), restorable from ⌘L.github.com |
| Theme pickerSpace themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ◐ | ✓ | Each space has a colour and the Start Page can match it; no per-space theme for the whole window.github.com |
Browsing
| Feature | Blanc | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ◐ | ✓ | Two panes only, made from a tab's Split menu or Glance's 'Keep as split'; Glance can now float over a split.github.com |
| PeekLink previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✓ | ✓ | Open Link in Glance shows a link as a movable, resizable card over the page (or over both panes of a Split View since 1.48); can open as a tab.github.com |
| Little ArcMini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ◐ | ✓ | Mini Window opens from File menu or an opt-in shortcut; links from other apps never open in it.github.com |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌘L/Ctrl+L panel searches tabs, groups, Spaces, Favorites and history and runs slash commands.github.com |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | ✓ | Domain or 'contains' rules send links from other apps to a profile, a Space or a private tab.github.com |
| BoostsSite customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ◐ | ✓ | No custom CSS/JS; the optional uBlock Origin brings an element picker/zapper.github.com |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ? | ✓ | |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ◐ | ✓ | Tab rows show a speaker button that only mutes or unmutes; no play/pause or skip controls.github.com |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcherCtrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ✓ | ✓ | Settings > Switch tabs with Ctrl+Tab defaults to most recent use; hold Ctrl to step through tabs, release to land.github.com |
| Super CopyClean link copyA shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ✓ | ✓ | ⌥⇧⌘C (macOS) and /copy clean copy the address without tracking parameters; ⇧⌘C copies it unchanged. Windows and Linux: command only.github.com |
| CaptureScreenshotsBuilt-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ✕ | ✓ | No screenshot or capture command in src (searched); the capture code covers screen sharing only.github.com |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Blanc | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✓ | – | Imports chosen Spaces' pinned and Today tabs, folders as groups, and top-row Favorites; no history.github.com |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✕ | ✓ | No Chrome Web Store installs; only a bundled uBlock Origin runs, as the Arc-switch page says.blanc.day |
| 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. | ✓ | ✓ | castLabs Electron plays Widevine since v1.43; Windows needs x64. Netflix tried on Apple Silicon only.github.com |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ◐ | ✓ | macOS only: Touch ID passkeys stay on that Mac (Secure Enclave); no iCloud keychain.github.com |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✓ | ✓ | End-to-end encrypted sync of Favorites, settings, open tabs and, opt-in, up to 25 Spaces.github.com |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ◐ | ◐ | iPhone and iPad app (App Store, iPad since 1.0.3) pairs by QR for Favorites and tabs; Spaces don't sync to it; no Android.github.com |
Extras
| Feature | Blanc | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | ✓ | Blanc Blocker (EasyList, EasyPrivacy) is on by default; full uBlock Origin is an optional choice.github.com |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editorMost browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ◐ | ✓ | Only the Mini Window global hotkey can be picked, from two or three presets; all other shortcuts are fixed.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 | Blanc | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaselsA shareable canvas of live page captures, notes and drawings. | ✕ | ◐ | No Easels: the Arc importer counts and skips them, and src has no canvas or board code.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. | ✕ | ✓ | Shared Spaces only syncs chosen Spaces between one person's own computers; no link or file to share with someone else.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. | ✕ | ✓ | No glance, unread badge or meeting widget for pinned tabs (searched); Glance only previews a link.github.com |
| Developer modeA developer view that turns on by itself for localhost: full URL, quick DevTools and dev tools in reach. | ✕ | ✓ | Only standard Chromium developer tools and view source; no developer mode in src (searched).github.com |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above.
| Feature | Blanc | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ◐ | ✕ | Only a bundled, pinned uBlock Origin 1.75.0 (MV2) loads; users cannot install MV2 extensions.github.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ✕ | ✓ | No general extension installation, and no Chrome Web Store support.github.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | No general extension installation; no Firefox add-on path.github.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | No general extension installation; Safari extensions are not hosted.github.com |