LibreWolf

Last updated

LibreWolf
Developer LibreWolf Community
Initial release
  • Linux: March 7, 2020;5 years ago (2020-03-07)
  • Windows: February 21, 2021;4 years ago (2021-02-21)
  • macOS: April 12, 2021;4 years ago (2021-04-12)
Stable release
147.0-1 / January 13, 2026;6 days ago (2026-01-13)
Repository
Engines Gecko, Quantum, and SpiderMonkey
Operating system
Type Web browser
License
Website librewolf.net

LibreWolf is a free and open-source fork of Firefox, with an emphasis on privacy and security. [1] [2] [3] It is licensed under the MPL 2.0. [4]

Contents

Development

LibreWolf was initially released for Linux operating systems on March 7, 2020. [5] The goal of the LibreWolf project was to create a more privacy-focused version of Firefox. [6] A community-maintained version for Windows was released a year later, with a macOS port released soon after. [7] [8]

Features

LibreWolf does not include telemetry or auto-updating, and certain features are disabled. [9] [10] [11] It does not have sponsored shortcuts.

By default, LibreWolf deletes the user’s cookies and history when the browser is closed, but that feature can be disabled. [12] [6] [13] LinuxSecurity noted that LibreWolf may not have full compatibility with some websites. [6]

By default, Firefox Sync is disabled for LibreWolf, though it is possible to enable it in the browser’s settings. [14]

According to the website PrivacyTests.org in 2022, LibreWolf, along with Brave Browser and Tor Browser, had the most privacy protection compared to other browsers. [15] [16]

In most cases, Librewolf was found to have similar performance to Firefox. However, Librewolf's stronger focus on privacy and security features may slightly impact web optimization. [6]

In December 2025, the developers stated that they will not support features related to generative AI, and will remove those already present in Firefox. [17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Isaac (June 27, 2022). "LibreWolf: a privacy-focused Firefox fork". Ubunlog. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  2. ↑ Wallen, Jack. "Worried about online privacy and security? This browser protects you more than Firefox". ZDNET. Red Ventures. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  3. ↑ Appel, Martin (September 21, 2023). "Sick of Chrome and Edge? Switch to one of these 9 secure browsers instead". PCWorld. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  4. ↑ "LibreWolf website". librewolf.net. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Releases · LibreWolf / Browser / Linux · GitLab". GitLab. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Pell, Anthony (January 4, 2024). "Secure Your Web Browsing With LibreWolf, The Privacy-Focused Firefox Fork". Linux Security. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Releases · LibreWolf / Browser / Windows · GitLab". GitLab. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Releases · LibreWolf / Browser / macOS · GitLab". GitLab. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hasan, Mehedi (March 13, 2022). "LibreWolf: A Trusted Open-source Firefox Fork for Linux". UbuntuPIT. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ "LibreWolf vs Firefox: Comparing the Privacy Heroes of Open-Source Browsers". It's FOSS. April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ Pablinux (April 8, 2021). "LibreWolf, a Firefox prepared to be more private". Linux Adictos. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ Das, Ankush (November 8, 2021). "LibreWolf: An Open-Source Firefox Fork Without the Telemetry". It's FOSS. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  13. ↑ Hasan, Mehedi (March 13, 2022). "LibreWolf: A Trusted Open-source Firefox Fork for Linux". UbuntuPIT. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Frequently asked Questions". Librewolf.
  15. ↑ Saxena, Hermant (June 20, 2022). "Brave and Librewolf are the most private browsers, says study". TheWindowsClub News. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  16. ↑ Brinkmann, Martin (June 15, 2022). "PrivacyTests reveals how your web browser does privacy-wise - gHacks Tech News". gHacks Technology News. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  17. ↑ "LibreWolf (@librewolf@chaos.social)". chaos.social. December 14, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025. As there seems to have been recent confusion about this, just a quick "official" toot to then pin: we haven't and won't support "generative AI" related stuff in LibreWolf. If you see some features like that (like Perplexity search recently, or the link preview feature now) it is solely because it "slipped through". As soon as we become aware of something like this / it gets reported to us, we will remove/disable it ASAP.
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