Yalqen vs Zen

Zen and Yalqen are both open-source Mac browsers that put tabs in a side panel, and Zen presents itself as a successor to Arc. The biggest difference is the engine underneath.

Zen is a Firefox fork with workspaces and split view. Yalqen is Chromium-based, so it matches Chrome for site compatibility and DevTools, but it has neither workspaces nor split view yet.

What feels the same

• Open source, free and made for people who want a calmer, tab-first browser.
• A vertical tab panel that can sit on either side.

What Yalqen does differently

• Chromium engine, the same as Chrome, so sites built for Chrome behave the same and the full Chromium DevTools are built in.
• Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store, where Zen uses Firefox add-ons.
• A keyboard-first command bar on ⌘L that runs commands by name.
• Developer tools built in: phone view with device presets, network throttling, request rules and screenshots.
• Ad blocking from the first launch, and third-party cookie blocking, HTTPS-only mode and secure DNS one switch away in settings.

Where Zen is ahead

• Zen has workspaces and split view. Yalqen has neither yet.
• Zen runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Yalqen is macOS 13+ on Apple silicon only.
• Firefox add-ons are fully supported in Zen, while Chrome extensions work in Yalqen with limits.
• Zen has a community theme collection and more ways to customise its look.

Yalqen and Zen side by side

Try it next to Zen

Yalqen does not need to replace your current browser to be worth a try. Install it, learn the keyboard shortcuts and see whether the layout suits you. Missing something? Open an issue, and see what is coming on the roadmap.

Other comparisons: Arc · Chrome · Brave

Sources: Zen Browser, Wikipedia