WaterFox
waterfox.com
Waterfox is a free, open-source web browser based on Firefox, created in 2011 by Alex Kontos when he was just 16 years old. It started as a simple idea: give people a true 64-bit Firefox build that could take full advantage of their hardware.
Today, Waterfox has evolved into something more focused on privacy and user control. It strips out all telemetry and data collection, enables encrypted DNS by default, and includes built-in ad blocking. It also makes a clear promise: no AI features, ever. After briefly being owned by an advertising company, Waterfox went independent again in 2023 and is now maintained by BrowserWorks.
One of its standout features is Private Tabs, which let you open a private browsing session right in a normal window — no separate window needed, and the data clears when you close the tab. It also has built-in Tree Tabs, which automatically nest new tabs under the page they came from, making it much easier to manage lots of open tabs. For anyone who wants Firefox's flexibility with a stronger focus on privacy, Waterfox is a solid choice.
Today, Waterfox has evolved into something more focused on privacy and user control. It strips out all telemetry and data collection, enables encrypted DNS by default, and includes built-in ad blocking. It also makes a clear promise: no AI features, ever. After briefly being owned by an advertising company, Waterfox went independent again in 2023 and is now maintained by BrowserWorks.
One of its standout features is Private Tabs, which let you open a private browsing session right in a normal window — no separate window needed, and the data clears when you close the tab. It also has built-in Tree Tabs, which automatically nest new tabs under the page they came from, making it much easier to manage lots of open tabs. For anyone who wants Firefox's flexibility with a stronger focus on privacy, Waterfox is a solid choice.
