head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs MarvellousSuspender
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. MarvellousSuspender has 1,393 stars, 143 forks, 53 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 3,094% (44,486 vs 1,393 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; MarvellousSuspender is written in JavaScript under GPL-2.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, MarvellousSuspender 10%. 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 | MarvellousSuspender | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 1.4K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 143 |
| 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 MarvellousSuspender if
- You want the MarvellousSuspender feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and MarvellousSuspender 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 MarvellousSuspender
The Marvellous Suspender Free your memory. Suspend what you don't need. A free, open source Chrome extension no ads, no tracking. Based on The Great Suspender, cleaned up and actively maintained. Once installed and enabled, this extension will automatically suspend tabs that have not been used for a default, or user configurable, time interval. As a result, resources such as memory and CPU that the tab was consuming are freed. If you have suggestions or problems using the extension, please submit a bug or a feature request. Chrome Web Store The Marvellous Suspender is available via the official Chrome Web Store. …
read the full MarvellousSuspender overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or MarvellousSuspender more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and MarvellousSuspender has 1,393. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and MarvellousSuspender free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and MarvellousSuspender under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and MarvellousSuspender?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and MarvellousSuspender 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 MarvellousSuspender?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose MarvellousSuspender if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.