IronFox vs Waterfox
IronFox
ironfoxoss.org
Waterfox
waterfox.comSide by side
| Figure | IronFox | Waterfox |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Web browsers | 8.5 (#36) | 9.3 (#3) |
| Spec score · Privacy browsers | 8.5 (#12) | 9.3 (#2) |
| Founded | 2024 | 2011 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | IronFox is free and open source, and says it removes proprietary libraries from Firefox through deblobbing. | Yes |
| Supported platforms | mobile | Downloads are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android; Windows requires Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.15 or later, and Linux glibc 2.17 or later. |
| Product | IronFox describes itself as a private, secure, user-first web browser for Android. | Waterfox is a free, open source web browser focused on privacy and customisation. |
| Security Updates | Provides recent features, security patches, and bug fixes through its Firefox base. | Waterfox incorporates Mozilla security fixes into regular updates following the Firefox ESR model. |
| Support | The documentation directs users needing help to relevant documentation sections or to contact project maintainers through the listed communication channels. | Waterfox provides help articles for browsing, privacy and security, customization, troubleshooting and Android. |
| Tracking protection | IronFox enables Strict Enhanced Tracking Protection and installs uBlock Origin by default with stronger protection configured. | advanced |
Plans
In their own words
IronFox
IronFox is a free, open-source web browser for Android, with privacy controls that clear browsing history, cache, download history and open tabs when the app closes. It blocks ads and trackers, enables DNS over HTTPS with Quad9 by default, and turns on HTTPS-Only Mode, proxied Google Safe Browsing and basic per-site process isolation. The project says it does not collect, store or sell user data. Based on the latest Firefox release, IronFox removes tracking and proprietary libraries, replaces Google Mobile Services with open alternatives including microG, and adds UnifiedPush support. It also supports end-to-end encrypted Firefox Sync. Installation requires Android 5 or newer, supported ARM or x86_64 architecture, and 512 MB of free disk space. IronFox warns that it cannot defeat sophisticated fingerprinting and recommends Tor Browser for some threat models. It also notes Firefox-based browsers have security deficiencies compared with Chromium, especially on Android, and that disabled Encrypted Media Extensions can prevent some DRM-protected streaming playback.
Waterfox
Waterfox is a free, open-source web browser built around privacy and customisation. It uses the Gecko engine and is listed for Android, browser extensions, Linux, macOS and Windows. On desktop, it blocks ads, trackers, pop-ups and overlays by default; filter lists and site exceptions can be adjusted. Private tabs use their own container, and Waterfox removes that container’s site data when the final private tab closes. DNS requests are encrypted and passed through an Oblivious HTTP relay; users can change or disable the default Fastly-operated relay and Cloudflare-operated resolver. Tree tabs nest pages under the page that opened them, with branches that can be collapsed or moved together. Firefox WebExtensions work, but Chrome-only extensions do not transfer automatically. Regular updates incorporate Mozilla security fixes using the Firefox ESR model. Waterfox says telemetry, health reports and crash reports are disabled at build time. Sync is off until Mozilla-account sign-in, and synced data is end-to-end encrypted. The browser plan is free, with no premium tier or required payment.