{"id":1275,"date":"2025-09-19T23:19:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T23:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/razvanvancea.ro\/blog\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2025-09-24T12:10:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T12:10:02","slug":"zen-browser-review-the-calmer-side-of-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/razvanvancea.ro\/blog\/2025\/09\/19\/zen-browser-review-the-calmer-side-of-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Zen Browser review: The calmer side of internet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The browser world has been stuck in a bit of a rut lately. Most people use Chrome (or something Chromium-based), and Firefox quietly carries on with its loyal base. Every so often a new browser pops up promising to rethink how we browse, but many end up fading away.<\/p>

Zen Browser, though, feels different.<\/p>

It\u2019s built on top of Firefox\u2019s Gecko engine, so it has all the compatibility and open-source spirit you\u2019d expect. But the team behind Zen focused on rethinking the browsing experience, layering in modern design choices, clever tab management, and privacy-first defaults. I\u2019ve been testing it out for a while I still enjoy the experience of using it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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First impressions<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Right out of the box, Zen feels clean and modern. Tabs live in a vertical sidebar instead of the traditional row at the top. It\u2019s a small change that makes a big difference, especially if you often have a dozen or more tabs open. There\u2019s also a \u201ccompact mode\u201d that tucks the sidebar away until you hover over it \u2014 great if you want to maximize screen space.<\/p>

The browser also introduces Workspaces<\/strong>, which basically let you group tabs by project, topic, or mood. If you\u2019re juggling work, side projects, and personal browsing, it\u2019s a lifesaver. Add in the option to use Firefox\u2019s containers for login isolation, and you\u2019ve got a neat way to separate your digital life.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Features<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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  • Split View<\/strong>: You can tile two (or more) sites side by side within the same window. It\u2019s surprisingly handy if you\u2019re comparing information, writing while referencing docs, or watching something while working.<\/p><\/li>

  • Glance<\/strong>: This is a clever little overlay that lets you peek at a link without fully opening it in a new tab. Think of it as a quick preview \u2014 a nice time-saver when you don\u2019t want to clutter your workspace.<\/p><\/li>

  • Customization<\/strong>: Zen is incredibly customizable. There\u2019s a mods registry where you can install themes, tweak the look with CSS, or change the overall vibe of the browser. It\u2019s a playground for people who like to personalize their tools.<\/p><\/li>

  • Picture in picture<\/span>: You can pop videos out of webpages into a clean, always-on-top floating window. Whether you’re working, browsing, or just casually scrolling, PiP keeps your video visible without disrupting your flow.<\/p><\/li>

  • Sync<\/strong>: Since it\u2019s based on Firefox, you can sign in with a Firefox account and keep your bookmarks, extensions, and history synced across devices.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Things to consider<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    • Occasional Bugs<\/strong>: the features are fantastic, but sometimes they don\u2019t behave as smoothly as you\u2019d like.<\/li>

    • Not as fast as Chrome<\/b><\/p><\/li>

    • Learning Curve<\/strong>: If you\u2019ve never used vertical tabs or workspaces, the interface takes a bit of adjustment. Personally, I think it\u2019s worth the switch, but not everyone will agree.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Comparison<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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      • Against Firefox<\/strong>: Zen feels like Firefox with a modern coat of paint and some smart workflow features baked in. If you love Firefox but wish it were a little more futuristic, this might be what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p><\/li>

      • Against Chrome\/Chromium Browsers<\/strong>: You\u2019ll trade some performance and compatibility for privacy and fresh ideas. For people tired of the Chromium monoculture, that\u2019s a fair trade.<\/p><\/li>

      • Against Arc<\/strong>: Zen has definitely borrowed some inspiration from Arc (sidebars, workspaces), but it\u2019s open-source and not tied to Chromium. It\u2019s a solid alternative if you want Arc\u2019s vibe without giving up Gecko.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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        Tutorial about configuring Zen<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Final thoughts<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Zen Browser feels like a genuine attempt to rethink what a browser should look like in 2025: more organized, private, and more customizable.<\/p>\n

        It\u2019s not perfect, it has some limitations, but for anyone who spends their day bouncing between projects and tabs, is a refreshing choice.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        The browser world has been stuck in a bit of a rut lately. Most people…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tools"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t