head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs chrome-tab-modifier
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. chrome-tab-modifier has 696 stars, 119 forks, 14 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 6,292% (44,486 vs 696 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; chrome-tab-modifier is written in TypeScript under MIT. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, chrome-tab-modifier 17%. Zen Browser was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| Zen Browser | chrome-tab-modifier | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 696 |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-06-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 119 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Zen Browser if
- You weight community size — 44K stars and counting
- You want the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick chrome-tab-modifier if
- You want the chrome-tab-modifier feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and chrome-tab-modifier fits your workflow better
About Zen Browser
Zen Browser is a privacy focused, open source web browser built on Firefox’s Gecko engine. It inherits Firefox’s compatibility and extension ecosystem while introducing a streamlined interface and productivity oriented features. The project lives in the desktop browser ecosystem, targeting users who want a Firefox based experience with reduced clutter and enhanced customization.
read the full Zen Browser overview →
About chrome-tab-modifier
Tabee (registry name chrome tab modifier ) is a free, MIT licensed TypeScript extension for Chromium based browsers that renames, re icons, pins, groups, mutes and protects tabs according to user defined URL rules, built for people who keep many tabs open against several versions of the same site.
read the full chrome-tab-modifier overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or chrome-tab-modifier more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and chrome-tab-modifier has 696. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and chrome-tab-modifier free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and chrome-tab-modifier under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and chrome-tab-modifier?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and chrome-tab-modifier 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, Zen Browser or chrome-tab-modifier?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose chrome-tab-modifier if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.