head to head · open source
Helium vs Flow
Helium has 22,337 GitHub stars, 683 forks, 490 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Flow has 1,093 stars, 61 forks, 59 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. Helium leads on adoption by 1,944% (22,337 vs 1,093 stars). Helium is written in C++ under GPL-3.0; Flow is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. Helium has attracted 3% as many forks as stars, Flow 6%. Helium was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (browser, chromium), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Helium | Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 22K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-05-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 683 | ⑂ 61 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Helium if
- You weight community size — 22K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Flow if
- You want the Flow feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Flow fits your workflow better
About Helium
Helium The Chromium based web browser made for people, with love. Privacy first with unbiased ad blocking. No bloat and no noise. helium.computer Downloads [!NOTE] Helium is currently in beta, so unexpected issues may occur. Please report them if they haven't already been reported. The easiest way to download Helium is helium.computer. It'll pick a compatible binary for your platform automatically. The same releases can also be downloaded from source on GitHub: Latest macOS release Latest Linux release Latest Windows release Helium repos All Helium packaging, tooling, services, and components are open source and…
read the full Helium overview →
About Flow
Flow Browser A modern, tabbed web browser with Chrome extension support—built on Electron. Overview Flow Browser is a lightweight, feature rich web browser that combines the power of Chromium with a clean, modern interface. Built on Electron, it offers full support for Chrome extensions, making it a versatile alternative to mainstream browsers. Install Choose the file you need and download from GitHub Releases. Screenshots Features Profiles : Multiple profiles support, allowing you to use different settings and extensions for each profile. Spaces : Multiple spaces support, allowing you to organize your tabs into…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Helium or Flow more popular?
Helium has 22,337 GitHub stars and Flow has 1,093. Helium has the larger community by that measure.
Are Helium and Flow free?
Both are open source. Helium is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Flow under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Helium and Flow?
Helium is written in C++ and Flow in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Helium or Flow?
Choose Helium if you want the larger community (22,337 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Flow if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.