Nothing. It’s open source under GPL-3.0. No paid tier, no catch.

Signed and notarized by Apple, so macOS opens it without a fuss. The source is on GitHub if you’d rather check yourself.

What does it collect?

Once a day the app sends one anonymous “opened today” count with its version and macOS version and no persistent ID, so we know how many people use it. Update checks are counted by version and day, and whether it’s a new copy’s first. Each launch also reads one small file, the same for everyone, so we can switch off a speed-up that misbehaves. Nothing else, unless you tick the box. Then crash reports and counts, never your sites or searches.

It counts its own visitors on its own servers, replays included, typing masked, gone after 30 days. No third party does the counting.

Same sidebar, same muscle memory. The importer brings your spaces, pinned tabs and their names along.

No. It dresses like Dia, or like Arc if you ask.

Ardia, the sidebar browser for Mac: Touch grass.

Arc’s sidebar and Dia’s polish on real Chromium. Free and open source. Ads and trackers stay out.

Send to my Mac

Email it to me

Download for MacSend to my MacApple Silicon NightlyWet paint Read the source★ 932

Mac only for now. Tell me when it's on WindowsLinuxyour computer.

On GitHub: Watch › Custom › Releases. No email, no newsletter.

The Ardia window in light mode: pinned tiles and tabs in the sidebar, and Wikipedia’s article on The Hay Wain, John Constable’s painting of a hay cart crossing a river, open on the right.

Measured before every release

Benchmarks.

Ardia against Dia and Helium: 24 tests, same Mac, every release. Helium takes 3. They’re in here too.

Cold launch → window on screen
8×
faster than Dia
26% faster than Helium
Cold launch → window on screen, in ms, median of 6+ runs, lower is better
Browser Median
Ardia (best) 280 ms
Dia 2,262 ms
Helium 353 ms
Cold launch → page painted
6.3×
faster than Dia
4% faster than Helium
Cold launch → page painted (link opened from another app), in ms, median of 6+ runs, lower is better
Browser Median
Ardia (best) 413 ms
Dia 2,643 ms
Helium 432 ms

Cold launch → window on screen, in ms, median of 6+ runs, lower is better
Browser	Median
Ardia (best)	280 ms
Dia	2,262 ms
Helium	353 ms

Cold launch → page painted (link opened from another app), in ms, median of 6+ runs, lower is better
Browser	Median
Ardia (best)	413 ms
Dia	2,643 ms
Helium	432 ms

Idle CPU

Ardia 4 of 4

1 tab

3.9×

less CPU than Dia

5% less CPU than Helium

Idle CPU, in %. Median of 3+ runs · Lower is better.
%	Ardia	Dia	Helium
1 tab	0.16 (best)	0.63	0.17
20 tabs	0.45 (best)	1.1	1.0
1 tab, settled	0.05 (best)	not measured	0.09
20 tabs, settled	0.31 (best)	not measured	0.47

Median of 3+ runs · Lower is better

Idle wakeups

Ardia 4 of 4

20 tabs

2.8×

fewer wakeups than Dia

2× fewer wakeups than Helium

Idle wakeups, in /s. Median of 3+ runs · Lower is better.
/s	Ardia	Dia	Helium
20 tabs	13.6 (best)	38.7	28.2
1 tab	5.3 (best)	14.4	5.9
1 tab, settled	3.1 (best)	not measured	4.5
20 tabs, settled	11.8 (best)	not measured	17.1

Median of 3+ runs · Lower is better

New window → first paint
1.8×
faster than Dia
9% faster than Helium
New window → first paint, in ms, median of 3+ runs, lower is better
Browser Median
Ardia (best) 79.9 ms
Dia 144 ms
Helium 87.8 ms
Memory
Ardia 4 of 4
10 tabs
1.7×
less memory than Dia
7% less memory than Helium
Memory, in MB. Median of 3+ runs · Lower is better.
MB Ardia Dia Helium
10 tabs 714 (best) 1,273 773
20 tabs 1,082 (best) 1,822 1,121
1 tab 298 (best) 480 374
Back to 1 tab after 20 358 (best) 538 411
Median of 3+ runs · Lower is better
Tab switch → shown
Helium wins this one
3%Photo finish
faster than Ardia
Ardia’s still 1.7× faster than Dia.
Tab switch → shown, in ms, median of 3+ runs, lower is better
Browser Median
Ardia 14.0 ms
Dia 24.0 ms
Helium (best) 13.5 ms
New tab → first paint
1.6×
faster than Dia
30% faster than Helium
New tab → first paint, in ms, median of 3+ runs, lower is better
Browser Median
Ardia (best) 54.9 ms
Dia 88.9 ms
Helium 71.5 ms
Speedometer 3
1%Photo finish
faster than Dia
Speedometer 3, in points, median of 6 runs, higher is better
Browser Median
Ardia (best) 59.1 points
Dia 58.2 points
Helium 58.6 points
Cold launch → restored tab painted
Helium wins this one
1%Photo finish
faster than Ardia
Cold launch → restored tab painted, in ms, median of 6 runs, lower is better
Browser Median
Ardia 360 ms
Dia not measured
Helium (best) 355 ms

