LibreWolf
A privacy-focused version of Firefox with tracking and telemetry stripped out. Official Linux builds.
Our verdict
LibreWolf is Firefox with the privacy settings already turned up, and it runs on Linux as a first class build rather than a port. If you used it on Windows, the Linux version is the same browser.
The trade-off is deliberate friction. By default it clears cookies when you close it, which means signing back in to sites each session, and it blocks more content than Firefox does. Both can be changed in settings, but you have to know to do it.
It also has no self-updating mechanism, so you either install it through your system's app store and let that keep it current, or you download new versions yourself. For most home users plain Firefox with tracking protection turned up covers the same ground with less fuss.
What's good
- Looks and works like Firefox, so there is nothing new to learn
- Telemetry and data collection are switched off before you ever open it
- Runs alongside Firefox without the two interfering with each other
- Available on Windows too, so you can try it before you switch
What to know first
- No built-in updater, so updates come through the app store or a new download
- Strict privacy defaults log you out of sites every time you close the browser until you change that
- Firefox account sync is not set up for you and needs a little work
- Built by a small community rather than a funded organisation
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (MPL-2.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), AppImage download, Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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