Falkon vs Qutebrowser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Falkon grades higher than Qutebrowser: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Falkon grades higher on ease of use. Qutebrowser grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Falkon if
- Fits if you run a KDE Plasma desktop and want a browser that follows its theme
- Makes sense if you want an ad blocker on from the first launch
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or macOS, since the download page lists only Linux
- Not for you if you want the newest web features at once: it follows QtWebEngine, not Chrome or Firefox
- Tight if you want frequent updates: releases arrive with KDE Gear about three times a year
- Too light for phones: no mobile version is listed
Pick Qutebrowser if
- Fits if you like Vim-style keys and a minimal window
- Makes sense if you are comfortable installing Python and Qt
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to point and click: it is built around the keyboard
- Not for you if installing Python and Qt sounds like a chore
- Watch out: on Linux, stable distributions may ship an older QtWebEngine on an old Chromium version
- Tight if you want fast fixes: the main maintainer works part-time, funded by donations
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFalkonGood | 2.6GPAQutebrowserGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with no paid plan. KDE takes donations. That is below this category's $7 cheapest quarter. | AFree software under the GPL, supported by donations, so under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole browser, ad blocker and password manager included, installs from distribution packages, Snap or Flatpak at no cost. | AThe whole browser is free, with Windows and macOS builds on GitHub Releases. |
| Features | CAd blocker, password manager, themes, extensions, bookmarks and history. Web compatibility follows QtWebEngine rather than Chrome or Firefox releases. | CA keyboard-focused browser with optional ad blocking and built-in help. It does the browsing job on QtWebEngine. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. You install it from your distribution and use it, with nothing to set up. | DNo rating on record. It needs Python 3.10 or newer and Qt 6.2 or newer, or Qt 5.15, and is run from the keyboard. |
| Platforms and integrations | DThe download page lists Linux only. No Windows or macOS installer is shown, and no phone version. | CLinux, macOS and Windows, desktop only, with no phone version. |
| Best for | a light KDE browser on Linux | keyboard-driven browsing for Vim-style users |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Falkon and Qutebrowser. How we grade
Price against what you get
Falkon has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Qutebrowser has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Falkon scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Falkon for less, and none scores higher than Qutebrowser for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Falkon also covers password manager.
At a glance
| Falkon | Qutebrowser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Falkon is free and open source. KDE accepts donations but the site lists no paid plan. | Free software under the GPL, supported by donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | KDE | qutebrowser project |
| Price read from | falkon.org | qutebrowser.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Falkon
- The download page lists Linux only (distribution packages, Snap and Flatpak); no Windows or macOS installer is shown there.
- It uses QtWebEngine, so web compatibility follows that engine rather than Firefox or Chrome releases.
- Falkon releases arrive with KDE Gear, about three times a year.
- The about page says the project was started for educational purposes.
Qutebrowser
- It needs Python 3.10 or newer and Qt 6.2 or newer, or Qt 5.15; Windows and macOS builds are on the GitHub Releases page.
- On Linux, stable distributions may ship an older QtWebEngine based on an old Chromium version.
- The primary maintainer works part-time on it, funded by donations.
Key features
Falkon
- Ad blocker on by default
- A built-in AdBlock plugin is enabled by default, and the 25.04 release notes mention fixes and new features for it.
- Password manager
- Falkon ships with a password manager and lets you tighten privacy and security settings further.
- Theming and extensions
- Themes change how the browser looks, and the site has an extensions page, including a Greasemonkey-style plugin mentioned in release notes.
- Plasma integration
- The site says Falkon integrates inside Plasma and follows Plasma theming preferences.
- Standard browser features
- Bookmarks, history and tabs are included, with bookmarks and history also shown in the sidebar.
Qutebrowser
- Keyboard-driven
- Described as a keyboard-focused browser with a minimal GUI, inspired by dwb and Vimperator/Pentadactyl.
- QtWebEngine backend
- Uses the Chromium-based QtWebEngine by default, with an older QtWebKit backend that the project does not recommend because of security issues.
- Optional ad blocking
- Improved ad blocking with Adblock Plus syntax is available when the optional adblock library is installed.
- Built-in help and reporting
- A :report command and crash dialog send bug reports, and a :help command shows documentation.
Plans
Falkon
Free$0
The full browser, with its ad blocker and password manager, installed from distribution packages, Snap or Flatpak.
Qutebrowser
Free$0
The full browser, free software under the GPL.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Falkon or Qutebrowser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Falkon and Qutebrowser are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Falkon or Qutebrowser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Falkon and Qutebrowser have a free plan.
Which platforms do Falkon and Qutebrowser run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Qutebrowser lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a Linux app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.