Ladybird
A brand-new engine, written from scratch.
The moonshot: a completely new browser engine with no Google, Apple or Mozilla code, funded by a nonprofit. Pre-alpha — not a daily driver yet, but the most exciting engine project in decades.
- Engine
- Ladybird (own)
- License
- Open source
- Runs on
- Linux, macOS
- Top marks
- Open source, Independence
- Updated
- September 2026
Why it shines
- Truly independent new engine
- Nonprofit, no ads, no deals
- Progressing at astonishing speed
Worth knowing
- Pre-alpha: expect broken sites and crashes
- First public alpha targeted for 2026
Origins
Ladybird belongs to The independents — descended from Own engines.
Does well
Scorecard
- Tracking protection0/3
- Fingerprinting resistance0/3
- Anonymity0/3
- Built-in ad blocking0/3
- Customization0/3
- Keyboard control0/3
- Built-in tools0/3
- Minimal interface1/3
- Fresh design1/3
- Classic interface0/3
- Light on resources1/3
- Raw speed1/3
- Battery efficiency0/3
- Extension ecosystem0/3
- Cross-device sync0/3
- Site compatibility0/3
- Low maintenance0/3
- Open source3/3
- Independence3/3
- Built-in AI0/3
- Gaming features0/3
- Dev tooling1/3
0–3 on each of the 22 criteria the quiz and the guides rank by. How we score.
