Helium Browser vs LibreWolf (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Helium Browser grades higher than LibreWolf: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Helium Browser grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Helium Browser
Free open source Chromium browser with privacy defaults and !bangs
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Helium Browser if
- Fits if you want a Chromium browser that collects nothing and you do not need sync
- Works for people who like !bangs and Chromium extensions
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you stream protected video, as there is no Widevine DRM
- Not for you if you want a password manager or sync across devices, as it has neither
- Watch out: the download page warns that unexpected issues may occur in beta
- Skip it if you want a phone browser, as there is no mobile version yet
Pick LibreWolf if
- Fits if you want Firefox without telemetry and with tracking blocked from the start
- Works for people who don't mind adjusting settings to get a site working
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you stream from DRM services, because DRM is disabled by design
- Watch out: cookies are cleared on close, so sites will log you out each time
- Not for you if you want it on your phone, as there's no Android version
- Watch out: it's maintained by volunteers and takes no donations
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAHelium BrowserVery good | 2.8GPALibreWolfGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with no paid upgrade, and the FAQ says there is no ad-supported tier. | AFree and open source, and a program anyone can download and run. The FAQ says the project takes no donations. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole browser is free, with no paid tier or ad-supported tier. | AThe whole browser is free, with uBlock Origin already installed. |
| Features | CPrivacy defaults, Chromium extensions, tab tools and !bangs. The listing shows no password manager, no sync and no DRM, and it is still beta. | CNo telemetry, strict tracking protection, cookies cleared on close and fingerprint resistance. The gaps are written into the design: DRM is disabled, so DRM-protected video services won't play. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Install and browse, with nothing to set up. | CNo store rating on record. The hardening settings can log you out or break pages until you adjust them, so expect some tweaking. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop only: macOS, Windows and Linux. No mobile version yet. | CWindows, Mac and Linux only. The FAQ says no one currently provides an Android version. |
| Best for | a private Chromium browser with no tracking | a privacy-hardened Firefox |
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: Helium Browser and LibreWolf. How we grade
Price against what you get
Helium Browser has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LibreWolf has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Helium Browser scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Helium Browser for less, and none scores higher than LibreWolf 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
- Helium Browser is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Helium Browser also covers passkeys.
In commonFree planmacOSWindowsLinuxOpen sourceWeb browserAd and tracker blocking
At a glance
| Helium Browser | LibreWolf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole browser is free; the FAQ says there is no ad-supported free tier and no paid upgrade. | LibreWolf is free and open source. The FAQ says the project does not accept donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | imput LLC | LibreWolf community |
| Price read from | helium.computer | librewolf.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Helium Browser
- It is in beta, and the download page warns that unexpected issues may occur.
- There is no Widevine DRM support, so some streaming services and protected media may not play.
- There is no built-in password manager and no data sync, and no mobile version yet.
- Automatic updates on macOS and Windows depend on Helium services being enabled.
LibreWolf
- DRM is disabled by design, so DRM-protected video services will not play.
- Resist-fingerprinting and cookie clearing can log you out of sites or break some pages until you adjust the settings.
- The FAQ says no one currently provides an Android version.
- It is maintained by volunteers and takes no donations.
Key features
Helium Browser
- Privacy by default
- It blocks ads, trackers, cookie banners and third-party cookies, and adds noise to some web APIs to resist fingerprinting.
- No data collection
- The site says it makes no web requests on first launch and has no analytics; requests to Helium services must be approved by you.
- Chromium extensions
- All Chromium extensions are supported, and Chrome Web Store requests are anonymized through Helium services.
- Layout and tab tools
- Four layout options, a frameless mode, vertical tabs, split view, tab groups, MRU tabbing and tab hibernation.
- !bangs
- More than 13,000 bangs are processed locally and send you directly to a site, skipping the results page.
- Open source services
- Browser components and online services are open source on GitHub, and Helium services can be self-hosted.
LibreWolf
- No telemetry
- The project states that it removes telemetry, data collection and experiments from the Firefox base.
- uBlock Origin included
- uBlock Origin comes installed with custom default filter lists, alongside Firefox's tracking protection set to strict.
- Anti-fingerprinting defaults
- It turns on resist-fingerprinting, reports the language as en-US to sites and disables WebGL, a common fingerprinting source.
- Cookies cleared on close
- Cookies and site data are deleted when the browser closes by default, and Total Cookie Protection is enabled.
- Privacy-oriented search engines
- The default search list includes DuckDuckGo and Searx rather than Google.
- Follows Firefox releases
- It is built from the latest Firefox stable source, so security fixes arrive with Firefox's own.
Plans
Helium Browser
Free$0
The full browser. Development is crowdfunded through user sponsorships, which the FAQ says are temporarily disabled.
LibreWolf
Free$0
The full browser for Windows, macOS and Linux, with uBlock Origin included.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Helium Browser or LibreWolf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Helium Browser and LibreWolf are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Helium Browser or LibreWolf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Helium Browser and LibreWolf have a free plan.
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.