# Pale Moon review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source browser on its own Goanna engine, with legacy add-ons Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Pale Moon is a free, open-source browser built on its own Goanna rendering engine and a hard fork of Mozilla code called UXP. It focuses on customization, with full theming and XUL add-ons, and says it has no ads, telemetry or data gathering. Official builds cover Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD. - **Category:** Browsers - **Made by:** Moonchild Productions (since 2009) - **Website:** https://www.palemoon.org - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you need video calls in the browser, since WebRTC is disabled. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Pale Moon is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Pale Moon is free and open source; the site accepts donations and lists no paid plan. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD, with portable and 7-Zip Windows versions. | Read from https://www.palemoon.org/download.shtml on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Pale Moon before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - People who want deep add-on and theme customization - Users who want a browser with no telemetry and a non-commercial project - Those running older or unusual systems with a build-from-source option ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Pale Moon is a free browser on its own Goanna engine that still runs XUL add-ons and old plugins. It leaves out WebRTC, a PDF reader and DRM on purpose, so some sites and video services may not work. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source, with donations accepted and no paid plan, which is under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The full browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD costs nothing, with portable and 7-Zip Windows versions. - **Features: C.** XUL add-ons, themes and NPAPI plugins, but WebRTC, an integrated PDF reader, DRM and parental controls are deliberately off in the main build. - **Ease of use: B.** No rating on record. You install it and go, though official binaries need a CPU with AVX, except the 32-bit Windows build. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD, with no iOS or Android edition on the download page. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Moonchild Productions's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among browsers - Pale Moon'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). - Pale Moon 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.** Pale Moon is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. - You could not: A web browser. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. 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 ## Alternatives - [Firefox](https://toolgpa.com/tools/firefox): Free, open-source browser from Mozilla with tracker blocking built in. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/firefox-vs-pale-moon) - [Waterfox](https://toolgpa.com/tools/waterfox): Free, open-source Firefox-based browser with a built-in ad blocker. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/pale-moon-vs-waterfox) - [LibreWolf](https://toolgpa.com/tools/librewolf): Free, privacy-hardened browser built on Firefox. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/librewolf-vs-pale-moon) - [Floorp](https://toolgpa.com/tools/floorp): Free, open-source Firefox-based browser with workspaces and split view. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/floorp-vs-pale-moon) - [SeaMonkey](https://toolgpa.com/tools/seamonkey): All-in-one internet suite with browser, mail, chat and HTML editor. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/pale-moon-vs-seamonkey) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.palemoon.org/ - https://www.palemoon.org/download.shtml - https://www.palemoon.org/technical.shtml Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/pale-moon Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).