Falkon originally known as QupZilla is a free, open-source web browser developed and maintained by the KDE community .It uses the QtWebEngine (Chromium‐based) to deliver modern web compatibility in a sleek, Qt interface that aligns well with KDE Plasma and other Qt‑based desktops .Falkon is a lightweight yet full-featured browser, comparable to mainstream browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi, and Zen Browser, with its own thoughtful design and privacy strengths . Notably, it includes a default ad‑blocker, screenshot capture, speed‑dial homepage, cookie management, session tools, RSS reader, and theme support all while consuming significantly less memory
Key features include:
- Built‑in AdBlock with filter list support no need for extensions
- Speed-Dial Homepage & Integrated Screenshot Tool
- Cookie & Flash‑Cookie Management, plus User-Agent Switching included in core UI
- Portable installations via PortableApps, Snap, Flatpak, or standalone binaries
- Theme and extension support from KDE Store, including Greasemonkey user‑script support
- Low system resource usage, making it ideal for older or low-end hardware
- Cross‑platform availability: Linux, FreeBSD, Haiku, Windows
Use cases include:
- Lightweight daily browsing for Linux and Qt‑oriented users.
- Secondary browser for privacy or low‑resource scenarios.
- KDE users seeking tight desktop integration and efficient workflows.
- Anyone desiring a simpler, ad‑friendly alternative to Chrome/Firefox.
