Crest
Open-source Arc-style browser for Mac, iPhone and iPad with Chromium and per-site WebKit
Crest is an open-source browser for Apple silicon Macs, iPhone and iPad, made by Paul Davis. On Mac it opens pages in Chromium (with Crest's privacy changes) by default and can open any page or site in WebKit instead; iPhone and iPad use WebKit only. It offers Spaces (and Sub-Spaces that share one session), a sidebar, Peek, Split View, Quick Window and built-in ad blocking, and can import Spaces and tabs from Arc. The default Mac download (and the Homebrew cask crest-browser) is the Stable channel, 0.9.1 from 2026-11-11; daily Nightly and hand-pushed Development builds are opt-in under Settings › About. The maker still calls Crest early access, and its security has not been independently audited.
Built-in AI
No AI
No built-in AI. The palette only opens ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI Mode etc. in a tab; an MCP link for your own coding agents stays off until enabled.
github.comBloat check
None found
No ads, wallet, feed, upsell or account. Privacy page: no analytics pipeline or ad SDK; Chromium contacts Google only for component updates, with no identifier.
github.comAds, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Crest | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SidebarVertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | ✓ | crestbrowser.com |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | ✓ | Each Space has its own tabs, pinned sites, folders and look.crestbrowser.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. | ✓ | ✓ | Each Space has its own profile; Sub-Spaces join a primary's session to share cookies, history and passwords.github.com |
| FavoritesGlobal favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ◐ | ✓ | Pinned-sites grid is per Space; Sub-Spaces show their primary's pins unless Separate Pinned Tabs is on.github.com |
| Pinned TabsPinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ✓ | ✓ | Saved tabs with a home URL, plus nested folders in Saved and Current sections.crestbrowser.com |
| Live foldersSidebar folders that fill and refresh themselves from an outside source, such as GitHub pull requests or an RSS feed. | ✕ | ✓ | Folders are filled by hand or by extension tab groups; no live-folder code or docs found at 601c822.github.com |
| ArchiveAuto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | ✓ | Per-Space: archive unpinned tabs after 12h, 24h, 7 or 30 days (default 12h); recoverable in Archive.github.com |
| Theme pickerSpace themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ✓ | ✓ | Crest Studio: per-Space crest, colors, or one-to-three-color gradient sidebar.github.com |
Browsing
| Feature | Crest | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ✓ | ✓ | Two to four live tabs per group.github.com |
| PeekLink previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✓ | ✓ | github.com |
| Little ArcMini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ✓ | ✓ | Quick Window is the default for external links; Settings > Links can send them to a Space instead.github.com |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | ✓ | Command-L palette covers tabs, history, pinned/saved, Spaces, settings pages and commands.github.com |
| Air Traffic ControlLink routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | ✓ | Link Routing rules (Contains / Is Exactly) send external links to a chosen Space.github.com |
| BoostsSite customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ◐ | ✓ | Zap only: Block Element hides what you point at on that site from then on. No per-site CSS/JS (Boosts request #606).github.com |
| Auto PiPAuto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ✓ | ✓ | Mac only; on by default (Settings > General). Open report: no PiP on WebKit pages (#1040, dev build).github.com |
| Mini playerMedia still playing in a tab you left keeps play/pause controls in the sidebar. | ✓ | ✓ | Sidebar Now Playing widget for media in another tab: play/pause, previous/next track and volume.github.com |
| Tab SwitcherRecent-tab switcherCtrl+Tab jumps back to the tab you used last and cycles in recently used order. | ✓ | ✓ | Control-Tab jumps to the most recent tab; holding Control shows a grid of recent tabs. Control-Shift-Tab goes the other way.github.com |
| Super CopyClean link copyA shortcut (⌘⇧C) copies the page URL with tracking parameters removed. | ✓ | ✓ | Super Copy, on by default: Shift-Command-C, Share and link menus unwrap redirects and strip tracking parameters (Crest's rules plus AdGuard's URL Tracking filter). In development 0.9.29.github.com |
| CaptureScreenshotsBuilt-in capture of a chosen area or element, and of the full page. | ✓ | ✓ | Shift-Command-2 drags a region onto the clipboard; the developer toolbar's Copy Full Page Capture takes the whole page.github.com |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Crest | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | ✓ | – | Spaces (per profile as Sub-Space group), tabs, folders, split views, colors, icons, extensions, passwords.github.com |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✓ | ✓ | Mac only and Chromium pages only; the WebKit engine lists extensions as unavailable; none on iPhone/iPad.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. | ✓ | ✓ | No Widevine in Chromium; pages asking for Widevine or PlayReady move to WebKit, where Help says protected video plays with FairPlay (Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video).github.com |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ✓ | ✓ | macOS system sheet with Touch ID and every passkey provider on both engines; Chromium's phone (QR) and security-key flows stay reachable.github.com |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✓ | ✓ | iCloud (CloudKit) sync of Spaces, tabs, folders, Split Views, history, Archive; password values stay out.github.com |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ✓ | ◐ | iPhone and iPad apps (WebKit only) share Spaces with Mac through iCloud.crestbrowser.com |
Extras
| Feature | Crest | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | ✓ | adblock-rust with EasyList, EasyPrivacy and uBlock Origin lists on Chromium and WebKit pages; Balanced by default, Strict optional.github.com |
| Custom ShortcutsShortcut editorMost browser keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings. | ✓ | ✓ | Settings > Shortcuts on Mac lists every command: record a new key, clear it, see conflicts or restore the default.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 | Crest | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaselsA shareable canvas of live page captures, notes and drawings. | ✕ | ◐ | No easel, board or canvas feature in the code, README or Help Center at 601c822.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. | ◐ | ✓ | Selecting several tabs offers Copy Link URLs as text; no link to share a Space, folder or split, and no import from a link.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. | ✕ | ✓ | Sidebar widgets are only Now Playing and Software Update; no page glance, badge or calendar widget.github.com |
| Developer modeA developer view that turns on by itself for localhost: full URL, quick DevTools and dev tools in reach. | ✓ | ✓ | On Mac a developer toolbar opens by itself on localhost, .local, .test and file pages; Settings > General switches it off; Shift-Command-I toggles it anywhere.github.com |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above.
| Feature | Crest | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ✓ | ✕ | Crest's patch keeps MV2 loading on Chromium 157, which still has blocking webRequest for MV2.github.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ✓ | ✓ | Chromium 157 supports manifest versions 2 and 3; Crest does not patch this. Mac Chromium pages only.chromium.googlesource.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Crest's guide: it does not install Firefox add-ons; extensions come from the Chrome Web Store.crestbrowser.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | ✕ | Crest's guide: it does not install Safari Web Extensions; WebKit pages and iOS run no extensions.crestbrowser.com |