waterfox

Waterfox is a web browser built on the same open-source foundation as Firefox. The project describes itself as a drop-in replacement, meaning you can switch from Firefox without losing access to your existing extensions or bookmarks. The primary motivation for the fork is privacy: Waterfox strips out the telemetry and usage tracking that Firefox includes by default, collecting only the data strictly needed to keep the browser operational.

Beyond privacy, the project targets performance improvements on modern hardware and broader customization options, though the README does not go into specific technical changes relative to stock Firefox. The browser supports both the current WebExtensions format used by modern Firefox extensions and older classic extension formats, which matters for users who rely on add-ons that no longer run in standard Firefox. Waterfox runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

The source code is publicly available and the project welcomes outside contributions. Building from source requires following a separate build guide included in the repository. Because Waterfox inherits the Firefox codebase structure, the README points new contributors to Firefox's own documentation for understanding the directory layout and build tooling. There is no separate developer wiki; the upstream Firefox docs serve that role.

Community channels include a subreddit and the official Waterfox website. The core development team works UK business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding bank holidays, so response times on issues and pull requests reflect that schedule.

The license is the Mozilla Public License 2.0, the same license that governs Firefox. Pre-built installers for all supported platforms are available directly from the Waterfox website, so building from source is only necessary if you want to modify the code.