Firefox
Mozilla's web browser, open source and preinstalled on most beginner Linux systems.
Our verdict
Firefox is the browser you will almost certainly find sitting on the taskbar the first time you start Linux, and it is the same Firefox you may already run on Windows. Sign in to your Mozilla account and your bookmarks, saved passwords and extensions arrive within a minute.
Nothing about it feels like a compromise version. The Linux build is a first class Mozilla release, not a community port. The one thing that catches people out is paid video: Netflix and similar services need a playback component that some distributions leave switched off until you agree to it, and Firefox will prompt you the first time.
If a site refuses to work properly, it is usually a site that was only ever tested in Chrome rather than a Linux problem. Keeping a second browser installed for those rare cases costs nothing.
What's good
- Usually already installed, so the web works the moment you log in
- Your bookmarks, passwords and open tabs sync across from Firefox on Windows
- Built by a non-profit, with tracking protection turned on by default
- Same extensions you used on Windows
What to know first
- A small number of business and banking sites still only test against Chrome
- Video streaming services need a separate playback component installed before they work
- Uses more memory than lighter browsers on an older machine
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (MPL-2.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), .deb installer, App store (Snap), Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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