head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs WebChat
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. WebChat has 2,569 stars, 206 forks, 23 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 1,631% (44,481 vs 2,569 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; WebChat is written in TypeScript under MIT. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, WebChat 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 | WebChat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 2.6K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 206 |
| 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 WebChat if
- You want the WebChat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and WebChat 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 WebChat
WebChat is a decentralized browser extension, published under the MIT licence, that lets visitors of the same website chat anonymously with each other, and it is aimed at anyone who wants to talk with whoever happens to be on the page they are reading without creating an account or leaving the site.
read the full WebChat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or WebChat more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and WebChat has 2,569. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and WebChat free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and WebChat under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and WebChat?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and WebChat 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 WebChat?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose WebChat if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.