# Shift vs Zen Browser

| Attribute | Shift | Zen Browser |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 52.6 (39% (low)) | 49.8 (32% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 44,924 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Shift is a privacy-focused Chromium-based browser where users create separate spaces to organize work, hobbies, and projects, integrate their favorite apps, and access built-in AI tools. It is indexed under Browser Productivity.","source":"https://shift.com/pricing/","question":"What is Shift?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Shift offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $199.99 per year. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://shift.com/pricing/","question":"Is Shift free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Shift supports Windows and macOS. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://shift.com/pricing/","question":"What platforms does Shift support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 5 integrations for Shift, including Chrome Extensions, LM Studio, Cloudflare, Google Web Risk and Avira. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://shift.com/pricing/","question":"What does Shift integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for Shift. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Shift not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://shift.com/security/","question":"What security certifications does Shift have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Shift is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://shift.com/pricing/","question":"Where is Shift available?","confidence":0.5}]` | `[{"answer":"A Firefox-based browser that eliminates telemetry and tracking while offering productivity tools like split-view tabs, workspace organization, and website customization without collecting or sharing user data. It is indexed under Browser Productivity.","source":"https://zen-browser.app","question":"What is Zen Browser?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Zen Browser is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MPL-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://zen-browser.app","question":"Is Zen Browser free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Zen Browser supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://zen-browser.app","question":"What platforms does Zen Browser support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Zen Browser can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://zen-browser.app","question":"Can Zen Browser be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Zen Browser is published under the MPL-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop","question":"Is Zen Browser open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A Chromium-based desktop browser that lets users create separate workspaces (Spaces) for different roles and integrate multiple apps with built-in AI features. Automatically manages logins across integrated apps and includes native security protections. | A desktop browser designed to deliver fast performance while prioritizing user privacy and productive browsing capabilities. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"freemium_subscription","deployment_model":"chromium_fork","chrome_extension_webstore_compatibility":true}` | `{"pricing_model":"completely_free","vertical_tab_sidebar_layout":true,"cmd_k_command_palette_global_search":true,"split_screen_web_panels_in_single_window":true,"multi_account_cookie_isolation_containers":true}` |
| integrations.count | 7 | 2 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Chrome Extensions","native":true,"direction":"inbound"},{"name":"LM Studio","native":false,"category":"ai"},{"name":"Cloudflare","native":false,"category":"infrastructure"},{"name":"Google Web Risk","native":false,"category":"security"},{"name":"Avira","native":false,"category":"security"},{"name":"ProofHub","category":"project management"},{"name":"Asana","category":"project management"},{"name":"Sentry","category":"monitoring"},{"name":"Toggl","category":"time tracking"},{"name":"RescueTime","category":"time tracking"},{"name":"XMind","category":"mind mapping"},{"name":"Miro","category":"collaboration"}]` | `[{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"RSS feeds"},{"name":"RSS","native":true,"category":"content","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Mozilla Account","native":true}]` |
| language.primary | - | C++ |
| license.spdx | - | MPL-2.0 |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | - |
| platform.support | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free forever","features":["5 Spaces","10 apps per Space","Browser Builder and templates","Limited Shift AI usage","Carbon-neutral browsing"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"perpetual","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"spaces":"5","apps_per_space":"10"}},{"free":false,"name":"Advanced","summary":"$199.99/year","features":["Everything in Free","Unlimited Spaces","Unlimited apps per Space","Expanded Shift AI usage","Priority customer support (video calling)"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":199.99,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Team","summary":"Contact sales","features":["Consolidated billing","Central dashboard for management"],"contactSales":true}],"summary":"Free forever or $199.99/year for Advanced","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://shift.com/pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-24T12:36:42.977Z","startingPrice":{"amount":199.99,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["year"]}` | `{"type":"free","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://zen-browser.app","retrievedAt":"2026-09-13T19:28:22.104Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | free |
| pricing.price_level | high | free |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":199.99,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | - | 6 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.23.2b","date":"2026-10-09T19:11:05Z","type":"stable","version":"1.23.2b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.23.1b","date":"2026-10-07T06:55:29Z","type":"stable","version":"1.23.1b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.23b","date":"2026-10-03T10:03:45Z","type":"stable","version":"1.23b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.22.3b","date":"2026-09-23T10:46:10Z","type":"stable","version":"1.22.3b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.22.2b","date":"2026-09-16T15:38:49Z","type":"stable","version":"1.22.2b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.22.1b","date":"2026-09-12T16:22:28Z","type":"stable","version":"1.22.1b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.22b","date":"2026-09-05T17:56:46Z","type":"stable","version":"1.22b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.16b","date":"2026-08-29T21:29:27Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.16b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.15b","date":"2026-08-19T17:13:06Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.15b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.14b","date":"2026-08-13T16:18:49Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.14b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.13b","date":"2026-08-10T06:52:08Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.13b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.12b","date":"2026-08-07T10:40:20Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.12b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.11b","date":"2026-08-06T14:58:54Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.11b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.10b","date":"2026-07-30T16:50:56Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.10b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.9b","date":"2026-07-25T13:15:59Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.9b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.8b","date":"2026-07-17T10:25:13Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.8b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.7b","date":"2026-07-15T21:53:55Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.7b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.6b","date":"2026-07-09T10:46:23Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.6b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.5b","date":"2026-07-02T22:45:01Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.5b"},{"url":"https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/releases/tag/1.21.4b","date":"2026-06-27T09:26:34Z","type":"stable","version":"1.21.4b"}]` |
| security.gdpr | yes | - |
| security.trust_center | https://shift.com/security/ | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fzen-browser%2Fdesktop&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Browser Productivity)

| Capability | Shift | Zen Browser |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | Chromium fork | - |
| Chrome extension webstore compatibility | ✓ | - |
| Vertical tab sidebar layout | - | ✓ |
| Split screen web panels in single window | - | ✓ |
| Multi account cookie isolation containers | - | ✓ |
| Cmd k command palette global search | - | ✓ |
| Native ad and tracker blocking engine | - | - |
| Collaborative shared workspaces and folders | - | - |
| Memory suspension inactive tab freezing | - | - |
| Generative AI LLM page summarization | - | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| ISO 27001 | - | - |
| Pricing model | Freemium subscription | Completely free |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:15:28.016Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*