head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs hotkeys-js
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. hotkeys-js has 7,124 stars, 414 forks, 159 open issues and last shipped 9 days ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 524% (44,486 vs 7,124 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; hotkeys-js is written in TypeScript under MIT. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, hotkeys-js 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.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Zen Browser | hotkeys-js | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 7.1K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 414 |
| 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 hotkeys-js if
- You want the hotkeys-js feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and hotkeys-js 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 hotkeys-js
hotkeys js is a dependency free JavaScript and TypeScript library for capturing keyboard input and binding keyboard shortcuts in the browser, aimed at web developers who need shortcut handling that does not interfere with any existing JavaScript library or framework.
read the full hotkeys-js overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More Browsers & Extensions projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Browsers & Extensions field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or hotkeys-js more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and hotkeys-js has 7,124. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and hotkeys-js free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and hotkeys-js under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and hotkeys-js?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and hotkeys-js 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 hotkeys-js?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose hotkeys-js if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.