Minimalist, privacy-focused browser built for calm browsing

Zen Browser
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Zen Browser

  -  88.6 MB  -  Freeware
Free Download

Safe & Secure

  • Latest Version

    Zen Browser 1.19.5b LATEST

  • Review by

    Juan Garcia

  • Operating System

    Windows 10 / Windows 11

  • User Rating

    Click to vote

  • Author / Product

    Zen Team / External Link

  • Filename

    zen.installer.exe

Zen Browser is a free, open-source web browser built on the Mozilla Firefox (Gecko) engine, designed to deliver a modern, privacy-focused alternative to mainstream browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Arc.

Zen Browser Screenshot 1

Instead of relying on a Chromium base, Zen for PC uses Firefox’s engine, combining strong privacy protections with extensive customization and a calming browsing experience.

Its development began in 2024, and the project is actively progressing with regular updates, tab management enhancements, and UI refinements. 

Key Features

Tab Sidebar: Vertical tab list for better organization and visibility. 

Workspaces: Split tabs into separate work contexts for more focused browsing. 

Split View: Display multiple web pages side-by-side in tiled layouts. 

Zen Glance: Quick preview of tabs without fully opening them. 

Zen Mods: Custom themes and UI tweaks from community contributions. 

Privacy Protection: Blocks trackers and doesn’t collect user data. 

Firefox Extension Support: Compatible with most Firefox extensions. 

User Interface

Zen Browser’s interface is clean and minimalist, with a strong emphasis on clarity and focus.

The most striking visual departure from traditional browsers is the vertical tab bar in a sidebar that can be placed on either side of the window or set to auto-hide in Compact Mode.

Zen Browser Screenshot 2

Navigation buttons and UI tools feel intuitive, with menus, bookmarks, and settings readily accessible but not overcrowded.

Custom themes from Zen Mods can change color schemes, textures, and toolbar layouts, giving users a highly personalized experience. 

Installation and Setup
  • Visit the official website at zen-browser.app. 
  • Choose your OS version (Windows, macOS, Linux). 
  • Download the installer package (.exe, .dmg, Flatpak, AppImage, etc.). 
  • Run the installer and follow on-screen prompts (accept license, choose install path).
  • Launch Zen Browser for Windows and sign in with a Mozilla account to sync bookmarks and settings if desired.
Zen Browser Screenshot 3

How to Use

Open and Navigate Tabs: Launch Zen and use the sidebar to open new tabs.

Organize into Workspaces: Click the workspace button in the sidebar and create categories like Work or Personal.

Split View: Select multiple tabs with Ctrl+click, then right-click and choose Split View for side-by-side browsing.

Use Zen Glance: Hold a modifier key while clicking a link to open a quick preview.

Install Mods: Access Zen Mods from the settings panel to apply UI enhancements and themes.

Adjust Privacy Settings: Go to Settings > Privacy to block trackers and manage security preferences.

Install Extensions: Visit the Firefox Add-ons store to add favorite extensions.

FAQs

Is Zen Browser safe?
Zen is based on Firefox’s secure engine and includes tracking protection; it does not collect user data. 

Can I use Chrome extensions?
No, Zen supports Firefox extensions, not Chrome/Chromium-only extensions. 

Is Zen a Chromium browser?
No, it uses Mozilla’s Gecko rendering engine, not Chromium. 

Does it have built-in ad blocking?
Zen doesn’t include its own ad blocker by default, but you can install add-ons like uBlock Origin. 

Is the browser stable?
Zen is actively developed and frequently updated; occasional bugs may appear as it evolves.

Zen Browser Screenshot 4

Alternatives

Brave – Privacy-focused browser with built-in ad blocking and rewards system. 

Comet Browser – A new and smart AI browser from Perplexity.

Vivaldi – Highly customizable browser with extensive UI personalization options.

Chrome – Google’s popular browser with broad extension support and performance.

Pricing

Zen Browser is completely FREE to download and use.

System Requirements
  • OS – Windows 10 or Windows 11. 
  • Processor – 64-bit CPU recommended. 
  • RAM – 4 GB minimum (8 GB+ recommended).
  • Storage – ~500 MB free space.
PROS
  • Vertical tab management. 
  • Workspaces for organization. 
  • Split-view multitasking. 
  • Strong privacy defaults. 
  • Highly customizable UI. 
  • Firefox extension compatibility. 
  • Open-source and free. 
CONS
  • May lack performance edge vs Chromium browsers. 
  • Some UI features still in beta. 
  • Fewer built-in tools (e.g., no native ad blocker). 
  • Smaller community than Chrome/Firefox.
  • Limited developer tools compared to Chrome. 
Conclusion

Zen Browser for PC is a compelling, modern alternative for users who value privacy, customization, and tab organization without tying themselves to Google’s ecosystem.

It blends Firefox’s secure engine with innovative UI ideas like vertical tabs, workspaces, and split view, making it ideal for power users and heavy multitaskers.

Although it still trails Chromium browsers in raw extension support and some performance areas, the FileHorse review team recommends Zen Browser for anyone looking to rethink their browsing experience and embrace a cleaner, more organized internet.

Download Zen Browser Latest Version
Why is this app published on FileHorse? (More info)

  • Zen Browser 1.19.5b Screenshots

    The images below have been resized. Click on them to view the screenshots in full size.

