Verified Sep 2026

ActiveGecko engine 28/30 documented

Waterfox

A Firefox-derived browser that emphasizes customization and compatibility with selected legacy workflows.

Published by BrowserWorks (United Kingdom) · Verified September 2026

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Runs on

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

Choose it when

Choose Waterfox for a Firefox-derived desktop browser when its customization and service choices match your needs.

Avoid it when

Avoid it when you require Mozilla's exact release behavior, the broadest official support, or iOS coverage.

Quick answers

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

Which platforms does Waterfox run on?: Documented on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android. Not available on iOS.
Can I install Chrome extensions?: No - the Chrome Web Store is not supported.
Does it block trackers out of the box?: Yes - tracker or ad blocking is on by default. Firefox-derived tracking protection is included.
Does it have built-in AI features?: No AI capability in this record is documented as built in.
Is it open source?: Open source Firefox-derived browser with proprietary services
Is it still being developed?: Active - Actively maintained Firefox-derived browser; verify feature and platform details per release.

What Waterfox does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

1 built in · 1 not available · 2 undocumented

Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Built in
Firefox-derived tracking protection is included.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
No separate hardened fingerprinting claim is made here.
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unknown
Waterfox's current telemetry details should be read in its policy before deployment.
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable
No general browser VPN is included.
Private windowsPrivate windows limit local records but do not anonymize traffic.
Private windows limit local records but do not anonymize traffic.
Default search engineQwant (DuckDuckGo outside supported regions)
Qwant (DuckDuckGo outside supported regions)

Extensions and blocking

4 built in · 1 not available

Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Unsupported
Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Supported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Built in
Firefox-derived tracking protection is native.
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Built in
Firefox-derived Manifest V3 support is available.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Built in
Firefox WebExtensions compatibility is used.
Known limitationsWaterfox-specific compatibility and legacy expectations should be checked per extension.
Waterfox-specific compatibility and legacy expectations should be checked per extension.

Workflow

9 built in · 2 not available

Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built in
First-party vertical tabs shipped in Waterfox 6.6 and continue to be iterated.
Tab treesTab trees: Built in
Waterfox 6.7 replaced its bundled tree add-on with native tree tabs in the vertical strip.
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Unavailable
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles or equivalent browser identities are available.
Split viewSplit view: Built in
Firefox's native Split View is inherited from the current Gecko base.
SidebarSidebar: Built in
Firefox sidebar functionality is available.
Reader modeReader mode: Built in
Firefox Reader View is available.
Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in
Firefox Sync compatibility is available.
TranslationTranslation: Built in
Firefox-derived translation is available where supported.
Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Built in
Progressive web apps are supported by the Chromium install flow.

AI features

9 not available

Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Unavailable
Waterfox documents that LLM features are not included by default.
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: Unknown
Default-browser capability is not documented.
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: Gecko
JavaScript engine: SpiderMonkey
Upstream project: Mozilla Firefox
Release channel: stable
Code and licence: Open source Firefox-derived browser with proprietary services
Install method: Official installer or app store/package.
Hardware support: Current architecture requirements are release-specific.

Source repository

Active. Actively maintained Firefox-derived browser; verify feature and platform details per release.

Editorial view

Waterfox has quietly become one of the better-equipped Gecko browsers for tab-heavy work. For a fork whose old reputation was legacy compatibility, the current product is a modern Firefox with more built-in tab structure than Mozilla ships.

The tab machinery

First-party vertical tabs since 6.6
Native tree tabs inside the vertical strip since 6.7, replacing the bundled add-on
Firefox's split view from the current Gecko base
Sidebar, Reader View, sync, translation, and web apps from upstream

Who makes it, and on what

Published by BrowserWorks, a UK company, at waterfox.com, with official builds for macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android; there is no iOS app. The code is an open-source Firefox derivative with some proprietary services attached. Extensions come from Firefox Add-ons with both Manifest V2 and V3 supported, so the standard Firefox extension set, content blockers included, installs normally.

Search and privacy

Search is where Waterfox differs most visibly from its upstream. Qwant became the default in mid-2026, with DuckDuckGo standing in outside Qwant's supported regions, part of the partner-search funding model that keeps the project running. Tracking protection is built in via the Firefox base. Fingerprinting protection is not claimed as a hardened posture, telemetry is recorded as unknown pending the project's current policy, there is no VPN, and private windows only clear local traces. Anyone wanting LibreWolf-grade hardening should use LibreWolf; Waterfox aims at daily-driver comfort, not maximum lockdown.

The caveat

Organisational rather than technical. A small company maintaining a browser moves slower than Mozilla, and its service and search decisions have shifted over the years as funding models changed. Nothing about the current release looks unhealthy, and 6.7 shipped actively through September 2026, but a fork's roadmap is always worth a glance before you settle in.

The verdict

Choose Waterfox when you want Firefox compatibility plus native vertical and tree tabs, and its search partnership does not bother you. Choose Firefox for Mozilla's own release and support path, or Floorp when workspaces and split-view density matter more than tab trees. Check the add-ons you rely on against the current release, then move the profile; Firefox profile data imports without drama, and sync carries the rest.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 2 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

Waterfox official site
Product and platform scope.
Verified Sep 2026

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