head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs Flow
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Flow has 1,075 stars, 61 forks, 59 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 4,038% (44,481 vs 1,075 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; Flow is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, Flow 6%. 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 | Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-05-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 61 |
| 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 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 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 Flow
Flow Browser is a free, GPL 3.0 licensed desktop web browser built on Electron and Chromium, written in TypeScript, that runs Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store and is aimed at people who want a minimal, privacy focused alternative to mainstream browsers.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or Flow more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and Flow has 1,075. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and Flow free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Flow under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and Flow?
Zen Browser 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, Zen Browser or Flow?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose Flow if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.