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Ladybird is an independent open source web browser built entirely from scratch with its own rendering engine, no code from Chrome or Firefox, and nonprofit governance. BSD-2-Clause and Apache-2.0 licensed.
It is a free, open-source video conferencing solution for web and mobile, offering secure, flexible, and feature-rich communication capabilities.
A Chromium-based browser focused on privacy and security, offering enhanced protection without compromising compatibility.
K-Meleon is a lightweight Windows browser built on the Gecko engine with low RAM usage, macro customization, and support for older hardware. MPL 1.1 licensed.
A versatile KDE file manager and web browser with file management, web browsing, and file previewing capabilities.
A privacy-focused web browser engineered for speed, control, and peace of mind, offering built-in tracking protection and customization.
Ladybird is an independent open source web browser built entirely from scratch, with a custom rendering engine and JavaScript engine that share no code with Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
Every major browser today is built on one of three engines: Blink (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera), Gecko (Firefox), or WebKit (Safari). This means the open web runs on a handful of corporate-controlled rendering engines. Browser diversity has narrowed to the point where a bug or a policy decision in Chromium affects most of the web's users simultaneously.
Ladybird is a clean-room implementation: its LibWeb rendering engine and LibJS JavaScript engine were written from zero with no inherited code from existing browsers. The project is governed by the Ladybird Browser Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no advertising revenue or search deal dependency. BSD-2-Clause and Apache-2.0 licenses apply to different parts of the codebase.
Build from source using the instructions in the GitHub repository. Linux is the most supported platform; macOS builds are also available. Pre-built binaries are not yet regularly distributed. A modern C++ toolchain and CMake are required; the build guide covers setup on common distributions.
BSD-2-Clause for the LibWeb rendering engine and core browser components; Apache-2.0 for other parts of the codebase. Both are permissive licenses that allow free use, modification, and distribution for any purpose.
Ladybird is best for developers who want to contribute to a truly independent browser engine, web standards researchers, and privacy advocates who want to support long-term browser ecosystem diversity beyond Chromium and Gecko.
Unlike Firefox, which uses Mozilla's Gecko engine with decades of legacy code, Ladybird starts from zero with no inherited technical debt. Firefox is a mature daily-use browser; Ladybird is an active developer project and not yet a daily-driver replacement, but it is the only major browser not derived from an existing engine.
