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Arc Max vs Dia

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors. Dia publishes a starting price ($20); Arc Max does not. Both have a free tier.

Arc MaxOpt-in AI layer inside the Arc browser: link previews, tidier tab titles and renamed downloadsDiaMac browser whose assistant answers across your open tabs, Slack, Notion, calendar and GitHub

Side by side

FactArc MaxDia
CategoryBrowser Extensions & CopilotsBrowser Extensions & Copilots
Pricing modelFreeFreemium
Starts at—$20 month
Public APINoNo
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iOSmacOS
CompanyThe Browser Company of New YorkThe Browser Company
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Arc Max

Max is a small, well-judged set of browser conveniences rather than a chatbot bolted into a sidebar, and the shift-hover link preview is the rare AI feature you keep using. It is free and opt-in per feature. The problem is what it sits on: the vendor says Arc now gets Chromium updates only and directs users to Dia for security patches, so this is a feature set on a browser that is no longer being built.

Pros

  • Free with the browser, with no separate subscription or credits
  • Each of the four features is opt-in individually from the command bar
  • Five-second previews work on any link without opening a tab
  • Ask ChatGPT runs on your own account rather than a metered pool
  • Download and tab renaming are quiet background wins rather than prompts

Cons

  • Arc is on Chromium updates only and the vendor recommends Dia for security patches
  • The feature set is narrow — four conveniences, not an assistant
  • Ask ChatGPT needs a separate ChatGPT account signed into the profile
  • Mac, Windows and iPhone only
  • No settings sync story for teams and no admin controls

Dia

The bet is that an assistant living inside the browser, with your tabs and connected work tools already in reach, beats pasting context into a separate chat window. It mostly holds up for people whose work is genuinely spread across Slack, Notion and Workspace. The costs are real: Apple silicon only, and the tier with daily briefings is $100 a month.

Pros

  • The assistant reads open tabs and connected tools instead of sitting in a separate window
  • The free tier is a usable browser on its own
  • Privacy defaults are on: tracker and ad blocking enabled, memory optional, sync end-to-end encrypted
  • Profiles and named tab groups keep work and personal contexts apart

Cons

  • Apple silicon Macs on macOS 14+ only, with no other platform available
  • $100/month for the briefing tier is steep next to standalone assistants
  • The useful features require broad OAuth access to Slack, Notion, Calendar and Workspace
  • No API

Which one fits

Choose Arc Max if you need

  • Existing Arc users who want previews and tab tidying
  • People already paying for ChatGPT who want it in the command bar
  • Anyone wanting AI browser features without a second subscription

Choose Dia if you need

  • Mac users whose day runs across Slack, Notion, Calendar and GitHub
  • people who want briefings and synthesis without leaving the browser
  • Arc users looking for its successor

More comparisons

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