head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs Midori Browser
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Midori Browser has 396 stars, 26 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 11,133% (44,481 vs 396 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; Midori Browser is written in JavaScript under MPL-2.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, Midori Browser 7%. Zen Browser was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (firefox-based, firefox-browser), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | Midori Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 396 |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 26 |
| 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 Midori Browser if
- You want the Midori Browser feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Midori 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 Midori Browser
Midori Browser is an MPL 2.0, Gecko based web browser for Windows, Linux, and macOS that ships privacy oriented defaults and a built in protection extension, aimed at users who want a lightweight Firefox derived browser rather than a Chromium or WebKit one.
read the full Midori Browser overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or Midori Browser more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and Midori Browser has 396. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and Midori Browser free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Midori Browser under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and Midori Browser?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and Midori 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 Midori Browser?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose Midori Browser if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.