Nyxt vs Qutebrowser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Nyxt and Qutebrowser share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 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
| 2.6GPANyxtGood | 2.6GPAQutebrowserGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 the GPL, supported by donations, 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, with Windows and macOS builds on GitHub Releases. |
| Features | CLink hinting, tab search, an ad blocker and two web engines, but only a subset of the Web Extensions API is supported. | CA keyboard-focused browser with optional ad blocking and built-in help. It does the browsing job on QtWebEngine. |
| 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. | 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 | CLinux and macOS, with Windows only through WSL for now. Desktop only, no phone version. | CLinux, macOS and Windows, desktop only, with no phone version. |
| Best for | a keyboard-first browser you can reprogram | 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: Nyxt and Qutebrowser. 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. Qutebrowser has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Nyxt 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
- Qutebrowser is open source, according to its own site.
- Nyxt also covers bookmarks.
In commonFree planmacOSLinuxKeyboard-firstWeb browserAd and tracker blocking
At a glance
| Nyxt | Qutebrowser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Downloads are offered without a listed price, and the source is on GitHub. | Free software under the GPL, supported by donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Atlas Engineer | qutebrowser project |
| Price read from | nyxt.atlas.engineer | qutebrowser.org |
| 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.
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
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.
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
Nyxt
Free$0
The full browser; the download page lists no price.
Qutebrowser
Free$0
The full browser, free software under the GPL.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Nyxt or Qutebrowser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Nyxt and Qutebrowser are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Nyxt or Qutebrowser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Nyxt and Qutebrowser have a free plan.
Which platforms do Nyxt and Qutebrowser run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Qutebrowser lists a Windows app. Both list macOS and Linux 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.