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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.

The short answer

Free plan
Both — Arc Max is free to use, Dia has a free plan
Higher Trust score
Arc Max — 96 vs 87 for Dia
Best fit
Arc Max: Existing Arc users who want previews and tab tidying · Dia: Mac and Windows users whose day runs across Slack, Notion, Calendar and GitHub
Platforms
Arc Max: macOS, Windows, iOS · Dia: macOS, Windows
Status
Both up at our last check — Arc Max Oct 15, 2026, Dia Oct 16, 2026

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

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

Side by side

FactArc MaxDia
CategoryBrowser Extensions & CopilotsBrowser Extensions & Copilots
Pricing modelFreeFreemium
Starts at—$10/mo
Trust score96 / 10087 / 100
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iOSmacOS, Windows
CompanyThe Browser Company of New YorkThe Browser Company
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 16, 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, Teams and Workspace, and it now runs on Windows as well as Mac. The entry AI plan is cheap, but the daily briefings and reports sit in the $100 a month tier.

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 under user control, sync end-to-end encrypted
  • Profiles and named tab groups keep work and personal contexts apart

Cons

  • No Linux or mobile version
  • $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 public API found

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 and Windows 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

Arc Max vs Dia: the questions people ask

Is Arc Max cheaper than Dia?

Arc Max is free to use; Dia starts at $10/mo.

Does Arc Max or Dia have a free tier?

Both: Arc Max is free to use, and Dia has a free tier.

More comparisons

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