Zen

Spec sheet

Purpose

Zen blocks ads, trackers, and malware across browsers and desktop apps.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Free plan

YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · irbis.sh

Privacy

Zen runs on the user's device and does not collect browsing data or send it to the maker or third parties.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Support

Users can report bugs through GitHub and ask for help on Discord.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Browser support

major-browsersRead 20 Sep 2026 · irbis.sh

Browsers

The maker lists Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, and Brave as supported browsers.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Build integrity

The maker says Zen builds are reproducible and attested using GitHub Actions' artifact attestation system.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Compatibility limit

Apps with their own networking stack or certificate pinning can bypass Zen or need to be excluded in its settings.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Custom filter lists

YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · irbis.sh

Custom rules

Zen includes ad, tracker, and malware filter lists, including 35 regional lists, and lets users add ad-block or hosts lists or write their own rules.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Device coverage

desktopRead 20 Sep 2026 · irbis.sh

Filtering

Zen checks requests against filter lists and can hide empty ad slots and run scripts to disable ads and tracking on web pages.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

How it works

Zen runs a proxy on the user's computer and sets it as the system proxy to filter traffic.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

HTTPS security

Zen generates its local root certificate on the device, and its private key never leaves the device.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Logs

Zen stores debug logs locally with hostnames redacted; users can delete them, and the logs are not sent to the maker or third parties.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Organization

Irbis describes itself as a small independent organization developing Zen.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Update security

The maker says updates are served through a private Cloudflare R2 bucket and that a verifiable, cryptographically signed update system is in development.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

VPN compatibility

Zen works with any VPN on Windows and Linux, and with most VPNs on macOS.Read 11 Oct 2026 · irbis.sh

Plans and prices

Every Zen plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Ad blockers#19 of 488.2