head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs Floorp
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Floorp has 8,377 stars, 268 forks, 98 open issues and last shipped today. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 431% (44,486 vs 8,377 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; Floorp is written in TypeScript under MPL-2.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, Floorp 3%. Floorp was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (firefox), 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
| Zen Browser | Floorp | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 8.4K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 268 |
| 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 Floorp if
- You want the Floorp feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Floorp 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 Floorp
Floorp is an open source, MPL 2.0 licensed web browser built on Mozilla Firefox and aimed at Windows, macOS, and Linux users who want a Gecko based browser they can install, inspect, and modify instead of running a stock Firefox build or a closed source alternative.
read the full Floorp overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or Floorp more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and Floorp has 8,377. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and Floorp free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Floorp under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and Floorp?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and Floorp 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 Floorp?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose Floorp if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.