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Browser Extensions · head to head

Arc vs Mozilla Firefox

Arc logo

Arc

Browser Extensions

Chromium-based browser organized around user workflows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mozilla Firefox logo

Mozilla Firefox

Technology

An independent web browser with its own rendering engine, funded almost entirely by search placement deals.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Arc no longer receiving active feature development as of May 2025, entering maintenance mode; Mozilla Firefox roughly 85 per cent of Mozilla's revenue comes from search default placement deals, overwhelmingly with Google, so the organisation that competes with Chrome depends on Chrome's owner for its funding and any renegotiation lands on Firefox's engineering budget within a quarter.
  • They diverge on capability: Arc covers Spaces and Profiles, Mozilla Firefox covers Gecko engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arc and Mozilla Firefox actually diverge.

Attributes where Arc and Mozilla Firefox differ
AttributeArcMozilla Firefox
Pricing modelFreeUnknown
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iOSWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsTechnology
FoundedUnknown2004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arc

  • Spaces and Profiles
  • Split View
  • Themes
  • Privacy-First Design
  • Chromium Updates

Only in Mozilla Firefox

  • Gecko engine
  • Full webRequest blocking
  • Total Cookie Protection
  • Container tabs
  • Extended Support Release
  • policies.json and ADMX
  • Built-in developer tools
  • Firefox Sync

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arc

  • Organizing work across multiple projects within one browsernot Mozilla Firefox
  • Separating personal and professional browsing with spacesnot Mozilla Firefox
  • Privacy-conscious web browsing without trackingnot Mozilla Firefox
  • Tab and window management for productivitynot Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox

  • Web development where you need to test against a non-Chromium engine before shipping, because Chromium-only testing hides real bugsnot Arc
  • Users who require a full-strength content blocker, which Chrome's Manifest V3 no longer permitsnot Arc
  • Managed fleets that need a browser on a slow release cadence with Group Policy control, using the ESR channelnot Arc
  • Handling several accounts on the same service at once through container tabs, without separate profiles or private windowsnot Arc

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arc

  • No longer receiving active feature development as of May 2025, entering maintenance mode
  • Limited cross-platform availability compared to mainstream browsers
  • Smaller ecosystem of extensions compared to Chrome
  • Focused on macOS and Windows, with limited iOS support

Mozilla Firefox

  • Roughly 85 per cent of Mozilla's revenue comes from search default placement deals, overwhelmingly with Google, so the organisation that competes with Chrome depends on Chrome's owner for its funding and any renegotiation lands on Firefox's engineering budget within a quarter.
  • Desktop market share sits at a few per cent, so commercial sites are tested against Chrome and Safari and a Firefox-only rendering or WebRTC bug is triaged as low priority by the site owner, leaving you with the workaround.
  • On iOS and iPadOS the browser is a WebKit shell required by Apple's rules, so it delivers the interface and Sync but none of the engine, extension or tracking-protection behaviour that make Firefox worth choosing on desktop.
  • Mozilla declines to implement several hardware-facing APIs on principle, including WebUSB, WebSerial, Web Bluetooth and WebHID, so a web application that talks to a device simply does not run and no configuration flag changes that.
  • Enterprise management is limited to policies.json and ADMX templates; there is no first-party equivalent of Chrome Browser Cloud Management, so fleet-wide reporting on versions and extensions requires third-party tooling you have to buy or build.
  • Mozilla repeatedly ships decisions its own user base objects to, such as enabling Privacy Preserving Attribution by default and the 2025 Terms of Use rewrite, and reversals arrive after the news cycle, so deploying it on a privacy argument means owning the communications work each time.

Pricing, plan by plan

Arc

Free
  • ArcFree
    • Spaces and profiles organization
    • Split view customization
    • Themes and personalization

Mozilla Firefox

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mozilla Firefox review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Arc if

  • You need spaces and profiles.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS.
  • You also want split view.
Arc review

Choose Mozilla Firefox if

  • You need gecko engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want full webrequest blocking.
Mozilla Firefox review

Questions people ask

Is Arc or Mozilla Firefox better?
Neither clearly leads. Arc starts at Free and Mozilla Firefox at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arc or Mozilla Firefox?
Arc starts at Free and Mozilla Firefox at Free.
Does Arc or Mozilla Firefox run on more platforms?
Arc runs on macOS, Windows, iOS. Mozilla Firefox runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Arc for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Arc best used for?
Arc is most often used for organizing work across multiple projects within one browser, separating personal and professional browsing with spaces, privacy-conscious web browsing without tracking, tab and window management for productivity. Of those, organizing work across multiple projects within one browser and separating personal and professional browsing with spaces are not what Mozilla Firefox is typically brought in for.
What can Arc do that Mozilla Firefox cannot?
Arc covers Spaces and Profiles, Split View, Themes, Privacy-First Design. Mozilla Firefox covers Gecko engine, Full webRequest blocking, Total Cookie Protection, Container tabs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arc: Does Arc Browser cost anything to use?

Arc is completely free to download and use with no subscription required. All features are available at no cost.

Source
Mozilla Firefox: Does uBlock Origin still work on Firefox?

Yes. Firefox has kept the blocking webRequest API that Chrome removed with Manifest V3, so uBlock Origin runs with its full rule set rather than the cut-down Lite version Chrome requires.

Arc: What operating systems does Arc support?

Arc is available on macOS, Windows, and iOS. Windows and mobile versions are available for download.

Source
Mozilla Firefox: Is Firefox on iPhone the same browser?

No. Apple's platform rules require it to use WebKit, so on iOS and iPadOS you get Firefox's interface, Sync and bookmarks on top of Safari's engine. The privacy and extension behaviour are not the same.

Arc: Will Arc continue to receive new features?

As of May 2025, Arc entered maintenance mode with no new features planned. The Browser Company's focus has shifted to Dia browser, though Arc continues to receive security updates.

Source
Mozilla Firefox: How is Mozilla funded, and does that matter?

Mainly by payments for making a search engine the default, with Google as the dominant payer. It matters because it is a single-source dependency on a direct competitor, and it has been the subject of antitrust litigation whose outcome Mozilla does not control.

Mozilla Firefox: Can I manage it across a company fleet?

Yes, through policies.json or Windows Group Policy with the ADMX templates, and the ESR channel gives you a roughly yearly major version instead of four-weekly. There is no first-party cloud management console, so reporting needs other tooling.

Mozilla Firefox: Will every site work in it?

Most will. The exceptions cluster around sites tested only in Chrome, legacy enterprise applications, and anything using WebUSB, WebSerial, Web Bluetooth or WebHID, which Firefox does not implement at all.

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