head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs slate
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. slate has 31,748 stars, 3,302 forks, 653 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 40% (44,481 vs 31,748 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; slate is written in TypeScript under MIT. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, slate 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 | slate | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 32K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 3.3K |
| 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 slate if
- You want the slate feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and slate 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 slate
Slate is a completely customizable framework for building rich text editors, written in TypeScript and released under the MIT licence, for JavaScript and React developers who need an editor that goes well past what a fixed schema can offer.
read the full slate overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or slate more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and slate has 31,748. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and slate free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and slate under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and slate?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and slate 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 slate?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose slate if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.