head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs nanobrowser
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. nanobrowser has 13,809 stars, 1,456 forks, 81 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 222% (44,481 vs 13,809 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; nanobrowser is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, nanobrowser 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 | nanobrowser | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 14K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-08-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| 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 nanobrowser if
- You want the nanobrowser feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and nanobrowser 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 nanobrowser
Nanobrowser is an open source Chrome extension for AI powered web automation that runs multi agent workflows inside your own browser using your own LLM API key, built for people who want Operator style browser agents without a subscription.
read the full nanobrowser overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or nanobrowser more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and nanobrowser has 13,809. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and nanobrowser free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and nanobrowser under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and nanobrowser?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and nanobrowser in TypeScript. 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 nanobrowser?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose nanobrowser if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.