If you’re in search of open-source web browsers that are lesser-known to you, this article is written for you. This article takes you through 5 amazing open-source web browsers that are readily available for your Linux system. Let’s find out the options to choose from in 2022.

Konqueror

Konqueror web browser is developed by KDE. Konqueror is one of the lesser-known open-source web browsers that’s been built on top of KHTML. Konqueror has been built for any kind of file previewing and file management. Konqueror makes use of KHTML or KDEWebKit rendering engines. File management is done on ftp and sftp servers using Dolphin’s features including service menus, version-control, and the basic UI. It has a full-featured FTP client. So, you can split views to show remote and local folders and previews on the same window.

For previewing files, the Konqueror browser has in-built embedded applications, such as Gwenview for pictures, Okular and Calligra used for documents, KTextEditor for text-files, etc. You can use its various plugins, such as Service-menus, KPart for AdBlocking, KIO to access files, and others.

The international KDE community does the maintenance of the Konqueror browser. 

GNOME Web

GNOME Web comes next in this list of free and open-source web browsers made for Linux. It’s a clean browser that features first-class GNOME and Pantheon desktop integrations. It also includes a built-in adblocker and Intelligent Tracking Prevention. It primarily follows GNOME’s design philosophy. So, there’s no wasted space or useless widgets.

Despite being a GNOME component, the GNOME Web browser is independent of any GNOME components. The GNOME Web is built on top of the WebKit rendering engine. You can use Flatpak to install Epiphany because Flatpak is the most reliable application distribution mechanism used for Linux. Elementary OS and Bodhi Linux use GNOME Web as their default web browser. Did you know GNOME Web browser’s codename is Epiphany? Why Epiphany? Well, this means a sudden perception or manifestation of the meaning of something. Let’s move on towards our next open-source browser.

NetSurf

NetSurf is a multi-platform browser developed for RISC OS, UNIX-like platforms (such as Linux), Mac OS X, and many more. NetSurf is your lightweight doorway towards anything from checking webmail to reading news and posting on discussion forums. Written in C, this open-source web browser provides its own layout engine. NetSurf is licensed under GPL version 2.

If you’re looking for something that’s lightweight and fast-to-load, you should give NetSurf a try. This web browser is quite simple to use. It has been designed well by RISC OS developers and users so that the browser can easily be integrated with the desktop. NetSurf is easily portable. Whether you use a modern PC or a 30MHz ARM 6 with 16 MB RAM, NetSurf makes surfing stress-free and enjoyable everywhere.

This open-source browser requires minimum maintenance. And it’s compatible with PDAs, mobile phones, cable TV boxes, and various hand-held gadgets.

Pale Moon

Pale Moon web browser is another open-source project available for Linux systems. Pale Moon focuses on efficiency and customization. Pale Moon’s motto says “Your browser, Your way”. Pale Moon started off as a fork of Firefox. And then it expanded into its full potential with the added collection of themes and extensions. Although this browser’s working is very similar to Gecko-based browsers, like Mozilla and SeaMonkey, the main differences include the user interface, single-process mode running, and add-on support. Pale Moon retains the user interface of Firefox version 4–28. It also supports some add-ons and plugins that are discontinued by Firefox, such as Adobe Flash Player and other NPAPI plugins.

Some of the main features of Pale Moon are privacy awareness including no telemetry, malware, or data gathering, user community support, being optimized for modern processors, familiar and fully customizable interface, speedy page drawing, superior gradients, etc.

Tor

Tor is the shortened form of The Onion Router. It is open-source software that enables anonymous communication. Tor is a free layered network distributed across the world. Tor web browser is a special version of Firefox designed to use the Tor network. The Tor browser uses Firefox’s Extended Support Release version. Such ESR versions receive only the major stable releases and security fixes. This makes the browser more stable. 

Do you want to know some lesser-known facts about Tor? You can configure Tor in case Tor is blocked in the region you belong to. To stay safe, it’s advised not to torrent over Tor. Some plugins that are blocked by Tor are Flash, QuickTime, RealPlayer, and others. The reason for the block is that these plugins can be manipulated to reveal your IP address. 

Also, the Tor browser doesn’t support any additional plugins or add-ons. Feel free to check Tor’s User Manual to know more info about it.

Which Is the Right Open Source Web Browser for You?

And we have reached the conclusion. Open-source web browsers can make your browsing super comfortable while taking complete care of your internet presence. Tor and Pale Moon would be recommended in that case. To go with a web browser that’s developed by the Linux distros and for using Linux distros, GNOME Web and Konqueror are must-try. With Konqueror, you’re also able to do the file management-related work in a better way. If you want your web browser to be speedy, select NetSurf. NetSurf is simple and efficient to be used on various hand-held hardware, such as mobile phones, cable TV boxes, etc. 

I hope this article is useful for you and it helps you make a suitable choice of open-source web browser for your Linux operating system in 2022.