Mozilla Firefox
Version 153.0.4 · Mozilla Foundation · Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 · ranked #142 in the library
A web browser built by a non-profit on its own engine rather than the one everything else shares, with a long standing focus on privacy controls and a customisation depth the mainstream browsers gave up on.
Read the installation section below before you start. The order of the steps matters on this release.
About this release
Overview
Firefox is one of the few remaining browsers that does not run on the same engine as everything else. That independence matters beyond principle: it keeps a genuine alternative rendering path alive on the web, so sites have a reason to remain standards based rather than targeting a single engine's quirks. For a lot of people the practical reason to run it is simpler, which is that it is made by a non-profit whose business is not selling ads against your browsing.
Privacy is where it puts its emphasis. Enhanced tracking protection blocks cross site trackers, social trackers and fingerprinting scripts by default, cookies from trackers are isolated so they cannot follow you between sites, and the controls for all of it are in plain sight rather than buried. None of this depends on installing anything extra, and the strict mode tightens it further for people who want it.
It remains the customisable browser. A deep extension ecosystem, real control over the interface layout, container tabs that keep separate logins and browsing contexts genuinely separate in the same window, a capable reader mode, and a settings surface that exposes far more than the mainstream browsers do. It syncs bookmarks, history, passwords and open tabs across machines through an optional account, and the whole thing is open source.
What it does
Feature breakdown
Independent rendering engine
Runs on its own engine rather than the one most other browsers share, keeping a genuine alternative alive.
Tracking protection by default
Blocks cross site and social trackers and fingerprinting scripts out of the box, with the controls in plain sight.
Container tabs
Keep separate logins and browsing contexts isolated within the same window rather than in separate profiles.
Deep customisation
Interface layout control, a large extension ecosystem and a settings surface far broader than the mainstream browsers expose.
Reader mode and built in tools
A clean reader view, a screenshot tool, a password manager and a capable download manager built in.
Cross machine sync
Bookmarks, history, passwords and open tabs synced across machines through an optional account.
Changed in this build
Version 153.0.4
- Rendering engine performance improvements on script heavy pages.
- Tracking protection updated with new fingerprinting mitigations.
- Reduced memory use with many tabs open.
- Improved startup time on machines with large profiles.
- Security fixes and updated interface translations.
Installation
Follow these in order
- Extract the archive.
- Run the installer and complete the standard setup.
- Choose whether to import bookmarks and settings from another browser when prompted.
- Set it as the default browser if you want it to handle links from other applications.
- Sign in to an account if you want sync, which is optional.
- Review the tracking protection level in the privacy settings.
Release notes
From whoever packed it
- This is open source freeware. There is no activation and nothing to unlock.
- Sync is optional. The browser works fully without an account.
- Extensions install from the browser's own add-ons page.
System requirements
Minimum and recommended
| Operating system | Windows 7 through Windows 11, 32-bit or 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any modern processor |
| Memory | 2 GB minimum, more for many tabs |
| Graphics | A GPU with a current driver for accelerated rendering |
| Storage | 300 MB of free space |
Questions about this release
Answered before you ask
- Does it use the same engine as other browsers?
- No. It runs on its own independent engine, which is part of the point of it.
- Is my browsing tracked?
- It blocks cross site trackers by default, and the maker is a non-profit that does not sell ads against your browsing.
- Can I sync between my machines?
- Yes, through an optional account, though the browser works fully without one.
Download
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