Nyxt vs Otter Browser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Otter Browser grades higher than Nyxt: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Otter 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.
Otter Browser
Open-source Qt browser that revives the classic Opera 12 interface
Which one is for you
Pick Nyxt if
- Fits if you want to change your browser's behavior in Lisp
- Makes sense if you work from the keyboard with fuzzy command search
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a point-and-click browser
- Not for you if you run Windows: it is not officially supported, only via WSL
- Watch out: only a subset of the Web Extensions API is supported
- Tight if you want a settled product: the GitHub page says it is under active development
Pick Otter Browser if
- Fits if you miss the classic Opera 12 layout
- Makes sense if you want a light, tweakable desktop browser
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or a phone, as macOS is not named
- Not for you if you want quick fixes: recent weekly reports show about seven commits by one author
- Watch out: the weekly reports show 254 open issues, including 7 bugs
- Too light for modern web apps if you rely on the newest standards
How we grade them
| 2.6GPANyxtGood | 3.0GPAOtter BrowserVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with no price listed on the download page and the source on GitHub, so under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. | AFree software under GPL v3 with no paid plan, so under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole browser downloads with no listed price or paid plan. | AThe whole browser is free and open source, with no caps or paid tier. |
| Features | CLink hinting, tab search, an ad blocker and two web engines, but only a subset of the Web Extensions API is supported. | CA customizable, lightweight browser for power users, with the basics but a small team behind it. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. It is built for keyboard use and customization in Lisp, which is a steep curve for most people. | BNo rating on record. You install a binary or AppImage and use it, with options to tune if you want. |
| Platforms and integrations | CLinux and macOS, with Windows only through WSL for now. Desktop only, no phone version. | CWindows and Linux are listed. The project's site does not name macOS or any phone version. |
| Best for | a keyboard-first browser you can reprogram | a customizable browser in the Opera 12 style |
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: Nyxt and Otter Browser. How we grade
Price against what you get
Nyxt has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Otter Browser has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Otter Browser scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Nyxt for less, and none scores higher than Otter Browser 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
- Otter Browser is open source, according to its own site.
- Nyxt also covers bookmarks and ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Nyxt | Otter Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Downloads are offered without a listed price, and the source is on GitHub. | Free and open source under the GPL v3, with no paid plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Atlas Engineer | Otter Browser project |
| Price read from | nyxt.atlas.engineer | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Nyxt
- Windows is not officially supported; it runs through WSL on Windows 10 and 11 while an official port is in development.
- Only a subset of the Web Extensions API is supported.
- The GitHub page says the project is under active development.
Otter Browser
- The project's own site lists official binaries, with an AppImage for Linux and downloads for Windows on SourceForge; macOS is not named there.
- Development is slow: its recent weekly reports show about seven commits by one author each week.
- The weekly reports show 254 open issues, including 7 bugs.
Key features
Nyxt
- Link hinting and jump headings
- Follow links from the keyboard and jump to page headings by fuzzy search.
- Tab search and multi-tab actions
- Fuzzy-search open tabs, search across several tabs at once and run commands on selected groups of tabs.
- Fully customizable
- Every class, method and function can be overwritten and reconfigured, and any variable can be inspected at runtime.
- Built-in ad blocker
- Ships with an ad blocker that uses uBlock Origin rules, plus vi bindings and a subset of the Web Extensions API.
- Two web engines
- Works with WebKit and WebEngine through a minimal engine interface.
Otter Browser
- Opera 12 style interface
- The project says it aims to recreate the best aspects of the classic Opera 12.x user interface and keep its spirit alive.
- Built with Qt
- The browser is written primarily in C++ and uses the Qt framework.
- Power-user focus
- The project says it focuses on features power users want while staying fast and lightweight.
- Free software
- Released under the GNU GPL v3, so anyone can read the code and contribute.
Plans
Nyxt
Free$0
The full browser; the download page lists no price.
Otter Browser
Free$0
The full browser, free software under GPL v3.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Nyxt or Otter Browser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Nyxt and Otter Browser are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Nyxt or Otter Browser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Nyxt and Otter Browser have a free plan.
Which platforms do Nyxt and Otter Browser run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Nyxt lists a macOS app and only Otter Browser lists a Windows app. 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.