Firefox Based Web Browser LibreWolf
1. Origins & Purpose
LibreWolf is a free and open-source web browser forked from Mozilla Firefox. The project’s goal: to create a version of Firefox that strips out telemetry, data collection, and other features deemed non-essential, and instead focuses on privacy, security and freedom.
According to the official site:
“This project is a custom and independent version of Firefox, with the primary goals of privacy, security and user freedom.”
So basically: keep the Firefox engine and features, but re-configure it to be more privacy-centric by default.
2. Release Timeline & Platform Expansion
Here are key milestones in LibreWolf’s history:
March 7 2020: First release for Linux. The project started with Linux builds first.
February 21 2021: Windows version released.
April 12 2021: macOS version released.
Ongoing: Regular version updates, with builds for Windows, Linux and Mac. For example, a list of Windows versions shows builds into 2025.
So the project quickly went from Linux → Windows → Mac, expanding to major desktop platforms.
3. Technical & Feature Highlights
What differentiates LibreWolf from standard Firefox and other browsers? Here are some of the major points:
Telemetry & Data Collection Removed: LibreWolf disables Firefox telemetry, experiments, and many data-collection features by default.
Enhanced Privacy Defaults: It enables stricter tracking protection, fingerprinting resistance (to a degree), content blocking, cookie isolation. For example:
“LibreWolf blocks over 3000 trackers and ads by default … fingerprinting protections are stricter …”
No Sponsored Shortcuts or Ads: Features like Mozilla’s Pocket integration, sponsored shortcuts, etc., are disabled by default.
Independent Build & Profile: LibreWolf uses its own build path/profiles so you can install alongside Firefox without conflict.
Privacy-First Search Engines: Default options lean toward DuckDuckGo, Searx or other privacy-respecting search engines rather than mainstream ones.
Built-in Tools & Hardened Settings: For example, using some of the “user.js” tweaks, locking certain settings, etc.
However — there are trade-offs: compatibility issues with some sites/applications due to stricter defaults.
4. Why it Was Created / Context
At the time of LibreWolf’s creation (2020), there was increasing concern over browser telemetry, tracking, cookie sharing, fingerprinting and data privacy.
Mainstream browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Edge, etc) were balancing features/compatibility with privacy, but some users felt more extreme privacy needs weren’t met. LibreWolf is the answer to those users.
In one article:
“LibreWolf goes much further [than Firefox] … while Firefox focuses on balancing privacy, usability, and compatibility, LibreWolf puts privacy first, even if it impacts website functionality.”
Thus, the project filled a niche: a “privacy-hardened Firefox build” for users who accept trade-offs.
5. Community & Development Model
The project is community-driven, open-source, hosted (for example) on Codeberg.
Builds: For Linux they rely on Open Build Service, etc.
Users install it, provide feedback, contribute to builds, etc.
Because it’s a fork of Firefox, each new Firefox stable version serves as a base for LibreWolf (they compile builds from the latest Firefox stable source).
6. Reception & Limitations
Generally well-regarded among privacy-conscious users. E.g., mention:
“LibreWolf, along with Brave Browser and Tor Browser, had the most privacy protection compared to other browsers.”
Limitations: Because privacy is prioritized, some things might break: e.g., site compatibility, default features removed, user settings may differ.
User feedback: Some users complain about default behavior like “clear history on close” being enabled by default and causing issues for those who want persistent sessions. E.g., Reddit threads show frustration.
7. Key Release Highlights & Versioning
Because LibreWolf tracks Firefox stable while applying its own tweaks, versions correspond roughly to Firefox versions (e.g., LibreWolf 143.x, 144.x on Windows in 2025) as seen from version list.
Major initial releases: Linux first (2020), Windows & macOS in 2021.
Continuous updates: Builds for 2025 showing it’s still active.
8. How It Compares to Other Forks
Compared to mainstream Firefox: LibreWolf is more privacy-oriented, with stricter defaults, fewer built-in extras, no telemetry.
Compared to other privacy browsers (e.g., Brave, Tor Browser): LibreWolf uses the Firefox engine and is a direct fork, whereas others have different architectures or added layers (Brave with Chromium/Blink, Tor Browser with privacy onion routing).
Compared to older forks like Waterfox: Waterfox originally focused on legacy add-on support and user control; LibreWolf focuses on privacy / no telemetry. Many sources mention LibreWolf born as community alternative when Waterfox’s direction changed.
9. Summary Timeline
Date—>Event
Mar 7 2020—>First LibreWolf release for Linux.
Feb 21 2021—>Windows version arrives.
Apr 12 2021—>macOS version released.
2022–2025—>Active builds continue; versions up into 140s in 2025.
10. Is LibreWolf Right for You?
Pros
Strong privacy defaults (no telemetry, lots of blocking).
Open source, community-driven.
Based on Firefox engine (so familiar UI, good compatibility).
Cons / Considerations
Some website/app compatibility issues due to stricter blocking or disabled features.
Some default behaviors (e.g., clearing history/cookies on exit) may surprise users who expect persistent sessions.
