# NetSurf review (2026): is it any good? > Lightweight open-source browser with its own layout engine Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. NetSurf is a small, free web browser written in C with its own layout engine. It runs on RISC OS, Linux and other Unix-like systems, Haiku, AmigaOS, Windows and Atari, and is licensed under GPL version 2. It is built to work on old and low-powered computers, so its web standards support is narrower than mainstream browsers. - **Category:** Browsers - **Made by:** The NetSurf Developers - **Website:** https://www.netsurf-browser.org - **Runs on:** Linux, Windows - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you rely on modern web apps, since standards support is narrower than mainstream browsers. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, NetSurf is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free and open source under GPL version 2, with no paid plans. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full browser, free to download under GPL version 2. | Read from https://www.netsurf-browser.org/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with NetSurf before buying. ## Key features - **Own layout engine:** Written in C with its own rendering engine, aimed at speed and low resource use. - **Runs on small systems:** The site says it keeps working from a modern PC down to a 30MHz ARM 6 computer with 16MB of RAM. - **Many platforms:** Downloads are listed for RISC OS, GTK on Linux and Unix-likes, Haiku and BeOS, AmigaOS, Windows and Atari. - **History and page tools:** Includes web page thumbnailing, local and global history, a hotlist for bookmarks, a cookie manager and search-as-you-type. ## Good for - Old or low-powered computers - RISC OS, Haiku and AmigaOS users - Anyone wanting a small, independent browser engine ## Worth knowing - The site says NetSurf only strives for standards compliance, and its own engine is still in active development. - Some features such as Drawfile export and ArtWorks images are RISC OS only. - The overview page names Mac OS X, but the downloads page lists no Mac build. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. NetSurf is a small, free browser with its own layout engine, made for old and low-powered machines. Its web standards support is narrower than mainstream browsers, and some features are RISC OS only. - **Value for money: A.** Free under GPL v2 with no paid plans, so under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole browser downloads at no charge, with no paid tier or caps. - **Features: C.** A browser with history and page tools on its own engine, but the site says it only strives for standards compliance. - **Ease of use: B.** No rating on record. It installs as a small program, built for small systems. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Many systems on the site, but our listing counts Linux and Windows, and the downloads page lists no Mac build. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from The NetSurf Developers's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among browsers - NetSurf's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 34 of the 60 other browsers we grade, and level with 9. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 22 of 60) and worst on features (C, above 2). - NetSurf has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 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.** NetSurf is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. - You could make: Bookmarks: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: A web browser. - You could not: A real app for Windows and 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, Bookmarks ## Alternatives - [Falkon](https://toolgpa.com/tools/falkon): Lightweight KDE web browser with a built-in ad blocker. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/falkon-vs-netsurf) - [Min](https://toolgpa.com/tools/min-browser): Free, open-source minimal browser with tasks and history search. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/min-browser-vs-netsurf) - [Pale Moon](https://toolgpa.com/tools/pale-moon): Free open-source browser on its own Goanna engine, with legacy add-ons. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/netsurf-vs-pale-moon) - [Otter Browser](https://toolgpa.com/tools/otter-browser): Open-source Qt browser that revives the classic Opera 12 interface. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/netsurf-vs-otter-browser) - [Qutebrowser](https://toolgpa.com/tools/qutebrowser): Keyboard-driven browser with a minimal interface. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/netsurf-vs-qutebrowser) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.netsurf-browser.org/ - https://www.netsurf-browser.org/downloads/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/netsurf Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).