Pale Moon vs SeaMonkey (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pale Moon and SeaMonkey share a 3.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features 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.
Pale Moon
Free open-source browser on its own Goanna engine, with legacy add-ons
Free
SeaMonkey
All-in-one internet suite with browser, mail, chat and HTML editor
Free
Which one is for you
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
Pick SeaMonkey if
- Fits if you want browser, mail and IRC in one desktop program
- Makes sense if you read newsgroups or edit HTML pages by hand
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone version, as the site offers no iOS or Android edition
- Not for you if you use an Apple silicon Mac, since only an x64 macOS build is listed
- Watch out: the current release listed is 2.53.24, built on the Gecko engine
- Too heavy if you only want to browse, since mail, chat and editor come along
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAPale MoonVery good | 3.0GPASeaMonkeyVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with donations accepted and no paid plan, which is under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. | AFree, with donations and sponsors accepted and no paid plan, so it undercuts this category's $7 cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD costs nothing, with portable and 7-Zip Windows versions. | AThe whole suite for Windows, macOS and Linux downloads at no charge, in 20-plus languages. |
| Features | CXUL add-ons, themes and NPAPI plugins, but WebRTC, an integrated PDF reader, DRM and parental controls are deliberately off in the main build. | CBrowser, mail and news, feeds, IRC and an HTML editor in one program, built on Gecko. The browser itself is the same size of job as any other. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. You install it and go, though official binaries need a CPU with AVX, except the 32-bit Windows build. | BNo rating on record. It is a program you install and start using, though a suite has more parts than a lone browser. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD, with no iOS or Android edition on the download page. | CWindows x64 and x86, macOS x64 and Linux x64 and x86 builds, with no Android or iOS edition. |
| Best for | a customizable browser with legacy add-ons | an all-in-one browser, mail and chat suite |
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: Pale Moon and SeaMonkey. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pale Moon has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SeaMonkey has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
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 Pale Moon for less, and none scores higher than SeaMonkey 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
- SeaMonkey also covers email client and rSS reader.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceWeb browser
At a glance
| Pale Moon | SeaMonkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Pale Moon is free and open source; the site accepts donations and lists no paid plan. | SeaMonkey is free; the site accepts donations and sponsors and lists no paid plan. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Moonchild Productions | SeaMonkey Association |
| Price read from | palemoon.org | seamonkey-project.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SeaMonkey
- The listed macOS build is x64 only; no ARM-specific macOS build is shown.
- It is run by a community council, and the about page says it describes the only full internet suite still developed.
- The current release listed is 2.53.24, built on the Gecko engine.
- The site offers no iOS or Android edition.
Key features
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.
SeaMonkey
- Browser
- An Internet browser built on Gecko, the same code behind Thunderbird and the base of Firefox.
- Email and newsgroups
- A built-in mail and newsgroup client, plus feed reading, per the site's one-line description.
- IRC chat
- Chat is included in the same application as the browser and mail.
- HTML editor and web development tools
- An HTML editor and web development tools are part of the suite.
- Multiple languages and platforms
- The download table lists Windows x64 and x86, macOS x64, and Linux x64 and x86 builds in many languages.
Plans
Pale Moon
Free$0
The full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD, with portable and 7-Zip Windows versions.
SeaMonkey
Free$0
The full suite for Windows, macOS and Linux, in 20-plus languages.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pale Moon or SeaMonkey?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Pale Moon and SeaMonkey are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Pale Moon or SeaMonkey?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Pale Moon and SeaMonkey 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.