I don’t really need to say this, but your browser is probably the single most-used app on your computer. So, setting up for a medicore one is a much bigger deal than most people realize. I know countless of people who open Edge or Safari for the first time on their shiny new Windows laptops and MacBooks, and well, never bother looking any further. They just accept whatever comes pre-installed and move on with their lives without realizing just how many options there are (beyond Chrome).
I’ve cycled through practically every browser there is. When agentic AI browsers were breaking headlines, I lived in them for weeks. I’ve daily-driven Firefox, Opera, Vilvadi, Chrome, Safari, Dia, Brave — you name it. There was a point where I was paying $20/month for Opera Neon just because it impressed me so much (which goes to show just how much a solid browsing experience really matters to me). After all of that though, I’ve settled on one browser that replaced them all: Zen.
Zen is an open-source browser built on top of Firefox
The anti-Chrome, in the best way possible
Zen Browser is a fork of Mozilla Firefox that was released on July 11, 2024. The browser is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it’s completely free to use. Unlike the vast majority of browsers out there (including most of the ones I mentioned above), Zen isn’t built on Chromium. While Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, Arc, and of course, Chrome, all share Google’s Chromium engine under the hood, Zen runs on Firefox’s Gecko engine. This means that it’s completely independent from Google’s grip on the web.
More importantly, the browser is completely open-source and licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. This essentially means that anyone can inspect the code on its official GitHub page, contribute to it, or fork it. Zen Browser also doesn’t collect any telemetry or personal data, and third-party trackers are not permitted to operate within the browser. Interestingly, it also strips the telemetry built into Mozilla Firefox.
These Are the 7 Best Browsers That Aren’t Google Chrome
Chrome is excellent, but it’s not the only game in town.
That said, their privacy policy does state that they “try to disable all telemetry data collection in Zen, but may have missed some.” As with any open-source software, this also means that Zen’s privacy claims are verifiable. You don’t need to take anyone’s word for it since the code is right there on GitHub for anyone to audit.
It’s designed for a calmer browsing experience
Minimalism that actually means something
As someone who gets distracted extremely easily, my biggest problem with most browsers is that they always get in your way. One minute you’re locked in and working, and the next you’re wrestling with a cluttered tab bar that’s become completely unreadable. Zen is the complete opposite. The browser’s interface is minimal by default. It stays out of your way until you need it, and tucks itself away when you don’t.
When you’re browsing, you can strip away all the traditional browser elements (the toolbar, the sidebar, everything) and leave nothing but the webpage itself. Zen calls this Compact Mode, and trust me when I say that every other browser begins to feel cluttered once you try it. As soon as you need the toolbar and sidebar, just hover over the edge of the screen, and they slide right back in.
This simplicity has indirectly saved me so much time, especially when I’m working on an article. I no longer go down completely random rabbit holes at times when I should be focusing on work because there’s literally nothing to pull my attention away. It’s just me, the webpage, and whatever I’m working on. That’s it.
Features that actually make a difference
Every feature earns its spot
Another reason why I’ve been obsessed with Zen lately is because of the features it offers. Now, I know this is something that’s been said a lot before, but I don’t know why every browser doesn’t offer vertical tabs by default. Once you’ve used vertical tabs, the traditional horizontal tab bar just feels…behind. Zen’s sidebar keeps all your tabs neatly stacked on the side of the screen, and unlike a horizontal tab bar, it doesn’t become a mess of tiny, unreadable icons the moment you open more than a few tabs.
Beyond vertical tabs, Zen offers Workspaces, which lets you separate your tabs into different contexts like work, personal, college, research, etc. Instead of drowning in one endless list of tabs and trying to figure out which tab belongs to which task, you can switch between Workspaces with a click and keep everything compartmentalized in one place. Now, this isn’t a feature truly unique to Zen. However, paired with the minimal UI of Zen, it just works better than anywhere else I’ve tried it.
Glance is a great feature too, which lets you preview a link in a quick popup without actually opening a new tab. It’s perfect for when you want to check something without losing your place. You glance at it, and if it’s not what you need, you dismiss it, and you’re right back where you were!
I opened the same 10 tabs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave — this one uses the least
All browsers consume memory, but which one consumes the least?
Zen is extremely customizable
Make it yours in ways Chrome could never
Another aspect I really like about Zen is how customizable it is. From color themes and gradients to the overall layout and tool placement, you can customize practically every aspect of the browser’s appearance. Zen also has a Mods registry, which is a collection of community-made tweaks and themes you can install with a single click.
Unlike extensions, mods can change or enhance the browser’s interface itself rather than just adding functionality to webpages. And if you ever can’t find what you’re looking for, you can always write your own custom CSS and make Zen look however you want.
- OS
-
Windows, macOS, Linux
- Developer
-
Mauro V
- Price model
-
Free, Open-source
I regret ignoring Zen for so long
It’s rare for a browser to impress me so much that I move my browsing data over to it within minutes of trying it. That’s exactly what Zen did, and I regret not giving it a whirl sooner.
