head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs Lightning-Browser
Zen Browser has 44,499 GitHub stars, 1,759 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Lightning-Browser has 2,429 stars, 856 forks, 354 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 1,732% (44,499 vs 2,429 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; Lightning-Browser is written in Kotlin under MPL-2.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, Lightning-Browser 35%. Lightning-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 | Lightning-Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 2.4K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 856 |
| 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 Lightning-Browser if
- You want the Lightning-Browser feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and Lightning-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 Lightning-Browser
Lightning Browser is a lightweight, open source Android web browser written in Kotlin and Java and released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, built for Android users who want fast, simple, privacy conscious browsing without a heavyweight browser suite.
read the full Lightning-Browser overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or Lightning-Browser more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,499 GitHub stars and Lightning-Browser has 2,429. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and Lightning-Browser free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Lightning-Browser under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and Lightning-Browser?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and Lightning-Browser in Kotlin. 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 Lightning-Browser?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,499 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose Lightning-Browser if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.