Waterfox vs Zen Browser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Waterfox grades higher than Zen Browser: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Waterfox grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Waterfox
Free, open-source Firefox-based browser with a built-in ad blocker
Free
Zen Browser
Free, open-source desktop browser built around vertical tabs
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Waterfox if
- Fits if you want Firefox with the ad blocker already installed
- Works for people who want private tabs sitting beside normal ones
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the site says it's funded partly through search partnerships, so partner search ads are there unless you block them
- Skip it if you want the built-in blocker on your phone, as it's described for desktop
- Not for you if you use an iPhone, as there's no iOS version
- Watch out: it's run by one company, BrowserWorks Ltd, which the site says is wholly owned by its founder
Pick Zen Browser if
- Fits if you prefer vertical tabs and want the rest of the screen left alone
- Works for Firefox users who want Workspaces and Split View built in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you watch DRM-protected streaming in your browser, which won't play on Windows or Mac
- Not for you if you want the same browser on your phone, as no mobile version is planned
- Not for you if you want horizontal tabs, because the team says they aren't coming in the near future
- Watch out: it's labeled a beta and kept up by a small team, so bug fixes and requests can take time
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAWaterfoxVery good | 2.8GPAZen BrowserGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, and a program anyone can download and run. | AFree and open source with no paid tier at all. The team lives on optional donations through Patreon and Ko-fi and on sponsors, so whether you ever pay a penny is entirely your call. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole browser is free on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, including the ad blocker on desktop. | AFree outright, with nothing kept back: Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode, Glance and the whole Zen Mods business. Sync is free too, riding on a Mozilla account. |
| Features | CAd blocking, private tabs in a normal window, DNS over Oblivious HTTP and interface options. The built-in blocker is described for the desktop browser only. | CThe tab features are Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode, Glance and mods to restyle it. But it's a short list for a browser, and there's a hole in the middle of it: no Widevine license, so DRM-protected streaming won't play on Windows or Mac at all. Horizontal tabs aren't supported either. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it and use it, with the blocker already running. | CNo rating on record, and the whole thing is built round a vertical tab bar, with horizontal tabs not supported and not coming. If you've had tabs across the top for twenty years, that's relearning. It's also still labelled a beta, kept up by a small team. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux and Android. The download page lists no iOS version. | CDesktop only: Mac, Windows and Linux, with add-ons, bookmarks, history and passwords synced through Firefox Sync. No Android or iPhone version, and the FAQ says none is planned, so your phone browses something else. |
| Best for | Firefox with an ad blocker built in | vertical tabs on an open-source browser |
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: Waterfox and Zen Browser. How we grade
Price against what you get
Waterfox has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zen Browser has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Waterfox scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Waterfox for less, and none scores higher than Zen 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
- Waterfox also covers ad and tracker blocking.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceWeb browser
At a glance
| Waterfox | Zen Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Waterfox is free and open source. The site says it is funded by search partnerships, optional Waterfox Private Search subscriptions and donations. | Zen is free and open-source with no paid tier. Development is supported by optional donations through Patreon and Ko-fi and by sponsors. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | BrowserWorks Ltd | Zen Team |
| Price read from | waterfox.com | zen-browser.app |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Waterfox
- The site says it is funded partly through search partnerships, with an option to change the search provider or block partner search ads.
- The built-in blocker is described for the desktop browser only.
- It is run by one company, BrowserWorks Ltd, which the site says is wholly owned by its founder.
- There is no iOS version on the download page.
Zen Browser
- Zen is labeled a beta and is maintained by a small team, so bug reports and feature requests can take time.
- There is no Android or iOS version, and the FAQ says none is planned.
- The FAQ says Zen has no Widevine license, so DRM-protected streaming does not play on Windows or macOS.
- Horizontal tabs are not supported; the team says they will not be added in the near future.
Key features
Waterfox
- Built-in ad blocking
- The desktop blocker stops ads, trackers, pop-ups and overlays before they load. You can manage filter lists, site exceptions and search partner ads.
- Private tabs in a normal window
- Private tabs sit next to regular ones in a separate container, and site data is cleared when the last private tab closes.
- DNS over Oblivious HTTP
- DNS lookups go through an Oblivious HTTP relay, so the relay knows who connected and the resolver knows the query, but neither knows both.
- Interface options
- The site shows a choice of interface styles, color palettes, light or dark mode, and horizontal or vertical tabs.
- No telemetry
- The site says Waterfox has no telemetry and does not collect or sell personal data.
Zen Browser
- Workspaces
- Tabs are organized into Workspaces so that separate projects stay apart, with quick switching from one to another.
- Vertical tabs and Compact Mode
- The whole interface is built around a vertical tab bar. Compact Mode hides that bar until it is needed, leaving more of the screen for the page.
- Split View
- Split View shows tabs side by side for comparison. Tabs are selected with Ctrl or Shift and split from the right-click menu.
- Glance
- Glance gives quick access to the tabs a person uses most, without scrolling back through history to find them.
- Zen Mods
- Zen Mods are themes and modifications that change how the browser looks and behaves, and the documentation covers live CSS editing for further customization.
- Sync through Firefox Sync
- Signing in with a Mozilla account syncs add-ons, bookmarks, history, passwords and other browser data across devices.
Plans
Waterfox
Free$0
The full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including the built-in ad blocker.
Zen Browser
Free$0
The full browser for macOS, Windows and Linux, including Workspaces, Split View, Compact Mode and Zen Mods.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Waterfox or Zen Browser?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Waterfox and Zen Browser are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Waterfox or Zen Browser?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Waterfox and Zen Browser have a free plan.
Which platforms do Waterfox and Zen Browser run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Waterfox lists an Android app. Both list macOS, Windows 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.