Firefox vs Waterfox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Firefox: it is third in our ranking of browsers, and it grades higher too, 3.8 against 3.2.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Firefox grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Firefox
Free, open-source browser from Mozilla with tracker blocking built in
Free
Waterfox
Free, open-source Firefox-based browser with a built-in ad blocker
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Firefox if
- Fits if you want trackers blocked from day one without touching a setting
- Works for people who hop between Windows, Mac, Linux and a phone
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want the VPN on your phone, as the built-in one is desktop only for now
- Tight if you'd keep the VPN on all day, since it's capped at 50 GB a month and covers the browser only
- Pricey if you want a whole-device VPN, as Mozilla's separate service is $9.99 a month or $59.88 a year
- Watch out: the homepage shows ads to fund development until you switch them off
- Not for you if you're on Windows 8.1 or macOS 10.14 or older, which need Firefox ESR
Pick Waterfox if
- Fits if you want Firefox with the ad blocker already installed
- Works for people who want private tabs sitting beside normal ones
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the site says it's funded partly through search partnerships, so partner search ads are there unless you block them
- Skip it if you want the built-in blocker on your phone, as it's described for desktop
- Not for you if you use an iPhone, as there's no iOS version
- Watch out: it's run by one company, BrowserWorks Ltd, which the site says is wholly owned by its founder
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAFirefoxExcellent | 3.2GPAWaterfoxVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with no paid tier at all. Mozilla sells a separate VPN service at $59.88 a year, but the browser is whole without it and nothing in it is held back for payers. | AFree and open source, and a program anyone can download and run. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with tracker blocking, end-to-end encrypted sync, the PDF editor, translation, and a VPN for 50 GB a month on the desktop. The Mozilla account sync needs is free, and the homepage ads can be switched off. | AThe whole browser is free on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, including the ad blocker on desktop. |
| Features | AIt covers the job on its own Gecko engine rather than Chromium. Known trackers blocked by default, each site's cookies kept apart, tab groups and vertical tabs, a sidebar where you pick ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot, reader mode, PDF filling and signing, translation done on your machine. | CAd blocking, private tabs in a normal window, DNS over Oblivious HTTP and interface options. The built-in blocker is described for the desktop browser only. |
| Ease of use | B4.65 from about 218,000 App Store ratings, below the 4.8 at the top of this category. Nothing needs configuring: blocking is on from the start and the shield in the address bar shows what it caught. | BNo store rating on record. You install it and use it, with the blocker already running. |
| Platforms and integrations | AAll five: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone, with bookmarks, history, passwords and tabs synced end-to-end encrypted, and Send Tab to throw a page at another device. Only the built-in VPN is missing from the phone apps. | BWindows, Mac, Linux and Android. The download page lists no iOS version. |
| Best for | a free browser that isn't built on Chromium | Firefox with an ad blocker built in |
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: Firefox and Waterfox. How we grade
Price against what you get
Firefox has no paid plan and scores 3.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Waterfox has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Firefox scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Firefox for less, and none scores higher than Waterfox 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
- Firefox is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Firefox also covers password manager.
- Waterfox also covers ad and tracker blocking.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidOpen sourceWeb browser
At a glance
| Firefox | Waterfox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The browser is free with no paid tier. The built-in VPN is free for up to 50 GB of browser traffic per month, and sync uses a free Mozilla account. | Waterfox is free and open source. The site says it is funded by search partnerships, optional Waterfox Private Search subscriptions and donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Mozilla Corporation | BrowserWorks Ltd |
| Price read from | firefox.com | waterfox.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Firefox
- The built-in VPN is capped at 50 GB per month and protects browser traffic only. Mozilla's paid VPN service costs $59.88 per year or $9.99 per month, plus tax.
- Firefox shows optional ads on its homepage to fund development. They can be turned off.
- The built-in VPN has not reached Firefox for Android or iOS; Mozilla's roadmap lists VPN on mobile as upcoming work.
- Windows 8.1 and below and macOS 10.14 and below are no longer supported by the standard release; they need Firefox ESR.
Waterfox
- The site says it is funded partly through search partnerships, with an option to change the search provider or block partner search ads.
- The built-in blocker is described for the desktop browser only.
- It is run by one company, BrowserWorks Ltd, which the site says is wholly owned by its founder.
- There is no iOS version on the download page.
Key features
Firefox
- Tracking and cookie protection
- Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks known trackers by default, and Total Cookie Protection keeps each site's cookies separate. The shield icon in the address bar shows what was blocked.
- Built-in VPN
- A VPN toggle in the desktop toolbar routes browser traffic through a proxy server to hide the IP address, free for up to 50 GB per month. It covers the browser only, not other apps on the device.
- Tab groups, vertical tabs and sidebar
- Tabs can be grouped and color coded or stacked vertically, and a customizable sidebar gives one-click access to bookmarks, history, synced tabs and other tools.
- AI chatbots in the sidebar
- The sidebar can host a third-party assistant such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude or Mistral Chat. AI features are optional and can be turned off entirely.
- Sync with a Mozilla account
- Bookmarks, history, saved passwords and open tabs sync across desktop and mobile with end-to-end encryption, and Send Tab pushes a page from one device to another.
- Reader mode, PDF editor and translation
- Reader mode strips clutter from articles, a built-in editor fills, signs and annotates PDFs, and pages are translated in the browser without sharing the data with anyone else.
Waterfox
- Built-in ad blocking
- The desktop blocker stops ads, trackers, pop-ups and overlays before they load. You can manage filter lists, site exceptions and search partner ads.
- Private tabs in a normal window
- Private tabs sit next to regular ones in a separate container, and site data is cleared when the last private tab closes.
- DNS over Oblivious HTTP
- DNS lookups go through an Oblivious HTTP relay, so the relay knows who connected and the resolver knows the query, but neither knows both.
- Interface options
- The site shows a choice of interface styles, color palettes, light or dark mode, and horizontal or vertical tabs.
- No telemetry
- The site says Waterfox has no telemetry and does not collect or sell personal data.
Plans
Firefox
Free$0
The full browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, including tracker blocking, sync and, on desktop, the built-in VPN up to 50 GB a month.
Waterfox
Free$0
The full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including the built-in ad blocker.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Firefox or Waterfox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Firefox and Waterfox are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Firefox or Waterfox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Firefox and Waterfox have a free plan.
Which platforms do Firefox and Waterfox run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Firefox lists an iOS app. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps. 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.