LibreWolf vs Pale Moon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pale Moon 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
Pale Moon 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.
Pale Moon
Free open-source browser on its own Goanna engine, with legacy add-ons
Free
Which one is for you
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
Pick Pale Moon if
- Fits if you rely on legacy Firefox-style add-ons and full theming
- Makes sense if you want a browser with no telemetry, as the site states
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need video calls in the browser, since WebRTC is disabled
- Not for you if you stream DRM video, as there is no in-browser DRM
- Too light for phones: no iOS or Android edition is listed
- Watch out: official binaries need AVX, except the 32-bit Windows build
- Tight if you want current web standards: it follows its own engine, not Firefox or Chrome
How we grade them
| 2.8GPALibreWolfGood | 3.0GPAPale MoonVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, and a program anyone can download and run. The FAQ says the project takes no donations. | AFree and open source, with donations accepted and no paid plan, which is under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole browser is free, with uBlock Origin already installed. | AThe full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD costs nothing, with portable and 7-Zip Windows versions. |
| Features | 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. | CXUL add-ons, themes and NPAPI plugins, but WebRTC, an integrated PDF reader, DRM and parental controls are deliberately off in the main build. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. The hardening settings can log you out or break pages until you adjust them, so expect some tweaking. | BNo rating on record. You install it and go, though official binaries need a CPU with AVX, except the 32-bit Windows build. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux only. The FAQ says no one currently provides an Android version. | CWindows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD, with no iOS or Android edition on the download page. |
| Best for | a privacy-hardened Firefox | a customizable browser with legacy add-ons |
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: LibreWolf and Pale Moon. How we grade
Price against what you get
LibreWolf has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pale Moon has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Pale Moon scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than LibreWolf for less, and none scores higher than Pale Moon 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
- LibreWolf also covers ad and tracker blocking.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceWeb browser
At a glance
| LibreWolf | Pale Moon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | LibreWolf is free and open source. The FAQ says the project does not accept donations. | Pale Moon is free and open source; the site accepts donations and lists no paid plan. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | LibreWolf community | Moonchild Productions |
| Price read from | librewolf.net | palemoon.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Pale Moon
- Official binaries need a CPU with AVX support, except the 32-bit Windows build.
- It has no WebRTC, built-in PDF reader or DRM, so some sites and video services may not work.
- Compatibility with current web standards follows its own engine, not Firefox or Chrome.
- Windows download is also offered on the Microsoft Store, and there is no iOS or Android edition on the download page.
Key features
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.
Pale Moon
- Goanna engine
- Rendering runs on Goanna, a derivative of Gecko, on the UXP platform; the site calls it a true fork and an independent product.
- XUL add-ons and themes
- Add-ons and complete themes can change core browser functions and appearance, and many legacy Firefox extensions are compatible.
- No telemetry
- The site says the browser contains no ads, telemetry or data gathering.
- Plugin support
- It supports legacy NPAPI plugins such as Java, Flash and Silverlight, which most browsers have dropped.
- Features left out
- WebRTC, an integrated PDF reader, in-browser DRM and parental controls are deliberately disabled in the main build.
Plans
LibreWolf
Free$0
The full browser for Windows, macOS and Linux, with uBlock Origin included.
Pale Moon
Free$0
The full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD, with portable and 7-Zip Windows versions.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LibreWolf or Pale Moon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LibreWolf and Pale Moon are free to use.
Which has a free plan, LibreWolf or Pale Moon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LibreWolf and Pale Moon 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.