    Zen Browser 1.19.5b Screenshot 1
  • Zen Browser 1.19.5b Screenshot 2
  • Zen Browser 1.19.5b Screenshot 3
  • Zen Browser 1.19.5b Screenshot 4
  • Zen Browser 1.19.5b Screenshot 5

What's new in this version:

Zen Browser 1.19.5b
Fixed:
- new profiles freezing on startup
- an issue with drag and dropping tabs, making folders have empty spaces
- Github Live Folders not fetching Pull Request data correctly


Zen Browser 1.19.4b
New Features:
- Updated to Firefox 149.0
- Optimized the performance glance and its animations, making it more responsive and smoother than before
- Added a 'Un-split tabs' context menu item when right-clicking on a tab inside a split view to quickly un-split it
- Many PDF files will now load significantly faster thanks to hardware acceleration
- Zen now automatically blocks notifications and permanently revokes permissions for any website flagged as malicious by SafeBrowsing. This prevents unsafe sites from sending background notifications to users, commonly used for ads, spam or phishing.
- The WebRender layer compositor is now enabled on Windows, reducing power usage during full-screen video playback and improving WebGL/WebGPU performance

Fixed:
- Fixed background grain not showing properly
- Fixed not being able to switch spaces with scroll actions
- Fixed closing blank windows when asking for confirmation
- Increased robustness of HTTP/3 upload performance for unstable network conditions
- Other minor bug fixes and improvements

Changed:
- Live folders will now perform a refresh when waking up the computer to make sure the content is up to date
- On Linux, Zen will now default to the XDG portal file picker if available, rather than the GTK3 one, which is usually better integrated with the user's desktop environment, and more powerful
- On Windows, Zen will use the modern Windows.Devices.Geolocation API for geolocation instead of Windows 7 location API


Zen Browser 1.19.2b
New Features:
- Updated to Firefox 148.0.2

Fixed:
- Fixed some RSS live folders not working with certain feeds
- Improved performance for spaces, specially when switching between them
- Other minor bug fixes and improvements


Zen Browser 1.19.1b
Fixed:
- Fixed certain popups on MacOS appearing with no background color, making them invisible
- Fixed Github Pull Request live folders not fetching the pull request data correctly
- Other minor bug fixes and improvements


Zen Browser 1.19b
New Features:
- Updated to Firefox 148.0
- Added live folders. Automatically fill your folders with opened GitHub issues, pull requests or RSS feeds. To add a live folder, click the + button in the sidebar and select 'Live Folder'.
- Dragging a tab on top of another tab for one second will now allow the option to split those tabs.
- MacOS users now get to use native popover UI, making the experience more consistent with the rest of the operating system.
- Improved the icon picker for folders, tabs, etc. It now let you select icons without closing the picker.
- Pressing the "Un-split" button while holding shift will not focus the un-split tab, allowing you to stay in the current split view

Fixed:
- Fixed private mode windows having dark text on dark background in the sidebar
- Fixed popup windows not showing at all on certain occasions
- Other bug fixes and performance improvements

Theme Changes:
- Removed the -zen-window-transform-origin CSS attribute as it is not needed anymore

Changed:
- Bluring the window will no longer close the urlbar if its open
- Emojis at the space switcher will now be larger and more visible


Zen Browser 1.18.10b
New Features:
- Improved greatly the performance for Linux users by removing bottom window rounded corners, which will be added once the core issue has been resolved upstream. To enable them back, turn 'widget.gtk.rounded-bottom-corners.enabled' to true in about:config.
- Added more automatic recovery options when updating or restarting zen, to prevent tab loss
- Fixed some tabs becoming 'New Tabs' after focusing them from different windows

Fixed:
- Stability and performance improvements related to window sync and session restore


Zen Browser 1.18.9b
New Features:
- Updated to Firefox 147.0.4
- Appimage .desktop file now includes 'X-AppImage-Version' metadata for better integration with application launchers and system tools
- Linux desktop files will now include an option to open a new blank window from the taskbar

Fixed:
- Stability and performance improvements related to window sync and session restore


Zen Browser 1.18.8b
Fixed:
- Fixed back / forward buttons changing the page's history instead of switching spaces
- Fixed drag and dropping tabs from multiple windows with different spaces acting weirdly
- Other minor bug fixes and improvements


Zen Browser 1.18.7b
Fixed:
- Fixed accessibility issues with the workspace switcher and other buttons
- Other session restore fixes and improvements


Zen Browser 1.18.6b
Fixed:
- Zen will now restore unpinned tabs after a crash, even if the 'Restore previous session' setting is disabled
- Fixed syncing bookmarks with your Mozilla account not working correctly
- Other quality of life improvements and bug fixes

Added:
- Zen will now follow the XDG Base Directory Specification for storing its configuration and data files. This means that on Linux, configuration files will be stored in `~/.config/zen`. Note that compatibility with the old configuration directory (`~/.zen`) will be enabled if the directory exists.
- Dragging a tab to the center of the window to create a split will now give the option to split on top or below.
- When typing directly an url or domain, a second search result will appear with the option to search for the url or domain on your selected search engine.
- Added a '--blank-window' command line argument to open a blank window without pinned tabs, spaces, etc.


Zen Browser 1.18.5b
New Features:
- Added 'Sync only pinned tabs in workspaces' option to the 'Tab Management' settings so that only pinned tabs will be synced across windows in a workspace. This is useful for users who want to keep their pinned tabs consistent across windows while allowing unpinned tabs to be different in each window.
- Updated to Firefox 147.0.3

Fixes:
- Fixed an issue when drag and dropping tabs from normal windows to blank windows
- Fixed an issue on Windows systems with a large number of fonts installed where parts of the UI (tabs, menus, and Settings) could display garbled characters or symbols instead of readable text.

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