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Reviewed comparison · verified 2026-09-16

FirefoxvsPale Moonin 2026

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

33 documented facts compared 24 differ 9 identical
BrowserPedia mascot comparing browsers on balance scale

Head-to-head: Firefox versus Pale Moon

Firefox

Mozilla · United States

Pale Moon logo

Pale Moon

Moonchild Productions · Sweden

Firefox: Mozilla's independent Gecko browser with strong customization, privacy controls, and a separate extension ecosystem.

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

Key facts

  • Yes
  • Partial
  • No
Gecko
Engine
Goanna
Built in
Blocks trackers
Available by extension
Built in
Anti-fingerprinting
Unknown
Built in
Native ad blocking
Available by extension
Unsupported
Chrome Web Store Same
Unsupported
Built in
Sync across devices Same
Built in
Google
Default search
DuckDuckGo
macWinLinAndiOS
Platforms 5 vs 3 of 5
macWinLinAndiOS
4
Privacy & tracking /4
1
3
Extensions /4
0.5
8
Workflow & tabs /11
4
5
Platforms /5
3

A count of the capabilities each record documents in that category - half a point for partial support. It is a shape, not a score: BrowserPedia does not rank browsers.

Firefox profile Full records Pale Moon logoPale Moon profile

Firefox and Pale Moon at a glance

Documented capabilities per area - a count, not a rating

  • Firefox
  • Pale Moon
AI5.5/9 · 0/9

Each spoke is the share of that area's documented capabilities; a partial counts half. Hover or focus an area for the count.

Select an underlined area to jump to its rows in the fact table. AI facts are listed on each browser's profile.

Where the two sit

On privacy and extensions, the two areas where this pair differs most. Grey dots are every other browser.

Extension support (of 4)

Privacy protections (of 4)

  • Firefox4, 3
  • Pale Moon1, 0.5
Open the full browser map

What actually differs

See all 33 facts

  • Blocks trackers by default

    Only in Firefox · Privacy & tracking

  • Anti-fingerprinting protection

    Only in Firefox · Privacy & tracking

  • Native content blocking

    Only in Firefox · Privacy & tracking

  • Built-in VPN or proxy

    Only in Firefox · Privacy & tracking

  • Firefox Add-ons

    Only in Firefox · Extensions

  • Manifest V3

    Only in Firefox · Extensions

Firefox vs Pale Moon: every documented fact

Each row is a field from the two browser records. Open a row to read the documented note and its source. Categorical rows carry no colour, because one engine is not better than another.

33 documented facts · 24 differ · 9 identical

Fact
Firefox
Pale Moon logoPale Moon

Privacy & tracking

built in
4/4
1/4

Extensions

built in
3/4
0.5/4

Workflow & tabs

built in
8/11
4/11

Platforms

built in
5/5
3/5

Foundation

Firefox vs Pale Moon: common questions

Do Firefox and Pale Moon use the same browser engine?
No. Firefox renders with Gecko and Pale Moon renders with Goanna. That means they can differ on site compatibility and on which extension ecosystem they support.
Which blocks trackers by default, Firefox or Pale Moon?
Firefox documents tracker blocking enabled by default; Pale Moon only partially.
Can Firefox and Pale Moon run Chrome extensions?
Neither Firefox nor Pale Moon documents Chrome Web Store support.
Does Firefox or Pale Moon have vertical tabs?
Firefox documents built-in vertical tabs; Pale Moon only partially.
What platforms do Firefox and Pale Moon run on?
Firefox is documented on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. Pale Moon is documented on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Firefox or Pale Moon still actively developed?
Firefox is active and Pale Moon is active, as of the profile verification dates on this page.

Evidence sources

Continue comparing

4 more reviewed matchups

Best Gecko browsers A ranked shortlist rather than a single pair

BrowserPedia does not rank browsers by a universal score. The verdict is an editorial interpretation of the sourced facts above.

Canonical comparison link