Arc Search vs Dia

Arc Search is a free browser centered on Browse for Me, which searches multiple pages and produces an answer on a custom webpage. Its built-in blocker is described as stopping ads, trackers, pop-ups, and cookie banners. Other features include reader mode, incognito mode, website translation, and voice search. Inactive tabs are archived automatically, with help documentation listing intervals from 12 hours to 30 days. Browse for Me is the default search option; alternatives include Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Perplexity, and Kagi. Arc Sync can share desktop Spaces, pinned tabs, and Today tabs with Arc Search on iOS, but is unavailable on Android, and tabs created in Arc Search do not sync back to desktop. The maker says Browse for Me sends command-bar and search-result content to OpenAI to generate summaries. Arc Search supports iOS 16 or later and Android 10 or later. The maker also says Sync sidebar data uses end-to-end encryption, but the product is not currently SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified and does not offer account MFA.

Dia is a macOS web browser with an assistant for questions and requests about the current page, other tabs, selected text, and browsing history. The free plan includes profiles, tab groups, split view, picture-in-picture, ad and tracking blocking, and cross-device sync, but has no AI features. Better Answers costs $20 a month and adds AI answers and contextual chats. Better Days costs $100 a month and includes six times more usage than Better Answers, plus additional work features. AI usage is measured in Tasks, resets each billing cycle, and pauses at the limit unless the user buys additional usage. Extra usage is available in $20 credit blocks, which roll over for up to three months. Profiles can separate work, freelance, and personal tabs, logins, and AI contexts. Morning Brief gathers calendar, inbox, and key links; Skills let users save frequent requests for reuse. The plans page lists connections to Slack, Gmail, Notion, Microsoft Outlook, GitHub, Google Calendar, and Figma. Dia says it does not sell personal data or use browsing data to build ad profiles, and that Sync is end-to-end encrypted.