Might require tweaking if you want less aggressive defaults.
Smaller community/support compared to mainstream browsers.
LibreWolf: A History of Community, Privacy, and Independence
LibreWolf’s history is a modern story of how open-source software can empower a community to create a tool that rigidly adheres to specific principles—in this case, privacy, security, and freedom. It is not a browser built from scratch but a privacy-hardened, independent fork of Mozilla Firefox.
Its timeline can be clearly divided into the following phases:
The Predecessors and The Genesis (Pre-2020 – Early 2020)
The Mission: Defining the “Hardened Firefox” (2020)
Building Independence and Maturity (2021 – Present)
Phase 1: The Predecessors and The Genesis (Pre-2020 – Early 2020)
LibreWolf did not emerge in a vacuum. It was a direct response to trends in the browser landscape.
The Inspiration: Earlier privacy-focused forks of Firefox, such as Waterfox and Pale Moon, demonstrated the viability of community-led alternatives. However, as these projects evolved, they sometimes diverged significantly from upstream Firefox, leading to compatibility issues or different philosophical directions.
The Catalyst: Concerns with Mainstream Firefox. While Mozilla Firefox remains open-source, its default configuration began to include features that concerned privacy advocates:
Telemetry and Data Collection: Enabled by default.
Integrated Services: Features like “Pocket” (a proprietary read-it-later service) were baked into the browser.
Commercial Partnerships: Promotions for Mozilla VPN and other services within the interface.
Complex Hardening: To make Firefox truly private, users had to manually navigate about:config and change dozens of esoteric settings, a process prone to error.
The Community Response: In early 2020, a group of developers and privacy advocates from online communities (notably Reddit and GitHub) decided to create a fork that would stay closely synced with Firefox but be pre-configured for maximum privacy and security out-of-the-box. The name “LibreWolf” was chosen to emphasize both freedom (“Libre”) and its roots (“Wolf” from Firefox).
Phase 2: The Mission: Defining the “Hardened Firefox” (2020)
From the start, LibreWolf’s goal was not to add new features, but to remove, restrict, and reconfigure Firefox according to a strict charter. This charter is built on three core pillars:
Privacy:
Stripping Telemetry: All forms of data collection, including telemetry, studies, and the crash reporter, are completely removed.
Blocking Trackers: It ships with a powerful built-in content blocker (uBlock Origin) and sets strict anti-tracking and anti-fingerprinting settings by default (e.g., privacy.resistFingerprinting = true).
Removing Bloat: Non-essential, proprietary features like Pocket are stripped out.
Security:
It enables security-oriented features by default, such as HTTPS-Only Mode.
It seeks to minimize attack surfaces by disabling potentially vulnerable features like JIT compilers in certain builds.
It promotes the use of privacy-respecting search engines like SearxNG or DuckDuckGo.
Freedom and Independence:
LibreWolf is committed to being 100% free and open-source software. It removes any proprietary components found in standard Firefox builds, such as the Widevine DRM module, making it a purely libre software.
It is completely independent from Mozilla Corporation and any other commercial entity, funded and developed by its community.
Phase 3: Building Independence and Maturity (2021 – Present)
After its initial release, LibreWolf evolved from a simple repackaging script into a robust, independent project.
Building an Independent Infrastructure: The team developed its own build system, scripts, and package repositories. This allows them to efficiently take the latest Firefox source code, apply their extensive patchset of hardening configurations, and build stable releases for multiple platforms.
Wide Availability and Ease of Use: A key to its growth was making the browser easily accessible. The project began providing native, easy-to-install packages for a vast range of Linux distributions (via .DEB, .RPM, and AUR), as well as for Windows and macOS.
Refining the Vision: As Firefox has continued on its path, introducing more sponsored content and integrated services, LibreWolf’s purpose has become even more relevant. It serves as a consistent, trustworthy alternative for users who want Firefox’s excellent rendering engine (Gecko) and extension ecosystem, but without Mozilla’s corporate additions.
Current Status: Today, LibreWolf is a well-established and respected name in the privacy community. It is frequently recommended alongside browsers like Brave and Ungoogled Chromium. It does not seek mass-market appeal but thrives as a purpose-built tool for a privacy-conscious niche. The project remains under active, community-driven development.
Summary and Legacy
LibreWolf is a community-driven fork of Firefox that is pre-configured for maximum privacy, security, and freedom, with all telemetry and proprietary components removed.
Its history is significant because it demonstrates:
The Power of Open Source: How a dedicated community can take a major project and mold it to serve a specific, principled vision.
A Response to Commercialization: It stands as a direct counterweight to the data-collection models prevalent in modern software.
The Enduring Value of Firefox’s Core: It proves that the underlying technology of Firefox is still highly valued, as long as it can be decoupled from features that compromise user privacy.
In essence, LibreWolf is the browser for users who think, “I want the technology of Firefox, but I need a version that prioritizes my privacy and freedom above all else.” It is a modern guardian of the original, open-web ethos.
