Waterfox
Waterfox is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser forked from Firefox, serving power users and privacy-conscious consumers with zero telemetry, built-in tree tabs, and native ad-blocking via Brave's adblock-rust engine.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Waterfox does
Waterfox is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser forked from Mozilla's Firefox (Gecko) platform, founded in 2011 and based in London, United Kingdom. The product is positioned for power users and privacy-conscious individuals who reject mainstream browsers' telemetry, tracking, and AI integration. Waterfox's core technology combines a Gecko-based engine with Brave's adblock-rust engine (integrated in the 2026 release, reducing memory usage by 75% via FlatBuffers), and ships with Free Oblivious DNS operated in partnership with Fastly as a default privacy feature. The browser also embeds power-user tooling—tree-style vertical tabs, private tabs, and granular settings—directly into the product, reducing dependence on third-party extensions.
The company operates a free, product-led distribution model, delivering downloads through its website, Google Play (Android), and GitHub. Its primary monetization is voluntary donations via Buy Me a Coffee; no paid tiers, subscriptions, ads, or enterprise contracts are disclosed. Waterfox is maintained by the BrowserWorks GitHub organization and led by founder Alex Kontos, with a headcount of 1-10 and no disclosed institutional funding beyond a 2014 Pitch@Palace appearance. Strategic partnerships include Fastly (Oblivious DNS infrastructure), Namespace (sponsorship), the Browser Choice Alliance (browser-diversity coalition), and default search integrations with Startpage, EFF, and Wikipedia.
Waterfox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Waterfox
- Website
- https://waterfox.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Waterfox is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser forked from Firefox, serving power users and privacy-conscious consumers with zero telemetry, built-in tree tabs, and native ad-blocking via Brave's adblock-rust engine.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Waterfox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Waterfox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Accepts donations through Buy Me a Coffee platform. Users can voluntarily support the project.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free browser with optional donations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Waterfox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Waterfox is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser forked from Mozilla Firefox, built for power users who value customization and control over their online experience. It ships zero telemetry, Free Oblivious DNS (via Fastly), tree-style vertical tabs, private tabs, and a native adblock-rust engine — all included by default without extensions. The product is free to download, monetized through optional donations, and available on desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) and Android.
Product overview
Waterfox is a single, unified privacy-focused web browser built as an open-source fork of Firefox. The product portfolio centers on the Waterfox Browser as the core offering, supplemented by built-in features including Free Oblivious DNS (for anonymous encrypted DNS resolution), Tree Vertical Tabs (for tab hierarchy management), and Private Tabs (for isolated incognito-style browsing). A companion Android app extends the browser to mobile. All features ship within the single browser download without requiring extensions, and the 2026 release incorporates native ad-blocking via Brave's adblock-rust engine.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Waterfox Browser Privacy-focused, open-source web browser for Windows, macOS, and Linux, forked from Firefox. Targets individual privacy-conscious power users; ships zero telemetry, Free Oblivious DNS, tree-style vertical tabs, private tabs, and native ad-blocking out of the box without extensions. Free to download with optional donations.
- Waterfox for Android Native Android browser application available on Google Play, offering the Waterfox privacy and customization feature set on mobile, with full extension support and faster start times. Free to install.
Quantifiable outcome
- Memory usage reduction with FlatBuffers optimization in ad-block engine
Companies that use Waterfox
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Waterfox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature6 records
Waterfox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FastlycoreWaterfox partners with Fastly to run their Free Oblivious DNS service. Fastly provides the infrastructure for encrypted and anonymous DNS resolution that ships by default in Waterfox.
- Browser Choice AllianceminorWaterfox is part of the Browser Choice Alliance, a coalition promoting browser diversity and user choice in the web browsing ecosystem.
- StartpageminorStartpage is offered as a default search engine option in Waterfox, providing privacy-respecting search functionality.
- EFFminorThe Electronic Frontier Foundation is offered as a search engine option, aligning with Waterfox's privacy-first positioning.
- WikipediaminorWikipedia is offered as a search engine option in Waterfox's new tab page.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Waterfox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pale Moon: Independent Firefox fork focused on customization and a traditional browsing experience. Competes for users seeking Firefox alternatives with deeper customization than current Firefox offers.
- Brave: Privacy-focused browser that pioneered the adblock-rust engine Waterfox adopted. Direct competitor in the privacy-browser niche, with a similar pro-privacy, anti-tracking value proposition but vastly more resources, a token-based revenue model, and search engine ambitions.
- Mozilla Firefox: The upstream project Waterfox is forked from. Competes directly with Waterfox for users who want privacy and customization, but Mozilla's AI integration push is precisely the trend Waterfox was created to oppose.
- Vivaldi: Power-user browser with deep customization, built-in tab management, and privacy features. Closely comparable to Waterfox's power-user positioning and built-in tooling ethos, built on Chromium rather than Gecko.
- Tor Browser: Privacy browser based on Firefox ESR focused on anonymity via onion routing. Targets overlapping privacy-conscious users with stronger anonymity guarantees than Waterfox.
- DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser: Privacy-focused browser from the DuckDuckGo search brand. Targets the same privacy-conscious persona with built-in tracker blocking, private search, and a clean UX, primarily on mobile.
- LibreWolf: Community-driven Firefox fork focused on privacy and telemetry removal. Same fork-based model as Waterfox, similar no-telemetry value proposition, and competes for the same Firefox-refugee audience.
Emerging players
- Arc Browser: Emerging power-user browser with strong customization, vertical tabs, and workflow features. Partial overlap with Waterfox's built-in tree-style tab management and power-user positioning.
- The Browser Company: Newer entrant (behind Arc and Dia) focused on reimagining the browser experience for productivity and AI workflows. Adjacent to Waterfox in targeting power users but with a contrasting AI-forward stance.
Broad incumbents
- Opera: Established browser with built-in VPN, ad-blocking, and privacy features. Operates broadly in the same consumer browser space with overlapping capabilities but as part of a wider portfolio rather than a privacy-only niche.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Waterfox social profiles
Digital presenceWaterfox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Waterfox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Waterfox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Waterfox M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Waterfox
What does Waterfox do?
Waterfox is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser forked from Mozilla Firefox, built for power users who value customization and control over their online experience. It ships zero telemetry, Free Oblivious DNS (via Fastly), tree-style vertical tabs, private tabs, and a native adblock-rust engine — all included by default without extensions. The product is free to download, monetized through optional donations, and available on desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) and Android.
Is Waterfox a public or private company?
Waterfox is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Waterfox founded?
Waterfox was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Waterfox based?
Waterfox is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Waterfox make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations.
Who are Waterfox's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pale Moon, Brave, Mozilla Firefox, Vivaldi, Tor Browser, DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser and LibreWolf. Emerging players are Arc Browser and The Browser Company. Opera is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Waterfox have an API?
No public API is recorded for Waterfox.