head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs database-build
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. database-build has 2,955 stars, 274 forks, 49 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 1,405% (44,486 vs 2,955 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; database-build is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, database-build 9%. 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 | database-build | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 3.0K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-06-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 274 |
| 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 database-build if
- You want the database-build feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and database-build 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 database-build
database.build is an in browser Postgres sandbox with AI assistance — formerly named postgres.new — for developers who want to spin up disposable Postgres databases without provisioning or paying for a server.
read the full database-build overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or database-build more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and database-build has 2,955. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and database-build free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and database-build under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and database-build?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and database-build 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 database-build?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose database-build if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.