Comparison of lightweight web browsers


A lightweight web browser is a web browser that sacrifices some of the features of a mainstream web browser in order to reduce the consumption of system resources, and especially to minimize the memory footprint.
The tables below compare notable lightweight web browsers. Several of them use a common layout engine, but each has a unique combination of features and a potential niche. The minimal user interface in surf, for example, does not have tabs, whereas xombrero can be driven with vi-like keyboard commands.
Four of the browsers compared—Lynx, w3m, Links, and ELinks—are designed for text mode, and can function in a terminal emulator. Links 2 has both a text-based user interface and a graphical user interface. w3m is, in addition to being a web browser, also a terminal pager.

Overview

BrowserDevelopersDevelopment statusEngineProgramming languagesSoftware licenseLatest stable release
AroraBenjamin C. Meyer et al.QtWebKitC++GPL
DilloJorge Arellano Cid et al.DilloC, C++GPLv3
ELinksPetr Baudiš, Jonas Fonseca, et al.LinksC, C++GPLv2
Falkon David RoscaQtWebKit / Qt WebEngineC++GPLv3
K-MeleonChristophe Thibault et al.GeckoC++GPL
LinksMikuláš Patočka, Twibright Labs, et al.LinksCGPLv2+
LynxLou Montulli, Thomas Dickey, et al.libwww derivativeC GPLv2
MidoriChristian Dywan et al.WebKitGTK+Vala, CLGPL v2.1+
NetSurfJohn-Mark Bell, Michael Drake, et al.NetSurfC GPLv2
Otter BrowserMichał DutkiewiczQtWebKit / Qt WebEngineC++GPL
QtWebLogicWare; LSoft TechnologiesQtWebKitC++GPL
qutebrowserFlorian Bruhin et al.QtWebKit / Qt WebEnginePython3GPLv3
rekonqAndrea Diamantini et al.QtWebKitC++GPLv3
surfChristoph Lohmann et al.WebKitGTK+CMIT License
uzblDieter Plaetinck et al.WebKitGTK+C, PythonGPLv3
w3mAkinori Ito et al.w3mCMIT License
WebPositiveAndrea Anzani, Ryan Leavengood, et al.HaikuWebkitC++MIT License
xombreroMarco Peerboom et al.WebKitGTK+C, JavaScriptISC license

Operating system support

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Features

Test scores reflect the version of the browser engine in use. Generally, a lower score indicates an older version of the browser engine.
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