Alternatives / Safari
Looking for an open source Safari alternative? We compared 8 open source browsers by engine, license, platforms, and maintenance. Brave, Zen, Waterfox, and LibreWolf are mature, while Ladybird builds its own engine and is still in alpha.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Ladybird | Independent engine (alpha) | BSD-2-Clause |
| Zen Browser | Vertical tabs and workspaces | MPL-2.0 |
| Helium | Ad-blocking Chromium | GPL-3.0 |
| Brave | Built-in ad and tracker blocking | MPL-2.0 |
| Waterfox | Telemetry-free Firefox fork | MPL-2.0 |
| LibreWolf | Hardened Firefox fork | MPL-2.0 |
| Flow | Minimalist with spaces (young) | GPL-3.0 |
| Midori Browser | Lightweight privacy browser | MPL-2.0 |
We looked for open-source browsers that run on the same platforms as Safari and respect privacy. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and platforms in its repository. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Brave is a Chromium-based browser that blocks ads, trackers, and fingerprinting, with sync and Chrome extension compatibility. Helium is a Chromium-based browser with ads and trackers blocked by default and no analytics, but no built-in password manager or cloud sync.
Zen Browser is a Firefox-based browser with vertical tabs, split views, and workspaces. Waterfox removes telemetry and adds native ad blocking and tree-style tabs, and LibreWolf is a hardened Firefox fork with uBlock Origin included. Midori is a lightweight privacy-focused browser for Windows, Linux, and Android.
Ladybird is built on its own engine with no shared code with Blink, WebKit, or Gecko, and is non-profit backed, but it is in alpha for Linux and macOS. Flow is a minimalist browser with profiles and spaces, with native ad blocking still on its roadmap.
Midori's iOS and macOS versions are listed as coming soon. Flow's last commit was in May 2026. Brave has past criticism over ad network whitelisting and an optional rewards system.
Brave, Zen, Waterfox, LibreWolf, and Midori are MPL-2.0. Helium and Flow are GPL-3.0. Ladybird is BSD-2-Clause.
Most had commits within days or weeks of this update.
Safari is a proprietary browser tied to Apple platforms and bundled with its devices. Open-source browsers run on other operating systems too, offer different privacy defaults, and let you inspect the code, but few match Safari's integration with the Apple ecosystem.
BSD-2-Clause browser project backed by the nonprofit Ladybird Browser Initiative. It does not use Chromium/Blink, Firefox/Gecko, or Apple's WebKit and aims to develop an independent engine without an advertising or search-deal business model. The project is alpha-stage, initially targeting Linux and macOS.
Pricing: Open-source project funded by donations and sponsorships; experimental builds.
MPL-2.0 Firefox browser focused on vertical tabs, split views, workspaces, compact mode, themes, and Zen Mods. It uses Gecko and Firefox extensions across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Pricing: Free and open source desktop browser.
Brave is an MPL-2.0 Chromium-based browser with built-in blocking for ads, trackers, cookies, and fingerprinting, plus synchronization, mobile apps, and Chrome extension compatibility.
Pricing: Free and open source; optional Brave services may have separate terms.
GPL-3.0 Chromium/Blink browser that blocks ads, trackers, phishing domains, third-party cookies, and many fingerprinting techniques by default. Also offers Chrome and Manifest V2 extensions, native !bang shortcuts, split view, and HTTPS enforcement while avoiding a large rewards, wallet, VPN, AI, or cloud ecosystem.
Pricing: Free and open source desktop browser; no built-in cloud sync by design.
MPL-2.0 Firefox fork that removes Mozilla telemetry and experiments and adds native ad blocking, tree-style tabs, private containers, HTTPS-first behavior, and privacy-focused DNS handling. Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
Pricing: Free and open source browser.
MPL-2.0 Firefox-based browser that removes telemetry, experiments, sponsored content, and many Mozilla services while applying stronger privacy and security settings. Includes uBlock Origin and fingerprinting protections. Primary development is on Codeberg; the GitHub source/index repository is not the canonical project home.
Pricing: Free and open source community browser; primary development on Codeberg.
GPL-3.0 Chromium/Blink browser with profiles, spaces, command palette, sidebar navigation, and Chrome extension compatibility. Focuses on workspace organization more than privacy infrastructure; recent development activity is lower than Zen or Helium.
Pricing: Open-source desktop browser; verify current project activity.
MPL-2.0 modern Midori desktop browser developed by Astian using Gecko/Firefox, unlike the WebKit-based architecture of historical Midori versions. Includes tracker blocking, workspaces, configurable privacy options, and Firefox WebExtension compatibility on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Pricing: Open-source desktop browser.
| Alternative | Type | License | Engine | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladybird | Browser | BSD-2-Clause | Own engine | Following the project |
| Zen Browser | Browser | MPL-2.0 | Gecko | Customization |
| Helium | Browser | GPL-3.0 | Chromium | Minimal privacy browser |
| Brave | Browser | MPL-2.0 | Chromium | Closest mainstream choice |
| Waterfox | Browser | MPL-2.0 | Gecko | Firefox users |
| LibreWolf | Browser | MPL-2.0 | Gecko | Maximum hardening |
| Flow | Browser | GPL-3.0 | Chromium | Minimal browsing |
| Midori Browser | Browser | MPL-2.0 | Gecko | Low-resource devices |
Want a mainstream privacy browser
Brave blocks ads and trackers and syncs across devices.
Want the most hardened Firefox
LibreWolf removes telemetry and bundles uBlock Origin.
Want a fresh take on tabs
Zen offers vertical tabs, split views, and workspaces.
Want a truly independent engine
Ladybird has its own engine, in alpha on Linux and macOS.