Verified Sep 2026

ActiveGoanna engine 26/30 documented

Pale Moon

An independent Gecko-derived browser on its own Goanna engine, keeping the pre-Australis interface and the original XUL extension model.

Published by Moonchild Productions (Sweden) · Verified September 2026

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Runs on

macOSmacOS: Available
WindowsWindows: Available
LinuxLinux: Available
AndroidAndroid: Unavailable
iOSiOS: Unavailable

Choose it when

Choose Pale Moon when deep interface customisation through the original XUL extension model is the requirement and you accept an independent engine's compatibility limits.

Avoid it when

Avoid it when you need modern Firefox add-ons, mobile support, multi-process isolation, or guaranteed compatibility with current web applications.

Quick answers

Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.

Which platforms does Pale Moon run on?: Documented on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Not available on Android and iOS.
Can I install Chrome extensions?: No - the Chrome Web Store is not supported.
Does it block trackers out of the box?: Partly - blocking is opt-in or limited. Blocking is provided through extensions rather than by default.
Does it have built-in AI features?: No AI capability in this record is documented as built in.
Is it open source?: Open source under the Mozilla Public License
Is it still being developed?: Active - Actively maintained by a small team with continuing security and compatibility releases.

What Pale Moon does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

1 partial · 2 not available · 1 undocumented

Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Available by extension
Blocking is provided through extensions rather than by default.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unavailable
The project states the browser contains no telemetry or data gathering.
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable
Private windowsA private browsing mode is available and does not retain local history.
A private browsing mode is available and does not retain local history.
Default search engineDuckDuckGo

Extensions and blocking

2 partial · 3 not available

Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Unsupported
Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Partial
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Available by extension
Content blocking is available through extensions.
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Unavailable
The browser uses the older XUL extension model rather than WebExtensions manifests.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unavailable
The browser uses the older XUL extension model rather than WebExtensions manifests.
Known limitationsExtensions use the original XUL model, so modern Firefox WebExtensions are not compatible and the available catalogue is its own.
Extensions use the original XUL model, so modern Firefox WebExtensions are not compatible and the available catalogue is its own.

Workflow

3 built in · 2 partial · 3 not available · 3 undocumented

Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Available by extension
Vertical tab layouts are available through extensions.
Tab treesTab trees: Available by extension
Tab grouping is available through extensions.
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Unavailable
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles or equivalent browser identities are available.
Split viewSplit view: Unavailable
SidebarSidebar: Built in
Sidebar web panels are supported.
Reader modeReader mode: Unknown
Reader mode is not documented.
Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in
The project operates its own sync service, separate from Firefox Sync.
TranslationTranslation: Unknown
Translation is not documented.
Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Unknown
Progressive web app behaviour is not documented.

AI features

9 not available

Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Unavailable
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Unavailable
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unavailable
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Unavailable
Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Unavailable
Text or image generationText or image generation: Unavailable
Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Unavailable
Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Unavailable

On a phone

10 undocumented

Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.

Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Unknown
Extension support on mobile is not documented.
Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Not applicable
Biometric lockBiometric lock: Unknown
Biometric locking is not documented.
Offline readingOffline reading: Unknown
Offline reading is not documented.
Desktop-site modeDesktop-site mode: Unknown
Desktop-site mode is not documented.
Download managerDownload manager: Unknown
A built-in download manager is not documented.
Background playbackBackground playback: Unknown
Background or picture-in-picture playback is not documented.
Web pushWeb push: Unknown
Web push support is not documented.
Data saverData saver: Unknown
Address-bar placementAddress-bar placement: Unknown
Address-bar placement is not documented.

Under the hood

Rendering engine: Goanna
JavaScript engine: SpiderMonkey derivative
Upstream project: Independent fork of pre-Quantum Mozilla code
Release channel: stable
Code and licence: Open source under the Mozilla Public License
Install method: Direct download from the project or distribution packages.
Hardware support: Builds target 64-bit desktop hardware, with some legacy targets maintained.

Source repository

Active. Actively maintained by a small team with continuing security and compatibility releases.

Editorial view

Pale Moon is the most genuinely independent browser in this directory after Ladybird, and it got there by a different route: rather than building an engine from scratch, it forked Mozilla's code before the Quantum rewrite and has maintained that lineage since. The engine is Goanna, derived from Gecko but no longer tracking it, and the interface preserves the pre-Australis Firefox layout that Mozilla replaced.

Why people choose it

The extension model. Modern Firefox uses WebExtensions, which are safer and more portable but substantially less powerful; the older XUL model allowed extensions to restructure the browser itself. Pale Moon keeps XUL, so a category of deep customisation that no current mainstream browser permits remains possible here. It also means modern Firefox add-ons do not work: the catalogue is its own and much smaller, and manifests are a WebExtensions concept that does not apply.

The trade

Compatibility. A small team maintaining an independent engine will not ship new web platform features at the pace of Chromium or Firefox, and some modern sites will misbehave or refuse to load. That is a structural consequence of independence rather than a bug awaiting a fix, and anyone adopting it should keep a second browser for sites that will not cooperate.

The record

Windows, Linux, and macOS builds are official, including Apple silicon; nothing on mobile
The project ships no telemetry, private browsing exists, and DuckDuckGo is the default engine
Tracker blocking arrives through extensions rather than by default, and no fingerprinting posture is documented; this is not a privacy-first browser and does not present itself as one
Sidebar web panels are native, vertical tabs and tab grouping come through extensions, and the project runs its own sync service, separate from Firefox Sync

There is no AI functionality, consistent with a project whose premise is continuity with an earlier era of browser design.

The verdict

Choose Pale Moon if XUL-deep customisation appeals and you want control over the browser itself rather than a sandboxed extension API. Avoid it if you need mobile, modern add-ons, or a browser that renders every site a current Chromium build does.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 4 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

Pale Moon official site
Product scope, engine identity, and extension model.
Verified Sep 2026

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Choose Firefox for current web compatibility and mobile builds; choose Pale Moon for deep interface customisation through the older XUL extension model.
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