Opera Air

Opera Air is the mindful browser Opera launched in early 2025, and XDA’s recent piece got the pitch right: breathing exercises, ambient binaural Boosts, posture reminders, and a Chromium base that keeps the Chrome extension shelf available. What it does not have is the tab-management depth power users end up needing after a week. That is the gap this article is about.

We tested seven Opera Air alternatives on Windows and macOS that keep the calm-browser DNA while giving you more control: vertical tabs, workspaces, a real ad and tracker blocker, and in some cases a full de-Google fork. Every pick supports Chromium extensions except where noted, and every pick has a version that runs on Deck-style low-power hardware.

Quick comparison

Browser Best for Cost Standout
Zen Browser Firefox-based Arc-alike Free Workspaces plus Split View
Arc The original vertical-tabs browser Free Spaces and Little Arc pop-ups
SigmaOS Workspaces power users Free with paid tier Workspace model beyond Arc
Vivaldi Tab-management heavyweight Free Panels, tab tiling, mail client
Brave Privacy without extension pain Free Shields ad and tracker blocking
Orion Native macOS with Chrome extensions Free Zero telemetry Chromium alt
Mullvad Browser Tor-team desktop browser Free Fingerprinting-resistant Firefox

The signal on r/browsers, the Zen Browser Discord, and the XDA and TechRadar coverage:

Each pick below addresses one of these gaps. The first three are the direct Arc-lineage minimalist browsers. The middle picks add tab-management depth. The last two are the privacy-forward Chromium and Firefox forks.

The 7 best Opera Air alternatives

Zen Browser, best Firefox-based Arc-alike

Zen Browser is the Firefox fork built explicitly to fill the vacuum Arc left behind when it stopped updating. Workspaces let you group tabs into separate contexts (work, personal, project), Split View lets you keep two tabs side by side without a window manager, and the Compact Mode collapses the whole chrome for a distraction-free reading view. Zen is open source and ships on Windows, macOS and Linux.

For Opera Air users who want vertical tabs plus workspaces without leaving the Firefox stack, Zen is the direct pick.

Where it falls short: Firefox extensions instead of Chrome extensions. Sync depth still lags Firefox Sync. Some UI polish rough edges on Linux builds.

Pricing:

Switching from Opera Air: Import your bookmarks and pinned tabs on first launch. The Workspaces model needs 15 minutes of setup to click.

Download: Zen Browser on the official site

Bottom line: Pick Zen when you want the Arc-style vertical-tab layout on a Firefox base with real workspaces.

Arc, best the original vertical-tabs browser

Arc by The Browser Company is the browser Opera Air is quietly copying. Spaces let you separate contexts, the vertical sidebar carries pinned tabs and folders, Little Arc opens quick lookups without stealing focus from your main window, and Boosts (Arc’s version) let you restyle any site with CSS overrides. Arc’s feature velocity slowed in 2025 as the team pivoted to Arc Search and Arc 2.0, but the current desktop build is still one of the most usable minimalist browsers on Mac.

For Opera Air users who want the original of what Air is emulating, Arc is the direct pick.

Where it falls short: Development has slowed. Windows version is one release behind Mac. Arc 2.0 is at least a year out.

Pricing:

Switching from Opera Air: Set up your Spaces before importing bookmarks. The Spaces model is Arc’s whole organizing idea.

Download: Arc on the official site

Bottom line: Pick Arc when you want the tried version of what Opera Air is trying to be, and you can live with the slowdown in updates.

SigmaOS, best workspaces power users

SigmaOS is the browser that shipped Workspaces before Arc, and the Workspace model is deeper than either Arc’s Spaces or Opera Air’s Tab Islands. Snap Groups let you set up per-Workspace tab layouts, the built-in AI Airis handles page summaries and Q and A, and the Sidekick sidebar bundles a search, notes and reference workspace next to the browser.

For Opera Air users who need a Workspaces-first browser and are willing to pay for more than three Workspaces, SigmaOS is the pick.

Where it falls short: Free tier caps you at three Workspaces. macOS only. Paid tier at around $8 per month is one of the pricier browser subscriptions.

Pricing:

Switching from Opera Air: Set up one Workspace per project. Snap Groups turn a Workspace into a full window layout, which is where the tool earns its price.

Download: SigmaOS on the official site

Bottom line: Pick SigmaOS when you live on macOS, run five or more distinct project contexts a week, and want Workspaces to carry the load.

Vivaldi, best tab-management heavyweight

Vivaldi by ex-Opera engineers is what Opera used to be before the ad-tech pivot. Tab Stacks group related tabs, tab tiling shows up to four tabs side by side, Web Panels dock any site as a sidebar (Spotify, ChatGPT, Discord all work), and a built-in mail, calendar and RSS client folds the productivity tools into the browser. Vivaldi Sync is end-to-end encrypted and covers Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.

For Opera Air users who want the full-featured version of the Opera lineage, Vivaldi is the direct fork.

Where it falls short: UI is dense out of the box. Chromium base, so no Firefox-tier privacy. Some features (Mail, Calendar) still ship as beta.

