head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs qutebrowser
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. qutebrowser has 11,693 stars, 1,129 forks, 1,335 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 280% (44,481 vs 11,693 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; qutebrowser is written in Python under GPL-3.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, qutebrowser 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 | qutebrowser | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 12K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 1.1K |
| 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 qutebrowser if
- You want the qutebrowser feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and qutebrowser 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 qutebrowser
qutebrowser is a free, GPL 3.0 licensed, keyboard driven browser with a minimal GUI, built on Python and Qt, for people who want vim style keyboard control of the web rather than a mouse.
read the full qutebrowser overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or qutebrowser more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and qutebrowser has 11,693. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and qutebrowser free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and qutebrowser under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and qutebrowser?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and qutebrowser in Python. 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 qutebrowser?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose qutebrowser if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.