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Vanadium

grapheneos.org

Free plan Open source Android
Visit grapheneos.org
Spec score 8.3 #51 of 154 in Web browsers

What it is

Vanadium is GrapheneOS’s free, open-source Android browser and WebView, built on Chromium. It hardens the main allocator with hardware memory tagging, adds type-based control-flow integrity, a strong stack protector, and automatic zero-initialized variables, while enabling strict site isolation and sandboxed iframes. Browser JavaScript JIT is disabled by default and can be enabled per site; WebView has separate controls and enables JIT by default for user-installed apps. Content filtering uses EasyList, EasyPrivacy, and related regional lists. Third-party cookies, payment support, background sync, sensors, protected media, and hyperlink auditing are disabled by default. Native Android autofill and credential-manager support handle passkeys without sandboxed Google Play. WebGPU is disabled, and a WebRTC IP handling policy toggle is available. Vanadium has no extension support or cross-device sync planned. It is currently built for GrapheneOS, with component updates from GrapheneOS servers by default and most remote services disabled or removed.

Spec sheet

Supported platforms
mobileRead 23 Sep 2026 · grapheneos.org
Free plan
YesRead 23 Sep 2026 · grapheneos.org
Support
The project directs users to its community platforms for support and asks them not to contact developers directly for support requests.Read 9 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Autofill and passkeys
It has native Android autofill and credential manager support for passkeys, avoiding the need for sandboxed Google Play for those functions.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Availability
Vanadium is currently built for GrapheneOS, and the project says it plans to make it available outside GrapheneOS once it has more features.Read 9 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Browser engine
chromiumRead 23 Sep 2026 · grapheneos.org
Browser security
Vanadium adds hardware memory tagging for its main allocator, type-based CFI, a strong stack protector, and automatic zero-initialized variables.Read 9 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Built-in ad blocking
YesRead 23 Sep 2026 · grapheneos.org
Compatibility trade-off
Content filtering and other compatibility-impacting features are mostly available in the browser rather than the WebView library.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Content filtering
The browser includes a content-filtering engine using EasyList, EasyPrivacy, and EasyList’s Adblock Warning Removal List as primary filters, with supplementary regional lists based on enabled browser languages.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Cross-device sync
NoRead 23 Sep 2026 · grapheneos.org
Extension support
noneRead 23 Sep 2026 · grapheneos.org
Extensions
Extension support is not planned because GrapheneOS says it conflicts with site isolation and anti-fingerprinting.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
JavaScript
JavaScript JIT is disabled by default in the browser, with a per-site toggle; WebView JIT behavior for user-installed apps has separate global and per-app controls.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Open source
YesRead 23 Sep 2026 · grapheneos.org
Passkeys and autofill
Vanadium includes native Android autofill and credential manager support for passkeys, avoiding the need for sandboxed Google Play for those features.Read 9 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Platform availability
The maker describes Vanadium as the browser and WebView included with GrapheneOS, a mobile operating system; the cited Vanadium feature page does not list desktop or iOS versions.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Privacy defaults
Third-party cookies, payment support, website background sync, sensors access, protected media, and hyperlink auditing are disabled by default.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Project
GrapheneOS describes itself as a non-profit, open source project and says it was founded in 2014.Read 9 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Project model
GrapheneOS describes itself as a collaborative open-source, non-profit project supported by donations and company support.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Remote services
Nearly all remote services are disabled or removed; by default, Vanadium only connects to GrapheneOS servers, with component updates and optional DNS-over-HTTPS connectivity checks listed as default services.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Security hardening
It adds protections including hardware memory tagging for the main allocator, type-based CFI, a strong stack protector, and automatic zero-initialized variables.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Site isolation
It enables strict site isolation and sandboxed iframes.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Sync and backups
Sync beyond the OS backup service is not planned; most browser data is currently excluded from OS backups.Read 9 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Updates
GrapheneOS uses its own servers by default for Vanadium component updates.Read 9 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
Web features
Vanadium disables WebGPU to reduce attack surface and provides a WebRTC IP handling policy toggle.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org
What it is
Vanadium is a hardened Chromium variant included with GrapheneOS as its default browser and WebView implementation.Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org

Plans and prices

Vanadium Free Included with GrapheneOS; Android browser and WebView Read 10 Oct 2026 · grapheneos.org

Every Vanadium plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Open-source Chromium browser and WebView
  • Hardware memory tagging and control-flow protections
  • Built-in filtering with regional list support
  • Native Android passkeys and autofill
  • Most remote services disabled or removed

Limits

  • Currently built for GrapheneOS
  • No extension support planned
  • Cross-device sync is not planned
  • WebGPU is disabled

Who it suits

Vanadium suits GrapheneOS users seeking a hardened Chromium browser and WebView with restrictive privacy defaults. It is not aimed at users who require extensions, desktop versions, or browser sync.

Verdict

Vanadium combines Chromium compatibility with extensive GrapheneOS security and privacy controls. Its platform focus and deliberate omissions make it a specialized choice rather than a broadly synchronized browser.

Where Specifiction places it

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