Opera Software has officially opened public access to its AI-powered Opera Neon browser, ending the waitlist system that had been in place since October 2025. The browser, which launched on December 11, 2025, represents one of the most ambitious attempts to integrate agentic AI directly into the browsing experience, but comes with a significant price tag of $19.90 per month.
What Opera Neon offers
Opera Neon distinguishes itself as an “agentic workspace” that provides unified access to cutting-edge AI models including GPT-5.1 (released November 12, 2025), Gemini 3 Pro (released November 18, 2025), Google’s Veo 3.1 video generation model, and Nano Banana Pro for image editing. The browser features four specialized AI agents: Neon Chat for conversational interactions, Neon Do for task automation, Neon Make for content creation, and the newly added Opera Deep Research Agent (ODRA) for comprehensive research projects.
The browser introduces a novel “Tasks” system that creates self-contained workspaces for different projects, allowing users to organize websites, documents, and AI interactions within unified contexts. Opera Neon also features “Cards” that function like power-ups, automatically incorporating specific instructions into AI prompts for recurring workflows.
Arc Browser’s current status
Meanwhile, Arc Browser from The Browser Company has entered maintenance mode as of May 2025, with the company shifting focus to its new AI-native browser called Dia. Arc’s AI features, bundled under Arc Max, include 5-second previews, ChatGPT integration, smart tab renaming, and download organization. However, these features remain more limited compared to Opera Neon’s comprehensive agentic approach.
In a letter to Arc members published May 26, 2025, The Browser Company founder Josh Miller acknowledged that Arc “fell short of aspirations” and that the company needed to “embrace AI fully, sooner and unapologetically.” The company is now focusing on Dia as their next-generation AI browser.
Why this matters for AI browsing
Opera Neon’s public availability represents a significant moment in the evolution of AI-powered browsers. While services like ChatGPT’s Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet offer AI-enhanced browsing, Opera Neon aims to be the first comprehensive agentic browser available to the general public. The $19.90 monthly subscription consolidates access to multiple premium AI services that would typically require separate subscriptions.
The timing is particularly notable given that Arc Browser, once considered a revolutionary browser redesign, has effectively been sunsetted in favor of AI-native alternatives. This suggests that traditional browser interfaces may be giving way to agentic AI interfaces as the primary way users interact with web content.
Security considerations
ZDNET has reported that Opera Neon comes with “unresolved security risks” according to Gartner analysis. The integration of multiple AI agents that can perform autonomous actions on behalf of users introduces new security challenges that traditional browsers don’t face. Opera has emphasized that Neon is designed for “power users” who want cutting-edge AI capabilities, rather than general consumers.
As of December 2025, Opera Neon represents the most advanced commercially available agentic browser, though its subscription model and security considerations will likely limit adoption to early adopters and professionals who can justify the cost for productivity gains.
