BrowserWorks/waterfox
Waterfox
Waterfox is a privacy-focused web browser built on a fork of the Gecko engine that removes all telemetry and tracking code while preserving full extension compatibility. It encrypts DNS queries through independent third-party resolvers to prevent centralized monitoring of browsing destinations, and organizes browser tabs into hierarchical parent-child trees with collapsible branches and keyboard-driven navigation.
The browser maintains a backward-compatible runtime bridge that supports both legacy XUL-based add-ons and modern WebExtensions simultaneously, allowing users to keep using older or discontinued browser tools alongside current extensions. Its rendering pipeline is tuned for modern CPU and GPU architectures without vendor-specific telemetry, and the same browsing experience is delivered across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android through platform-specific builds and packaging scripts.
Tab management is handled through a vertical sidebar docking system that supports hierarchical grouping, keyboard-based promotion and demotion of tabs, and single-action collapse of entire subtrees to reduce visual clutter. The browser provides private DNS resolution through encrypted queries routed through independent third-party resolvers, ensuring no single entity can see browsing destinations during normal operation.
Features
- Browser Platforms - Downloads and installs the same browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android with platform-specific builds and store listings.
- Gecko Engine Forks - Provides a privacy-focused web browser built on a forked Gecko engine with telemetry removed.
- Parent-Child - Automatically groups child tabs under their parent when opening links, keeping research trails structured.
- Tree-Style - Organizes browser tabs into hierarchical trees with parent-child grouping, collapsing branches, and keyboard-driven navigation.
- Cross-Platform Browser Deployments - Provides the same browsing experience on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android without platform-specific compromises.
- DNS-over-HTTPS Relays - Encrypts DNS queries and routes them through independent third-party resolvers to prevent centralized tracking.
- Private DNS Resolution - Encrypts and routes DNS queries through independent third-party resolvers for private resolution.
- Browser Extension Compatibility Layers - Maintains support for XUL-based add-ons alongside modern WebExtensions through a backward-compatible runtime bridge.
- Privacy-Focused Browsing - Browses the web without telemetry, tracking, or data collection by the browser vendor, keeping user activity private by default.
- Browser Telemetry Disablers - Removes all telemetry and tracking code so no user data is sent to the browser vendor during normal operation.
- Removals - Removes all telemetry and tracking code from the upstream Gecko engine while preserving full extension compatibility.
- Tree-Style Tab Layouts - Organizes browser tabs into hierarchical parent-child trees with collapsible branches and keyboard-driven navigation.
- Legacy Extension Runtimes - Ships a backward-compatible runtime bridge supporting both legacy XUL add-ons and modern WebExtensions.
- Legacy Firefox Extension Compatibility - Runs older Firefox add-ons alongside modern extensions, preserving access to discontinued or unmaintained browser tools.
- Tree-Style - Organizes browser tabs into hierarchical parent-child trees that can be collapsed, docked, and navigated via keyboard.
- Extension Support - Runs both legacy and current extension formats to keep using your preferred add-ons.
- Privacy-Focused Web Browsers - Removes telemetry and tracking code from the Gecko engine while preserving full extension compatibility.
- Vertical Tab Layouts - Positions tabs in a resizable sidebar on either side of the window for efficient multitasking.
- Cross-Platform Build Systems - Compiles the same browser source for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android using platform-specific packaging scripts.
- Browser Rendering Optimizations - Optimizes graphics and compute workloads for modern CPU and GPU capabilities without vendor-specific telemetry.
- Browser Rendering Optimizations - Tunes the rendering pipeline for modern CPU and GPU architectures without vendor-specific telemetry.
- Tab Navigation Shortcuts - Promotes, demotes, and reorders tabs using keyboard shortcuts for mouse-free session management.
- Subtree Tab Collapse - Hides entire subtrees of tabs with a single action, reducing visual clutter and focusing on one branch.
Star history
How this analysis was created: This summary and feature list were written by an AI model that read the project's README and public documentation pages. Each feature links to the documentation it came from; stars, license and language come straight from the GitHub API. The model does not read the source code, and the analysis is refreshed when the project is re-analysed. Learn more on our About page.