Pricing:

Switching from Opera Air: Turn off half the sidebar panels on first launch. Vivaldi’s density is optional; the browser is much calmer when you switch the extras off.

Download: Vivaldi on the official site

Bottom line: Pick Vivaldi when tab-management depth is worth the density and you want the Opera lineage without the ad partnerships.

Brave, best privacy without extension pain

Brave is the Chromium fork with Shields (ad and tracker blocking, fingerprinting protection) turned on by default. The browser has vertical tabs since 2023, split-view since 2024, and the Chromium extension library available without asterisks. Brave Search is the default engine and does not rely on Google or Bing. The optional Brave Rewards program is disabled by default in 2026 builds.

For Opera Air users who want the same Chromium base with real privacy defaults, Brave is the pick.

Where it falls short: Vertical tabs are less polished than Zen or Arc. Wallet and crypto features are visible even when unused. Some corporate networks flag the built-in VPN as a policy violation.

Pricing:

Switching from Opera Air: Turn off the Wallet, Rewards and Leo AI sidebar buttons in settings if you want the minimal look Opera Air is going for. Brave becomes very calm when you do.

Download: Brave on the official site

Bottom line: Pick Brave when you want the Chromium base with privacy defaults and can live with fewer wellness-framed features.

Orion, best native macOS with Chrome extensions

Orion by Kagi is the native macOS browser that runs both Chrome and Firefox extensions on a WebKit base. Zero telemetry by default, native Reader mode, vertical tabs, and a bill of health that treats fingerprinting resistance as a first-class feature. The tie-in with Kagi Search (paid search engine, ad-free) is the real Opera-Air-adjacent pitch: less noise, more signal.

For Opera Air users on macOS who want a native-first browser with a strong Kagi tie-in, Orion is the pick.

Where it falls short: macOS and iOS only. Extension compatibility is imperfect for the more complex Chrome extensions. Kagi tie-in is best-in-class only if you pay for Kagi.

Pricing:

Switching from Opera Air: Pair Orion with Kagi Search. The signal-to-noise gain on results is the closest analog to Opera Air’s Boosts-plus-Reader vibe.

Download: Orion on the Kagi site

Bottom line: Pick Orion when you live on macOS, want native WebKit, and are willing to pay for a paid search engine.

Mullvad Browser, best Tor-team desktop browser

Mullvad Browser is the desktop Firefox fork built by the Tor Project and Mullvad VPN team. Fingerprinting resistance is on by default (screen-size letterbox, timezone spoofing), telemetry is off, and the browser is designed to be paired with a VPN but does not require one. Windows, macOS and Linux ship day one.

For Opera Air users who want to go one more step in the privacy direction without the full Tor onion overhead, Mullvad Browser is the pick.

Where it falls short: No extensions beyond the pre-installed set. No sync. Some sites break under fingerprinting resistance and need manual per-site exceptions.

Pricing:

Switching from Opera Air: Pair with Mullvad VPN. The two together are what the Tor Project designed the browser for; either one alone is half the story.

Download: Mullvad Browser on the official site

Bottom line: Pick Mullvad Browser when privacy defaults matter more than tab-management depth and you can accept a stripped extension shelf.

How to pick the right one

If you want the Arc-style vertical-tab layout on a Firefox base with active updates, install Zen Browser. It is the closest current answer to what Arc used to be.

If you want the original Arc, install Arc and accept the slower update cadence. If your work life needs deep Workspaces and you live on macOS, SigmaOS is the paid-tier pick that earns its price.

If tab-management depth is the whole reason you were looking at Opera Air, Vivaldi is the natural swap. If privacy defaults are the priority, Brave hits it without leaving Chromium extensions behind.

If you live on macOS and want a native browser with an ad-free search engine tie-in, Orion with Kagi is the pairing. If you want the strongest fingerprinting resistance on this list, Mullvad Browser is the choice.

Stay with Opera Air when the wellness features (Boosts, breathing prompts) are what actually reduced your doomscrolling. None of these alternatives replicate them out of the box, and the ambient audio in Boosts is a genuine differentiator worth keeping alongside a heavier browser for real work.

FAQ

Is Opera Air free?

Yes. Opera Air is free to download on Windows and macOS. Opera monetizes through search partnerships and its optional VPN Pro tier, not by charging for the browser.

Does Opera Air work on Linux?

No. Opera Air ships on Windows and macOS only. Linux users looking for a similar experience should try Zen Browser or Vivaldi, both of which ship on Linux.

What is the best free Opera Air alternative?

Zen Browser is the strongest free pick if you want the Arc-style layout. Vivaldi is the strongest free pick if tab-management depth matters. Both ship on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Do Opera Air alternatives support Chrome extensions?

Zen and Mullvad use Firefox extensions. Arc, SigmaOS, Vivaldi and Brave use Chrome extensions. Orion supports both Chrome and Firefox extension APIs on macOS WebKit.

Is Opera Air a privacy browser?

Opera Air ships with an ad blocker, tracker blocker and a free VPN, but the browser still uses partnerships and search referrals to make money. For a stricter privacy default, Brave and Mullvad Browser are the two picks that go further.