head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs Transcrypt
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars, 1,755 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Transcrypt has 2,916 stars, 218 forks, 206 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 1,426% (44,486 vs 2,916 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; Transcrypt is written in Python under Apache-2.0. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, Transcrypt 7%. 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 | Transcrypt | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 2.9K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-06-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 218 |
| 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 Transcrypt if
- You want the Transcrypt feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Transcrypt 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 Transcrypt
Transcrypt is a Python 3.9 to JavaScript compiler that precompiles Python into readable, efficient JavaScript for professional, extensive, real world web applications, and it is for developers who want Python's clean, modular structure in the browser without giving up JavaScript class load and run speed.
read the full Transcrypt overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or Transcrypt more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,486 GitHub stars and Transcrypt has 2,916. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and Transcrypt free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Transcrypt under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and Transcrypt?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and Transcrypt 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 Transcrypt?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,486 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose Transcrypt if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.