Plexii vs Arc and browser tab managers
Arc shuts down on 22 December 2026. Compare Dia, tab groups, Workona and a Plexii desk for keeping tabs organised by project.
On this page 9 sections
If you came here because Arc is going away, here is the date: The Browser Company (opens in a new tab) says Arc will stop working on Mac and Windows on 22 December 2026. New Arc accounts have been blocked since 22 October. If Arc's Spaces were how you kept projects apart, you need a new home for them before then.
The choices are wider than "pick another browser". This guide compares the main ways to keep tabs organised by project, and where a Plexii desk fits, which is a different approach again. Plexii is not a browser replacement. Download Plexii free for Mac or Windows if you want to try keeping research next to your work.
Facts below come from each product's own documentation, checked on 11 November 2026.
What is happening to Arc
From Arc's own sunset key dates article (opens in a new tab):
- 22 October 2026: new Arc accounts can no longer be created. Existing members can keep using it.
- 23 November 2026: on iOS and Android, AI features (including Browse for Me) are switched off, and you can no longer sign in or sync tabs. Arc Search keeps working as a browser.
- 22 December 2026: Arc stops working on macOS and Windows, accounts are deactivated, and personal data is deleted within 30 days. Arc Search for Android is removed from the Play Store and from devices; Arc Search for iOS keeps working as a mobile browser.
The Browser Company says it is putting its effort into Dia (opens in a new tab), its newer browser, which it describes as free to download on macOS and Windows. Its help centre says Spaces become Profiles you can swipe between, and that folders, pinned tabs and the Tab Switcher are in Dia, along with an import of passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history. TechCrunch's report (opens in a new tab) gives the same dates, and says Folders have been rebranded as Pinned Tab Groups. The Browser Company is part of Atlassian, which announced the acquisition (opens in a new tab) and says it wants to make Dia the knowledge worker's browser.
Whatever you choose, export your Spaces and tabs, or import them into Dia, before 22 December. Arc's help centre explains how to save Spaces and tabs as a list of links if you are not moving to Dia.
Four ways to keep tabs under control
| Approach | Example | What its documentation confirms |
|---|---|---|
| A different browser with spaces | Dia (opens in a new tab) | Official help: Spaces become Profiles, and folders, pinned tabs and the Tab Switcher are in Dia; passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history import |
| Tab groups in the browser you already use | Chrome (opens in a new tab) | Tab groups can be saved and reopened later; deleting a group also removes it on other devices signed in to the same Google Account |
| A project-space extension | Workona (opens in a new tab) | Spaces act as named browser windows per project; closing one autosaves its tabs; tabs sync across computers |
| A desk that holds the pages with the work | Plexii | Live browser windows on a canvas beside documents, tables, files and notes |
Microsoft Edge has its own Workspaces (opens in a new tab) feature for saving a named set of tabs and reopening it later.
Option 1: move to Dia
If you liked Arc as a browser, Dia is the shortest path, because its makers built the migration. Switching costs little if the main thing you used Arc for was its sidebar and Spaces. Look at what is different before you commit: Arc's team describes Dia as AI-first, though it says the AI is optional, and the Arc features you use are free in Dia. Test it on one real project before you move everything.
Option 2: tab groups in Chrome or Edge
If your Arc use was mostly "keep work and personal apart" and "group related tabs", the browser you already have may be enough. Chrome saves tab groups so they can be reopened later, and a deleted group is also removed on other devices signed in to the same Google Account. Edge Workspaces add a named, reopenable set.
These keep the addresses. They do not keep the reason you opened each page. After a week away, a group called "Research" tells you very little.
Option 3: a project-space extension
Workona's documentation (opens in a new tab) describes spaces as saved browser windows with names. Only the tabs in your current space are visible, and closing a space autosaves it. It works in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and also holds resources, notes and tasks. Its billing page (opens in a new tab) says free accounts have a limit on the number of spaces, so check the current limit against how many projects you run.
This is the closest match to the Arc workflow if you want to stay in a mainstream browser. As with any cloud-backed tab sync, read the account and privacy terms.
Option 4: a desk, if the tabs belong to a task
Some of what lives in your tabs is not browsing at all. It is research for a document you are writing, a dashboard you check for a report, a form you fill in each week. For those, the tabs and the output belong together.
A Plexii desk puts a Browser work widget on a canvas next to the document, the table and your notes. The widget is a working browser that remembers its page, so a desk reopens where you left it. Drag a tab or link from your browser onto an open desk and it becomes a browser widget at that page.
Be clear about what that is and is not.
- It is a way to keep the three or four pages a task needs next to the thing you are making.
- It is not a replacement for your everyday browser. Plexii's own help describes the in-app browser as for looking things up beside your work, and pages still need an internet connection.
- It is not a bulk saver for 80 open tabs. Sort them first. Our tab triage guide shows how to decide what each tab is for.
- Browser extensions can be added to Plexii's browser, but only from an unpacked folder, not from a store, and extensions that depend on a toolbar button are limited. See the extensions help page before relying on one.
How to choose
Ask what you need to reopen when work resumes.
- "My browser, organised." Choose Dia, tab groups or a project-space extension.
- "The pages and the document, together." Try a desk.
- "Pages I want to keep for years." That is a bookmark library; see Plexii vs Raindrop.
- "A canvas of ideas." See Plexii vs Milanote.
Many people end up with two layers: one browser setup for everyday browsing and a desk for each substantial task.
A move that takes an afternoon
Before 22 December, do this once.
- Export your Arc data, or import it into Dia.
- List your Spaces and decide for each: browser project, long-term reference, or task with output.
- Move browser projects into the new browser's profiles or groups.
- For tasks with output, make a desk named after the outcome and drag only the pages still needed onto it.
- Close the old Spaces only when you have opened each replacement and found your place.
For choosing the unit to organise by, see apps that organise browser tabs by task. More practical guides are in the work by task hub. To try a desk now, download Plexii free.
Common questions
When does Arc stop working? The Browser Company (opens in a new tab) says Arc stops working on macOS and Windows on 22 December 2026. New accounts could not be created from 22 October 2026, and on iOS and Android, sign-in and tab sync end on 23 November 2026.
What replaces Arc? The Browser Company points users to its newer browser, Dia, and says Arc's passwords, bookmarks, extensions, history, Spaces, folders and tab groups can be imported. Chrome tab groups, Edge Workspaces and extensions such as Workona are other ways to keep tabs organised by project.
Is Plexii a browser? No. Plexii is a desk workspace with a built-in browser for looking things up and for keeping web pages beside your documents. It is not meant to replace the browser you use every day.
Can I put my Arc tabs into Plexii? You can drag pages you still need onto a desk, where each becomes a browser widget. For a large set of tabs, sort them by purpose first, and move across only those that belong to a task with output.
Do I need a separate tab manager if I use Plexii? Only if browsing tabs are a big part of your day. A desk holds the pages one task needs. A tab manager keeps your browser itself in order. They solve different problems.
Can Plexii's browser use Chrome extensions? Some. You can add an extension from its unpacked folder, and it runs on pages in Plexii's browser. Extensions that rely on a toolbar button are limited for now, and Plexii cannot install from an extension store.