A browser I'm building because every other browser treats RAM like it's free.
Chrome eats memory. Arc is beautiful but bloated. Orion is promising but rough. None of them let me switch how I browse based on my mood or task. I have ADHD and I context-switch constantly — I want a browser that adapts to me, not one I have to fight.
ComfyBrowser is my answer: one browser, three UIs, one memory budget.
Three swappable UI modes that I can toggle at any time:
Familiar. Tabs on top. Fast to reach. No friction.
For when I just need to get something done without thinking about the browser.
Sidebar navigation. Spaces. Command bar-first.
For deep work sessions where I'm staying inside one context for a while.
Compact. Keyboard-driven. Minimal chrome (heh).
For research, reading, and when I want the web to feel calm.
Every UI mode shares the same underlying engine and process model. The UI switching is cosmetic — what matters is that tabs are aggressively managed:
- User should Know about their RAM and what each tab gives
- User is in full control of their RAM
- Swift + WebKit — native macOS, WKWebView for rendering
- AppKit Most Layouts and interaction should be in AppKit
- SwiftUI SwiftUI for content, though some areas for SwiftUI might be easier
- Keep the process model dead simple first. Don't over-engineer tab suspension before the UI even works.
- All three UIs should share the same
BrowserViewModel— the layout changes, not the data. - The mode switcher should be a single keyboard shortcut. Something fast.