You open a dozen tabs for work, personal email and shopping, and you want them kept apart without running three browsers. Waterfox, made by BrowserWorks, is a Windows browser built on the Gecko engine, and its tags include container tabs and privacy. Version 6.7.7 is free and was released on October 27, 2026.
Keeping browsing separate with container tabs
The problem Waterfox targets is tracking and mixing of identities across sites. The developer describes it as a privacy-focused browser aimed at speed and control. Container tabs are among its tags, which points to separating sessions inside one window.
Gecko engine and a lightweight install
Waterfox runs on Gecko, the engine also behind Mozilla Firefox. It is tagged cross-platform, though this page covers the Windows build. The installer is 101.2 MB.
The catalog places it in its best lightweight web browsers group.
What to check before installing
Waterfox is free and released under the MPL-2.0 license. The installer is fetched from the developer's own server, cdn.waterfox.com, and the Windows package ID is Waterfox.Waterfox.
If you currently use Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Brave, Opera GX Stable or Opera Stable, those are the closest alternatives to compare it with.
Waterfox pros and cons
Pros
- Free to use with no price listed
- MPL-2.0 open-source licence
- Gecko engine instead of Chromium
- Container tabs listed among its tags
- Download served from the official host cdn.waterfox.com
Cons
- Detailed feature specifics such as built-in blockers or sync are not documented here
- No benchmark or memory figures for version 6.7.7
- Installer is 101.2 MB, not tiny for a lightweight pick
Is Waterfox safe?
Waterfox is open source under the MPL-2.0 license, published by BrowserWorks, and version 6.7.7 is a 101.2 MB download. The installer is served from cdn.waterfox.com, the developer's own server, and we keep no copy of it. Since no scan results are on file for this build, check that the address matches before you run the setup.
How to install Waterfox
- Press the download button to get the official file.
- Run the installer you saved and confirm the Windows security prompt if the publisher matches.
- Follow the setup steps, then start Waterfox from the Start menu.