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GNU IceCat VS LibreWolf

Compare GNU IceCat VS LibreWolf and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

GNU IceCat logo GNU IceCat

Gnuzilla is the GNU version of the Mozilla suite, and GNU IceCat is the GNU version of the ...

LibreWolf logo LibreWolf

LibreWolf, the community-maintained fork of Librefox: a privacy and security-focused browser.
  • GNU IceCat Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-11-01
  • LibreWolf Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-16

GNU IceCat features and specs

  • Privacy-Focused
    GNU IceCat includes a number of privacy-oriented features such as resistance against fingerprinting and built-in ad blocking, which enhance user privacy.
  • Free Software
    Being part of the GNU Project, IceCat is free software and respects users' freedom, providing full transparency and control over the source code.
  • LibreJS
    IceCat comes with LibreJS, which blocks non-free JavaScript, helping to ensure that all JavaScript executed by the browser is free software.
  • Enhanced Security
    Regular security updates and a philosophy aligned with free software make IceCat a secure option for users who prioritize safety and transparency.
  • Customizable
    As a derivative of Firefox, IceCat supports a range of customization options, allowing users to tailor their browsing experience to their needs.

Possible disadvantages of GNU IceCat

  • Limited Add-ons
    Due to its restrictive stance on non-free software, some popular Firefox add-ons might not work with IceCat, limiting the browser's extensibility.
  • Performance Issues
    Compared to mainstream browsers, IceCat may experience slower performance or compatibility issues with certain websites.
  • Less Support
    Being a niche browser, IceCat has less community support and fewer resources available for troubleshooting compared to more popular browsers.
  • User Interface
    The user interface might not be as polished or intuitive as more mainstream browsers, which can result in a less user-friendly experience.
  • Compatibility
    Due to its focus on free software, some web features or services that rely on proprietary technologies might not function properly.

LibreWolf features and specs

  • Privacy-Focused
    LibreWolf is designed with privacy in mind, removing telemetry and tracking features found in standard Firefox releases.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, it ensures transparency and the ability for the community to inspect and contribute to the codebase.
  • Customizable
    LibreWolf allows extensive customization, enabling users to modify settings according to their specific privacy and usability preferences.
  • Enhanced Security
    Additional security features such as hardened settings, built-in uBlock Origin, and strict firewall rules provide a more secure browsing experience.
  • Ad and Tracker Blocking
    By default, LibreWolf includes tools to block ads and trackers, which can lead to a faster and less intrusive browsing experience.

Possible disadvantages of LibreWolf

  • Compatibility Issues
    Some websites may not function correctly due to the enhanced security and privacy settings, requiring manual adjustments.
  • Performance Overhead
    The additional security and privacy features can sometimes lead to a slight decrease in performance compared to other browsers.
  • Limited Support
    Being a community-driven project, LibreWolf may have less comprehensive support and slower updates compared to mainstream browsers.
  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with advanced browser customization may find it challenging to adjust settings to their liking.
  • Extension Compatibility
    Some add-ons and extensions available for Firefox might not be fully compatible or require additional configuration to work correctly with LibreWolf.

GNU IceCat videos

+ Add

GNU Icecat Installation & Review

More videos:

  • Review - Aaron Jones: Intro to GNU IceCat

LibreWolf videos

+ Add

LibreWolf Review - The Privacy Respecting FireFox Alternative!

More videos:

  • Review - LibreWolf: like Firefox, but better! - Linux app pick
  • Review - Librewolf Review
  • Review - Wait, LibreWolf got even BETTER? (LibreWolf Review)
  • Review - LibreWolf & Brave - Web Browsers in 2023

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GNU IceCat and LibreWolf)

GNU IceCat

LibreWolf

Web Browsers
45 45%
Web Browsers
55% 55
Web Development Tools
44 44%
Web Development Tools
56% 56
Security & Privacy
22 22%
Security & Privacy
78% 78
Web Tools
100 100%
Web Tools
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GNU IceCat and LibreWolf

GNU IceCat Reviews

We have no reviews of GNU IceCat yet.
Be the first one to post

LibreWolf Reviews

  1. Lamprosphotes
    Absolutely amazing!

    LibreWolf just makes my work easier and faster, it only needs some configuration and you're done. To be honest uBlock-Origin is the best Ad-Block in my opinion, it's the only one I can trust for privacy!

    🏁 Competitors: Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, Whale, Microsoft Edge
    👍 Pros:    Privacy
Brave Alternative - 8 Privacy-Focused and Reliable Options
Unlike Brave, LibreWolf doesn’t collect telemetry data for maximum privacy. I also experienced that it has a lighter impact on system resources due to the minimum background process compared to Brave.
Source: mspoweruser.com
5 Most Privacy Focused Web Browsers
Of course, with specially tailored browsers like Tor Browser, LibreWolf, and Mullvad, you lose the flexibility of accessing it on mobile devices. So, you can choose a separate browser for your smartphone, or pick one that supports all your devices.
Source: itsfoss.com
The 11 Best Web Browsers Not Based on Chromium
One of LibreWolf's main attractions is its staunch commitment to user privacy. It ships with a no-telemetry policy out-of-the-box, ensuring that your browsing habits stay your business. This places it a cut above many counterparts, including Firefox, which requires users to manually opt-out of telemetry and data collection.
Source: stackdiary.com
Avoid The Hack: 6 Best Privacy Browser Picks for Windows
LibreWolf appears to keep up with the latest stable Firefox source code. Despite the developers' impressive speed of releasing new versions, note that Librewolf is not affiliated with Mozilla.
Source: avoidthehack.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LibreWolf seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GNU IceCat mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of GNU IceCat yet. Tracking of GNU IceCat recommendations started around Mar 2021.

LibreWolf mentions (19)

  • Google Is Cracking Down on Ad Blockers, But
    The only way of fighting back is stop using Chrome and preferrably chromium based browsers. I recommend using https://librewolf.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Lessons from USAF Brutalism
    You should look into the homepage linked from there https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock instead of Firefox, because that's built and delivered with much desired settings, while the undesired stuff is left out. Which you'd have otherwise to setup manually, put together piece-wise from countless different places, because there is no place who has it all. By the way, they have their own redddit, too. Which leads to... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Make Firefox Private Again
    I recently switched to LibreWolf[0] and, after tweaking a few settings that were more zealous that I'd like, it has been just as good as vanilla FF. 0: https://librewolf.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • hello, maybe i am back for a while
    The original plan was to self-host my blog and write there but lot of stuff happend and I still haven't created a self-hosted blog. So I will stick to dev.to for my next posts as my good old waterfox classic browser was killed by "overjavascriptification" from all sides. Now I am on a browser mix of my good old waterfox, librewolf and ungoogled chromium. I will evaluate thorium and mercury next. Why don't I use... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • For advertising: Firefox now collects user data by default
    Https://librewolf.net/ And fallback to Firefox when things don't work. Which is usually on sketchy websites, websites that have heavy bot protection and fingerprinting or ones that use gpu APIs. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GNU IceCat and LibreWolf, you can also consider the following products

Pale Moon - Pale Moon is an Open Source, Mozilla-derived web browser available for Microsoft Windows and Linux, focusing on efficiency and ease of use.

Mozilla Firefox - Get the browsers that put your privacy first — and always have

Brave - Fast and secure, ad and tracker blocking browser.

Vivaldi - Vivaldi is a free, fast web browser designed for power-users. You decide how you browse. Download Vivaldi's fully customisable browser now and browse your way.

Tor Browser - Tor is free software for enabling anonymous communication.

qutebrowser - An actively developped, keyboard-focused browser with a minimal GUI, inspired by other...

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