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Browser Extensions · head to head

Arc vs Umami

Arc logo

Arc

Browser Extensions

Chromium-based browser organized around user workflows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Umami logo

Umami

Marketing

Open source, cookie-free web analytics you can self-host for the cost of a database

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; Umami there is no cohort analysis, retention curve, session replay or multi-touch attribution, so a marketing team that needs to justify channel spend will still buy a second tool and Umami becomes a supplementary dashboard.
  • They diverge on capability: Arc covers Spaces and Profiles, Umami covers Cookie-free tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arc and Umami actually diverge.

Attributes where Arc and Umami differ
AttributeArcUmami
Pricing modelFreePer month by event count
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iOSWeb, Linux
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsMarketing

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 Umami

  • Cookie-free tracking
  • Self-hosting
  • Small tracking script
  • Custom events
  • Funnels and goals
  • Multi-site and teams
  • Public dashboards
  • API access

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 Umami
  • Separating personal and professional browsing with spacesnot Umami
  • Privacy-conscious web browsing without trackingnot Umami
  • Tab and window management for productivitynot Umami

Umami

  • A developer who wants traffic numbers on a personal or client site without adding a consent bannernot Arc
  • An organisation whose legal or procurement team has ruled out sending visitor data to a US advertising companynot Arc
  • A high-traffic site where hosted analytics priced by pageview band has become expensive and self-hosting removes the ceiling entirelynot Arc
  • A team that wants analytics data in a database they already control so they can query and join it themselvesnot 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

Umami

  • There is no cohort analysis, retention curve, session replay or multi-touch attribution, so a marketing team that needs to justify channel spend will still buy a second tool and Umami becomes a supplementary dashboard.
  • Self-hosting is only free in licence terms; you own the database, the upgrades, the backups and the query performance at scale, and a busy site's events table grows quickly enough to need real attention.
  • Because it stores no persistent identifier, it cannot follow a user across devices or sessions in any meaningful way, which makes returning-visitor and lifetime-value questions unanswerable by design rather than by omission.
  • Cloud overage is billed per event beyond the plan allowance, so a traffic spike or a badly instrumented custom event can produce a bill materially above the $20 or $200 headline before anyone notices.
  • It is maintained by a small team, so the pace of new capability is modest and enterprise expectations such as SSO, granular role permissions and formal support agreements are limited compared with commercial analytics vendors.

Pricing, plan by plan

Arc

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

Umami

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • MIT licensed, no licence fee
    • No event limit imposed by the software
    • Unlimited websites and users
  • Cloud HobbyFree
    • Up to 100,000 events per month
    • 3 websites
    • 6 months data retention
  • Cloud Pro$20/month
    • Up to 1,000,000 events per month
    • Unlimited websites
    • Unlimited team members
  • Cloud Business$200/month
    • Up to 10,000,000 events per month
    • All Pro features
    • Higher volume overage rate

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 Umami if

  • You need cookie-free tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want self-hosting.
Umami review

Questions people ask

Is Arc or Umami better?
Neither clearly leads. Arc starts at Free and Umami at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arc or Umami?
Arc starts at Free and Umami at Free.
Does Arc or Umami run on more platforms?
Arc runs on macOS, Windows, iOS. Umami runs on Web, Linux.
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 Umami is typically brought in for.
What can Arc do that Umami cannot?
Arc covers Spaces and Profiles, Split View, Themes, Privacy-First Design. Umami covers Cookie-free tracking, Self-hosting, Small tracking script, Custom events.

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
Umami: Is Umami really free?

Self-hosted, yes; it is MIT licensed with no event cap. You pay for the server and database. Umami Cloud has a free tier at 100,000 events a month and paid tiers from $20.

Arc: What operating systems does Arc support?

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

Source
Umami: Do I need a cookie consent banner?

For Umami analytics specifically, generally no, because it sets no cookies and stores no personal data. Other tags on your site may still require one.

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
Umami: Can it replace Google Analytics?

For traffic, referrers and event counts, yes. For attribution modelling, audiences and advertising integration, no.

Umami: What does it need to run?

A container and a PostgreSQL or MySQL database. Most people deploy it on infrastructure they already pay for.

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