head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs keepassxc-browser
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. keepassxc-browser has 2,329 stars, 250 forks, 197 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 1,810% (44,486 vs 2,329 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; keepassxc-browser is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, keepassxc-browser 11%. 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 | keepassxc-browser | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 2.3K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 250 |
| 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 keepassxc-browser if
- You want the keepassxc-browser feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and keepassxc-browser 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 keepassxc-browser
KeePassXC Browser Browser extension for KeePassXC with native messaging. Download and use This browser extension was first supported in KeePassXC 2.3.0 (release end of 2017). In general it is advised to only use the latest available release. Get the extension for Firefox or Chrome/Chromium or Microsoft Edge. Please see this document for instructions how to configure KeePassXC in order to connect the database correctly. How it works KeePassXC Browser communicates with KeePassXC through keepassxc proxy . The proxy handles listening to STDIN/STDOUT and transfers these messages through Unix domain sockets / named pip…
read the full keepassxc-browser overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or keepassxc-browser more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and keepassxc-browser has 2,329. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and keepassxc-browser free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and keepassxc-browser under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and keepassxc-browser?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and keepassxc-browser in JavaScript. 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 keepassxc-browser?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose keepassxc-browser if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.