We believe there are better options available in this category, read below to learn what this software does well, and what they could do better. ⤵
Get unrivaled customization options and built-in browser features for better performance, productivity, and privacy.
Vivaldi was one of the first browsers to shake up the customization space when it was first released in 2015. Vivaldi came out of nowhere allowing you to customize just about every button along with full color themes, at a time when everyone was using the identical looking version of Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
This was the unique value proposition of Vivaldi back then, and seems to be the same to this day.
The problem is, when you allow for ultimate customization of every button and color theme, they seem to have locked themselves into an old and uninspiring design. One that looks like it did back in 2015. So at a time when modern solutions are coming out on a monthly bases, and customization and color theming is baked into just about every browser on the market, what once made it unique now leaves it in a questionable situation.
AI won’t exist as an app. Or a button. It’ll be an entirely new environment — built on top of a web browser.
Dia Browser is the latest project from The Browser Company (the same team behind Arc Browser), and while it’s an interesting experiment, it feels more like a stripped-down Chrome with an AI sidekick than an actual serious browser contender. That said, it’s still very much in alpha, invite-only, and honestly… kind of underwhelming right now (though as an alpha-stage experimental product, it's sorta expected).
If you’re someone who just wants a clean browser with built-in AI to summarize articles or answer questions, speak to your open tabs and YouTube videos to help with research, then sure; Dia might be worth giving a shot. But if you actually care about productivity, speed, and having real control over your setup, Arc is lightyears ahead. It's clear that Dia was built for a totally different audience (e.g. my parents or those who haven't taken to embracing AI just yet—then Dia feels like a solid gateway into this).