surf
suckless: one window, zero chrome.
From the suckless project: a browser that is literally just a web view. No tabs, no toolbar — you configure it by editing the C source and recompiling. Pair with tabbed(1).
- Engine
- WebKitGTK
- License
- Open source
- Runs on
- Linux
- Top marks
- Minimal interface, Light on resources, Open source
- Updated
- September 2026
Why it shines
- As minimal as software gets
- Composes with other Unix tools
- ~2000 lines of C you can read in an afternoon
Worth knowing
- Configuration = editing source code
- You will miss conveniences. That's the philosophy.
Origins
surf belongs to The KHTML dynasty — descended from WebKitGTK.
Does well
Ranked in
Scorecard
- Tracking protection0/3
- Fingerprinting resistance0/3
- Anonymity0/3
- Built-in ad blocking0/3
- Customization2/3
- Keyboard control1/3
- Built-in tools0/3
- Minimal interface3/3
- Fresh design0/3
- Classic interface0/3
- Light on resources3/3
- Raw speed0/3
- Battery efficiency0/3
- Extension ecosystem0/3
- Cross-device sync0/3
- Site compatibility2/3
- Low maintenance0/3
- Open source3/3
- Independence2/3
- Built-in AI0/3
- Gaming features0/3
- Dev tooling0/3
0–3 on each of the 22 criteria the quiz and the guides rank by. How we score.
