head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs Midori Browser
Zen Browser has 45,517 GitHub stars, 1,946 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Midori Browser has 412 stars, 28 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 10,948% (45,517 vs 412 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 | ★ 46K | ★ 412 |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 28 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Zen Browser if
- You weight community size — 46K 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 Zen is a firefox based browser with the aim of pushing your productivity to a new level! Download • Website • Documentation • Release Notes Firefox Versions Release Is currently built using Firefox version 155.0.1 ! Twilight Is currently built using Firefox version RC 155.0.1 ! Contributing If you'd like to report a bug, please do so on our GitHub Issues page and for feature requests, you can use GitHub Discussions. Zen is an open source project, and we welcome contributions from the community! Please take a look at the contribution guidelines before getting started! Partners Thanks to all the…
read the full Zen Browser overview →
About Midori Browser
Midori Browser ) Midori Browser is a lightweight, fast, and secure browser that promotes user privacy; it has evolved and is now based on the Gecko engine instead of WebKit. Contents Features Install Midori Build from source Project layout Contributing Documentation and support License Features Privacy oriented defaults and a built in protection extension. Workspace management and a customized new tab page. Custom branding and update configuration. Builds for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Compatibility with Firefox WebExtensions. Install Midori Debian and Ubuntu For other platforms, download the current installer…
read the full Midori Browser overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or Midori Browser more popular?
Zen Browser has 45,517 GitHub stars and Midori Browser has 412. 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 (45,517 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.