Zen Browser

Zen Browser is a free and open-source fork of Mozilla Firefox, with its main focus being privacy and customizability, and it is licensed

Zen Browser

Developer(s)	Mauro Baladés (maubg)
Initial release	July 11th, 2024
Stable release(s)
Windows 1.0.1-a.17 (stable) / November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01) macOS 1.0.1-a.17 (stable) / November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01) Linux (Flatpak) 1.0.1-a.17 (stable) / November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01) Windows 1.0.1-a.18 (unstable) / November 7, 2024 (2024-11-07) macOS 1.0.1-a.18 (unstable) / November 7, 2024 (2024-11-07) Linux (Flatpak) 1.0.1-a.18 (unstable) / November 7, 2024 (2024-11-07) / November 1st, 2024
Repository	https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop
Written in	JavaScript, CSS, C++, HTML, Shell, PowerShell
Operating system	Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux
License	Mozilla Public License 2.0
Website	https://zen-browser.app/

under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL 2.0). Its repository can be found on GitHub

Development

Zen Browser started development on Αpril 1, 2024 after being mentioned in a Reddit post on r/browsers, on July 12, 2024, the first public release of Zen got released, named 1.0.0-a.1. As of now there are a total of 104 contributors to Zen Browser, 52 desktop contributors and 52 site contributors.

Compatibility

Zen is compatible with Microsoft Windows, MacOS and Linux. Ever since its release, Zen has had two download options, Optimized, made for newer systems and Generic, made for older systems. On the Linux version, it is available to download on Flatpak and on the MacOS version its available for AArch64 and Intel.

Features

Zen Browser has many distinct features that make it stand out, like Split Views, which allows you to split your view into multiple panes, Sidebar, a built in sidebar inside the browser, Zen Glance, a feature to quickly preview a website without leaving your current page and a lot more, and it also has better performance than normal Firefox. However, Zen Browser does not support DRM, which may limit access to some streaming services and DRM-protected content. Ever since its release, Zen has had two download options, Optimized, made for newer systems and Generic, made for older systems.

Criticism

Zen Browser has received positive reviews for its customizable, user-friendly interface, especially its vertical tab layout and built-in tiling for easy multitasking. Praised for its community-driven development, it offers themes and configurations, making it highly adaptable.

Zen Mods

Zen Mods (formerly called Themes Store) is a Zen Browser feature launched on August 18, 2024 which uses custom made UGC themes which can only be compatible with Zen. As of November 6, 2024, the theme store has 71 total themes, further adding to the customizability.

Security

Zen Browser has several security features to protect user data and privacy:

• Built on Latest Firefox Version: Zen Browser is based on the most recent version of Firefox, benefiting from Firefox's security updates and patches.
• Tracking Protection: The browser includes tracking protection, blocking third parties from tracking users’ online activities.
• OCSP Support: Zen Browser uses the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) to verify the validity of websites’ SSL certificates, enhancing security against expired or revoked certificates.
• HTTPS-Only Mode: Zen Browser attempts to connect to websites over HTTPS whenever possible, encrypting communication between the user and the website.
• Strict SSL Standards: Insecure SSL connections are treated as broken by default, and Zen Browser blocks connections to websites that do not meet modern security standards.