New window → first paint, in ms, median of 3+ runs, lower is better
Browser	Median
Ardia (best)	79.9 ms
Dia	144 ms
Helium	87.8 ms

Memory, in MB. Median of 3+ runs · Lower is better.
MB	Ardia	Dia	Helium
10 tabs	714 (best)	1,273	773
20 tabs	1,082 (best)	1,822	1,121
1 tab	298 (best)	480	374
Back to 1 tab after 20	358 (best)	538	411

Tab switch → shown, in ms, median of 3+ runs, lower is better
Browser	Median
Ardia	14.0 ms
Dia	24.0 ms
Helium (best)	13.5 ms

New tab → first paint, in ms, median of 3+ runs, lower is better
Browser	Median
Ardia (best)	54.9 ms
Dia	88.9 ms
Helium	71.5 ms

Speedometer 3, in points, median of 6 runs, higher is better
Browser	Median
Ardia (best)	59.1 points
Dia	58.2 points
Helium	58.6 points

Cold launch → restored tab painted, in ms, median of 6 runs, lower is better
Browser	Median
Ardia	360 ms
Dia	not measured
Helium (best)	355 ms

Power with 11 tabs open

Ardia 4 of 5

Idle, window in view

242×

less power than Dia

12% less power than Helium

Power with 11 tabs open, in mW. Median of 2 runs · Lower is better.
mW	Ardia	Dia	Helium
Idle, window hidden	3.9	1,223	3.1 (best)
Idle, window in view	3.5 (best)	848	4.0
Scrolling	28.2 (best)	626	51.9
Playing a video	82.0 (best)	779	90.9
Switching tabs	136 (best)	763	173

Median of 2 runs · Lower is better

Helium takes idle, window hidden: 3.1 mW to Ardia’s 3.9 mW.

The small print
MacBook Pro (Mac17,9), Apple M5 Pro, 48 GB, macOS 27.2 (26B5112a), Oct 19, 2026. Ardia 0.2.38-nightly.8 (Chromium 155.0.8059.84), Dia 1.53.0 (Chromium 155.0.8059.80), Helium 0.19.3.1 (Chromium 155.0.8059.79).
Every figure is a median, so one lucky run doesn’t count.
How we measure The benchmarks page

A painted notice nailed to a fence post: LOST, over a portrait of a black-faced lamb with a yellow bell.

Answers to
a yellow bell

The offline page

Where’s the lamb?

Wi-Fi died? Chrome gives you a dinosaur. Ardia gives you a hillside of sheep, goats and very helpful dogs, and one lamb with a yellow bell. Find her. Swipe the flock, she’s in there. Online too, at ardia://game.

A screenshot of the game: a painted meadow packed with sheep, goats and sheepdogs, the lost lamb somewhere among them.

FAQ

Fair questions.

Short answers. All of them true.

What does it cost?: Nothing. It’s open source under GPL-3.0. No paid tier, no catch.
Is it safe to open?: Signed and notarized by Apple, so macOS opens it without a fuss. The source is on GitHub if you’d rather check yourself.
What does it collect?: Once a day the app sends one anonymous “opened today” count with its version and macOS version and no persistent ID, so we know how many people use it. Update checks are counted by version and day, and whether it’s a new copy’s first. Each launch also reads one small file, the same for everyone, so we can switch off a speed-up that misbehaves. Nothing else, unless you tick the box. Then crash reports and counts, never your sites or searches.
And this website?: It counts its own visitors on its own servers, replays included, typing masked, gone after 30 days. No third party does the counting.
Coming from Arc?: Same sidebar, same muscle memory. The importer brings your spaces, pinned tabs and their names along. See what comes over.
Is this Dia?: No. It dresses like Dia, or like Arc if you ask.
Why “Ardia”?: Arc plus Dia.