head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs snapdom
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. snapdom has 8,128 stars, 303 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 447% (44,486 vs 8,128 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; snapdom is written in JavaScript under MIT. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, snapdom 4%. 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 | snapdom | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 8.1K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 303 |
| 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 snapdom if
- You want the snapdom feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and snapdom 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 snapdom
SnapDOM is a dependency free browser capture engine that renders a live DOM element into a reusable capture and exports it as SVG, PNG, JPG, WebP, canvas, Blob, self contained HTML, image based PDF, animated GIF or browser encoded video, built for frontend developers who need screenshots, share images or exports of real web interfaces.
read the full snapdom overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or snapdom more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and snapdom has 8,128. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and snapdom free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and snapdom under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and snapdom?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and snapdom 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 snapdom?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose snapdom if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.