head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs reynard-browser
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. reynard-browser has 1,673 stars, 128 forks, 10 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 2,559% (44,481 vs 1,673 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; reynard-browser is written in Swift under GPL-3.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, reynard-browser 8%. 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 | reynard-browser | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 1.7K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 128 |
| 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 reynard-browser if
- You want the reynard-browser feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and reynard-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 reynard-browser
Reynard Browser is an experimental Gecko based web browser for iOS 13 and later, written in Swift under GPL 3.0. It lives in the iOS browser ecosystem, where Safari and other App Store browsers must use Apple's WebKit engine. Reynard instead uses Gecko, the engine that powers Firefox on desktop and Android, giving iOS users a different browser stack.
read the full reynard-browser overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or reynard-browser more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and reynard-browser has 1,673. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and reynard-browser free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and reynard-browser under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and reynard-browser?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and reynard-browser in Swift. 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 reynard-browser?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose reynard-browser if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.