Dia vs Google Chrome in 2026

Dia and Chrome run on the same engine, so this comparison is not about rendering. Both use Chromium, both install Chrome Web Store extensions, and both score 5 for AI features in our ratings. What separates them is the assistant beside the page: how it works, what it costs, and which company is behind it.

Two assistants, two owners

Dia was built around its assistant from the start. You chat with the page you are on, @-mention other open tabs to compare them, or ask about your browsing history. Skills let you save a prompt and run it again with a slash command. The paid plans add a daily Morning Brief and connections to work tools such as Slack, Google Workspace and Atlassian's own apps. The Browser Company, which made Arc, has belonged to Atlassian since a deal worth about $610 million was announced in September 2025, and Dia is being shaped into a browser for work.

Chrome has caught up quickly. Gemini in Chrome reads the current page plus any tabs you add, compares them, and since April 2026 has Skills of its own: saved prompts you rerun with a slash. Chrome also goes further toward doing things for you. Auto browse lets Gemini click, type and fill in forms across sites to finish a task, which is why Chrome has agentic mode as a paid feature in our table. It needs a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan, is limited to the US, and stops to ask before buying anything or posting for you.

What it costs

This is where they split most. Gemini in Chrome is free with a Google account in the countries where it is offered; you pay only for auto browse. Dia changed its model in August 2026. New Mac users get a 14-day trial, after which the free plan is the browser with no AI at all. The assistant needs Better Answers at $10 a month or Better Days at $100 a month. Existing users kept their free access when the plans launched, and the Windows version had no paid plans at the time of writing.

Privacy and data

Neither is a privacy browser, but Dia scores 3 for privacy and Chrome scores 2. Dia blocks trackers; Chrome ships no tracker blocking at all. Dia keeps your chats, history and bookmarks encrypted on your device, sends AI requests through its servers to partners such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google, and says those partners are contractually barred from training on your data. By default Dia does use some content to improve its product, which you can turn off in settings. Gemini conversations fall under Google's Gemini Apps privacy notice, which allows human reviewers to see some chats unless you switch off Gemini Apps Activity.

Reach and maturity

Chrome runs on all five major platforms, scores 5 for speed against Dia's 4, and is the browser sites are tested against first. It also scores 4 for customizability and 4 for extensions, against Dia's 3 for both. Dia is desktop only: Mac, plus a Windows 11 version that arrived in October 2026 and is less mature than the Mac app. Dia answers with a calmer interface; both score 4 for ease of use.

Which should you choose?

Choose Dia if you work on a Mac or a Windows PC, want the assistant to be the centre of the browser rather than a side panel, and like the idea of AI wired into Slack and Atlassian's tools. Budget for a subscription: without one, Dia has no AI.

Choose Google Chrome if you want capable AI for free, the same browser on your phone, and the best site compatibility, and you are comfortable with Google handling your data. If you want an agent that does the clicking for you, Chrome offers one on a paid plan in the US.