# Falkon review (2026): is it any good? > Lightweight KDE web browser with a built-in ad blocker Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Falkon is a free, open-source web browser made by KDE and built on the QtWebEngine rendering engine. It was formerly known as QupZilla. It ships with an ad blocker turned on and a password manager, supports theming and extensions, and follows Plasma theme settings on KDE desktops. The download page lists Linux packages. - **Category:** Browsers - **Made by:** KDE (since 2010) - **Website:** https://www.falkon.org - **Runs on:** Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you use Windows or macOS, since the download page lists only Linux. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Falkon is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Falkon is free and open source. KDE accepts donations but the site lists no paid plan. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full browser, with its ad blocker and password manager, installed from distribution packages, Snap or Flatpak. | Read from https://www.falkon.org/download/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Falkon before buying. ## Key features - **Ad blocker on by default:** A built-in AdBlock plugin is enabled by default, and the 25.04 release notes mention fixes and new features for it. - **Password manager:** Falkon ships with a password manager and lets you tighten privacy and security settings further. - **Theming and extensions:** Themes change how the browser looks, and the site has an extensions page, including a Greasemonkey-style plugin mentioned in release notes. - **Plasma integration:** The site says Falkon integrates inside Plasma and follows Plasma theming preferences. - **Standard browser features:** Bookmarks, history and tabs are included, with bookmarks and history also shown in the sidebar. ## Good for - KDE Plasma users who want a browser that matches the desktop - Linux users who want a light browser with ad blocking built in - People who prefer open-source software from a large community project ## Worth knowing - The download page lists Linux only (distribution packages, Snap and Flatpak); no Windows or macOS installer is shown there. - It uses QtWebEngine, so web compatibility follows that engine rather than Firefox or Chrome releases. - Falkon releases arrive with KDE Gear, about three times a year. - The about page says the project was started for educational purposes. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Falkon is KDE's free, open-source browser with an ad blocker on by default and a password manager. The download page lists Linux packages only, and it follows QtWebEngine for web compatibility. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source, with no paid plan. KDE takes donations. That is below this category's $7 cheapest quarter. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole browser, ad blocker and password manager included, installs from distribution packages, Snap or Flatpak at no cost. - **Features: C.** Ad blocker, password manager, themes, extensions, bookmarks and history. Web compatibility follows QtWebEngine rather than Chrome or Firefox releases. - **Ease of use: B.** No rating on record. You install it from your distribution and use it, with nothing to set up. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** The download page lists Linux only. No Windows or macOS installer is shown, and no phone version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from KDE's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among browsers - Falkon's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 23 of the 60 other browsers we grade, and level with 10. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 22 of 60) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). - Falkon has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/browsers ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Falkon is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. - You could make: Ad and tracker blocking: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: A web browser. - You could not: A password vault, the last thing anyone should make for themselves. - You could not: A real app for Linux. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Web browser, Open source, Ad and tracker blocking, Password manager ## Alternatives - [Firefox](https://toolgpa.com/tools/firefox): Free, open-source browser from Mozilla with tracker blocking built in. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/falkon-vs-firefox) - [Min](https://toolgpa.com/tools/min-browser): Free, open-source minimal browser with tasks and history search. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/falkon-vs-min-browser) - [Otter Browser](https://toolgpa.com/tools/otter-browser): Open-source Qt browser that revives the classic Opera 12 interface. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/falkon-vs-otter-browser) - [Qutebrowser](https://toolgpa.com/tools/qutebrowser): Keyboard-driven browser with a minimal interface. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/falkon-vs-qutebrowser) - [LibreWolf](https://toolgpa.com/tools/librewolf): Free, privacy-hardened browser built on Firefox. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/falkon-vs-librewolf) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.falkon.org/ - https://www.falkon.org/about/ - https://www.falkon.org/download/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/falkon Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).