head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs emacs-application-framework
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. emacs-application-framework has 3,489 stars, 245 forks, 21 open issues and last shipped 27 days ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 1,175% (44,486 vs 3,489 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; emacs-application-framework is written in Python under GPL-3.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, emacs-application-framework 7%. 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 | emacs-application-framework | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 3.5K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-08-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 245 |
| 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 emacs-application-framework if
- You want the emacs-application-framework feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and emacs-application-framework 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 emacs-application-framework
Emacs Application Framework (EAF) is a free/libre, open source framework that extends the graphical capabilities of Emacs, built for hackers who work with numerous languages and text, are keyboard driven, and want maximum freedom, extensibility, and introspectivity over their tools — potentially to the point of living in Emacs.
read the full emacs-application-framework overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or emacs-application-framework more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and emacs-application-framework has 3,489. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and emacs-application-framework free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and emacs-application-framework under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and emacs-application-framework?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and emacs-application-framework in Python. 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 emacs-application-framework?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose emacs-application-framework if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.