Zen

What is Zen?

Zen started as a fork of Chromium aimed at users who want a clean, distraction‑free experience. The project has been around for several years and receives regular updates, with the latest release 1.23.4b in October 2026. It is built with the same core as Chrome, so extensions work and performance is comparable.

The browser targets users who need speed and privacy without the bloat of mainstream browsers. It is ideal for people who want a minimal interface, quick tab grouping, and a strong focus on privacy.

Compared with Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Brave, Zen feels lighter and less resource‑hungry. It removes some of the built‑in telemetry and offers a more straightforward UI, but it still supports most web standards and extensions, so the transition is smooth for Windows users.

Best for: Users who want a fast, privacy‑focused browser that feels close to Chromium but with a cleaner interface.

Key features of Zen

• Split view for multitasking
• Web sidebar for quick navigation
• Tab groups to organize sessions
• Customizable interface with themes
• Vertical tabs for better space usage
• Privacy‑focused design with minimal data collection

Tips for Windows users

Zen uses the same file formats as Chromium; bookmarks, passwords, and extensions can be imported via the sync feature. Keyboard shortcuts largely match Chrome: Ctrl‑T for new tab, Ctrl‑W to close, Ctrl‑Shift‑T to reopen. The split view and vertical tabs are new; you can enable them in Settings → Appearance. Workflow changes are minimal, but you may need to adjust to the slightly different tab‑grouping UI.

Recent releases

• 1.23.4b — October 21, 2026
• 1.23.3b — October 16, 2026
• 1.23.2b — October 9, 2026
• 1.23.1b — October 7, 2026