Plainly vs Balance Browser
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Plainly
Experience web browsing without distractions. This app offers a clean, full-screen interface with minimal controls, allowing you to focus solely on content. It includes features like quick tab switching, passcode protection for privacy, and dark mode.
- Full-screen browsing experience
- Intuitive tab switching
- Buttonless interface option
- Passcode protection for privacy
- Dark mode support
- Quick history clearing
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Plainly is a web browser for browsing your favorite web sites full-screen. No address bars, no toolbars, no status bars – just a small button at the bottom of your screen. - Tap the Plainly button at the bottom of the screen to switch tabs and access navigation options - Two button modes: draggable mode lets you move the Plainly button to wherever you want; quick-switching mode lets you switch between tabs by swiping left and right on the Plainly button. - Buttonless full-screen: Tap and hold with two fingers to completely hide the Plainly button. - Passcode protection: Require a passcode for browsing privately. Plainly will also hide what you're looking at in the app switcher. - And more! Quickly clear browsing history; shortcuts support for launching Plainly on a given tab; pop-up support for websites that require them; and dark mode.
Balance Browser
A modern web browser designed for productivity and privacy. It offers built-in tools like notes, AI assistance, split view, and an RSS reader to enhance focus and organization while browsing.
- Productive sidebar with notes, history, and RSS
- Split View for side-by-side browsing
- Local AI chat assistant
- Command Palette for quick actions
- Reader Mode for distraction-free reading
- Password Manager
- Profile separation for work and personal use
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Balance Browser is a modern web browser that combines fast and native browsing with powerful productivity tools and private AI. Stay focused, organize your work, and browse more efficiently with built-in notes, AI assistance, Reader Mode, Split View, maps, and more. Productivity Command Palette Quickly search browser commands, switch tabs, and perform actions with a single keyboard shortcut. Productive Sidebar Access Notes, History, Downloads, RSS feeds, and your favorite pinned websites from one customizable sidebar. Split View Browse and interact with two websites side by side in a single window. Built-in Notepad Capture ideas, snippets, and to-do lists without leaving your browser. AI Local AI Chat Chat with a private, on-device AI assistant for writing, coding, brainstorming, and everyday questions. Your conversations stay on your Mac. Interactive Map Workspace Extract locations from your open tabs and visualize them on an interactive map. Smart Address Bar Automatically recognizes URLs, domains, and search queries, so you can get where you're going faster. Reader Mode Enjoy a clean, distraction-free reading experiences. RSS Reader Subscribe to RSS feeds and access them directly from the sidebar. Password Manager Securely save and autofill passwords while browsing. Profiles Separate work and personal browsing with independent profiles. Optionally connect an IMAP account to view unread email counts for each profile. Chrome Extension Support Install compatible extensions from the Chrome Web Store to personalize your browsing experience. Flexible Tabs Choose horizontal tabs, vertical tabs, or hide the tab bar entirely to create the browsing experience that works best for you. More Features • Native macOS interface • Privacy controls and content blocking • Native PDF viewer • Customizable homepage • User Agent switching Balance Browser is designed for people who spend their day on the web and want a browser that helps them stay productive, organized, and focused.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Balance Browser at Free against Plainly's $0.99. Balance Browser also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 months). Plainly's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Balance Browser is free to download; Plainly costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Plainly ships an update every 9 months, Balance Browser every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Plainly | Balance Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Justin Cheng | Bryce Agostini |
Customer experience
Plainly
Balance Browser
In-app purchases
Plainly
No in-app purchases
Balance Browser
No in-app purchases









