I'm thrilled to officially announce Snowcat - an open source browser that is focused on speed, privacy, and giving users real choice.
Snowcat is completely independent - its engine wasn't forked from any existing browser codebase. I chose to build it from scratch specifically to optimize for high performance across devices and operating systems.
In this post, I'll dive into:
- Why I decided to build a new browser
- Snowcat's core values and features
- How you can get involved
Why Build a New Browser?
I've been a web developer for a long time, and during that time the browser landscape has been increasingly dominated by just a handful of players - primarily Chrome and Firefox.
While those are great browsers, I felt there was a missing niche for an independent option built with a singular focus on speed, privacy, and user choice.
I wanted to take an "out of the box" approach and architect something new, without being limited by legacy code or technical debt.
Snowcat aims to push browser performance forward in an open-source environment. It's meant for users who want a lean, independent option that focuses on speed and privacy as core principles.
Guiding Values and Features
Snowcat is guided by two primary values:
Speed
Snowcat uses a custom browser engine designed and optimized specifically for high performance. Everything from page rendering to JavaScript execution is tuned for speed, especially on underpowered hardware.
As a result, Snowcat screams compared to existing options. You'll notice the difference on any device, especially lower-powered machines.
Privacy
Snowcat collects zero user data. There is no analytics, tracking, fingerprinting, or ads built into any part of the browser.
Your browsing habits stay between you and the sites you visit. Snowcat won't store your history, cookies, or personal details without permission.
I took a "privacy first" approach across all aspects of the browser, like the networking stack, extension system, and design patterns. There are no opaque data flows or hidden identifiers.
This gives you full control over what (if any) data is saved locally or shared while browsing.
Beyond these two core focuses of speed and privacy, some other notable features include:
- Truly open source - Snowcat is 100% open under GPLv3. There are no closed proprietary bits.
- Cross platform - It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and eventually mobile.
- Memory efficient - Small install size and low memory usage for lean system impact.
- Independent - Not based on any existing browser code. Built from scratch.
My goal is for Snowcat to deliver a fast, minimalist browsing experience in a truly open source package that respects user privacy.
Snowcat is 100% open source, so I encourage you to get involved:
Try it out - Download Snowcat and test drive it. File issues for any bugs you find.
Contribute - Dive into the code on Codeberg, fix bugs, or build new features.
Spread the word - Help get the word out about Snowcat as an alternative.
Donate - Support the project financially if you find value in an independent browser.
Follow updates - Star the Codeberg repo and join the Matrix room.
I'm excited to continue developing Snowcat out in the open. My goal is to foster a community supporting an independent open-source browser focused on users.
Please share any thoughts, feedback, or ideas! You can reach me here or on the project's repo.
Website: https://snowcat.codeberg.page/
Repo: https://codeberg.org/snowcat/snowcat