1. Privacy & Freedom
BrowserPrivacyLibre SoftwareNotes
Browser Privacy: GNU IceCat (Very high)
Browser Privacy: Firefox (Medium)
Browser Privacy: Brave (Medium)
Browser Privacy: Ungoogled Chromium (High)
Browser Privacy: Pale Moon (Medium)
Browser Privacy: Netsurf (Very High)
Browser Privacy: Terminal browsers (Very High)
Libre Software: GNU IceCat (100%)
Libre Softaare: Firefox (Mostly)
Libre Software: Brave (Mostly)
Libre Software: Ungoogled Chromium (Mostly)
Libre Software: Pale Moon (Mostly)
Libre Software: Netsurf (Fully)
LIbre Software: Terminal browsers (Fully)
GNU IceCat comes with LibreJS, anti-tracking, disables proprietary services by default. Fully free software. Firefox is open-source, but ships with some proprietary binaries (telemetry, DRM). Needs configuration to remove tracking. Brave is Chromium-based w/ privacy defaults (ad/tracker blocking), but closed-source components remain. Ungoogled Chromium removes Google services from Chromium, but still not fully free software; privacy defaults good. Pale Moon is more focused on classic Firefox engine; privacy depends on add-ons. Not fully free software. NetSurf is a lightweight, privacy-respecting, but very limited web compatibility. Terminal browsers (Lynx, w3m) are extremely privacy-respecting; no JS or tracking, but modern websites don't work.
Takeaway: IceCat is best if your primary goal is fully free software + privacy + functionality.
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2. Web Compatibility
BrowserNotes
IceCat is compatible with most modern sites (Firefox engine), but disables some JS/DRM by default. Some sites may break. Firefox has excellent compatibility. Brave does too. So does Ungoogled Chromium. Pale Moon's is limited, and so is NetSurf or any terminal browser.
Takeaway: For daily web use, IceCat is usually compatible, but Brave or Firefox are better for heavy multimedia or modern web apps.
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3. Speed & Resource Use
Fastest / lightest: NetSurf, terminal browsers, Pale Moon.
Moderate: IceCat, Ungoogled Chromium (Chromium engine heavier than Firefox engine).
Heaviest: Brave, full Firefox with multiple tabs and add-ons.
Takeaway: IceCat is lighter than Brave/Chromium but heavier than Pale Moon or NetSurf.
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4. Features
IceCat has JS support, addon support, no DRM support, has built-in anti-tracking and is highly decentralized and freedom-friendly. Firefox, DRM support is optional, but it's still there, only has partial built-in anti-tracking and is medium level decentralization. Brave, like Firefox, also has DRM, and is not decentralized either. Ungoogled Chromium doesn't come with DRM, but only blocks tracking partially. Likewise, it's medium-level as far as software freedom goes. Same for Pale Moon, except unlike Ungoogled Chromium, anti-tracking is opt-in like Firefox. While Netsurf and a terminal browser would be safe too, however they have no JS support, so you're gonna have to wean yourself off the modern web and stick to websites like neocities or wiby.me, and ghus have no addon sipport, because it's not needed, but still.
Takeaway: IceCat emphasizes freedom and decentralization, Brave emphasizes ad/tracking blocking, Ungoogled Chromium emphasizes removing Google telemetry, and terminal browsers emphasize max privacy and minimalism.
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5. Summary
Choose IceCat → if you want privacy-first, fully libre software, with a modern web engine.
Choose Firefox/Brave/Ungoogled Chromium → if you want full web compatibility, speed, and features, with some privacy tweaks.
Choose Pale Moon/NetSurf/Terminal browsers → if you want lightweight, legacy, or extreme privacy setups, but can tolerate limited web compatibility.
GNU/Stallman wins again.
BrowserPrivacyLibre SoftwareNotes
Browser Privacy: GNU IceCat (Very high)
Browser Privacy: Firefox (Medium)
Browser Privacy: Brave (Medium)
Browser Privacy: Ungoogled Chromium (High)
Browser Privacy: Pale Moon (Medium)
Browser Privacy: Netsurf (Very High)
Browser Privacy: Terminal browsers (Very High)
Libre Software: GNU IceCat (100%)
Libre Softaare: Firefox (Mostly)
Libre Software: Brave (Mostly)
Libre Software: Ungoogled Chromium (Mostly)
Libre Software: Pale Moon (Mostly)
Libre Software: Netsurf (Fully)
LIbre Software: Terminal browsers (Fully)
GNU IceCat comes with LibreJS, anti-tracking, disables proprietary services by default. Fully free software. Firefox is open-source, but ships with some proprietary binaries (telemetry, DRM). Needs configuration to remove tracking. Brave is Chromium-based w/ privacy defaults (ad/tracker blocking), but closed-source components remain. Ungoogled Chromium removes Google services from Chromium, but still not fully free software; privacy defaults good. Pale Moon is more focused on classic Firefox engine; privacy depends on add-ons. Not fully free software. NetSurf is a lightweight, privacy-respecting, but very limited web compatibility. Terminal browsers (Lynx, w3m) are extremely privacy-respecting; no JS or tracking, but modern websites don't work.
Takeaway: IceCat is best if your primary goal is fully free software + privacy + functionality.
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2. Web Compatibility
BrowserNotes
IceCat is compatible with most modern sites (Firefox engine), but disables some JS/DRM by default. Some sites may break. Firefox has excellent compatibility. Brave does too. So does Ungoogled Chromium. Pale Moon's is limited, and so is NetSurf or any terminal browser.
Takeaway: For daily web use, IceCat is usually compatible, but Brave or Firefox are better for heavy multimedia or modern web apps.
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3. Speed & Resource Use
Fastest / lightest: NetSurf, terminal browsers, Pale Moon.
Moderate: IceCat, Ungoogled Chromium (Chromium engine heavier than Firefox engine).
Heaviest: Brave, full Firefox with multiple tabs and add-ons.
Takeaway: IceCat is lighter than Brave/Chromium but heavier than Pale Moon or NetSurf.
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4. Features
IceCat has JS support, addon support, no DRM support, has built-in anti-tracking and is highly decentralized and freedom-friendly. Firefox, DRM support is optional, but it's still there, only has partial built-in anti-tracking and is medium level decentralization. Brave, like Firefox, also has DRM, and is not decentralized either. Ungoogled Chromium doesn't come with DRM, but only blocks tracking partially. Likewise, it's medium-level as far as software freedom goes. Same for Pale Moon, except unlike Ungoogled Chromium, anti-tracking is opt-in like Firefox. While Netsurf and a terminal browser would be safe too, however they have no JS support, so you're gonna have to wean yourself off the modern web and stick to websites like neocities or wiby.me, and ghus have no addon sipport, because it's not needed, but still.
Takeaway: IceCat emphasizes freedom and decentralization, Brave emphasizes ad/tracking blocking, Ungoogled Chromium emphasizes removing Google telemetry, and terminal browsers emphasize max privacy and minimalism.
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5. Summary
Choose IceCat → if you want privacy-first, fully libre software, with a modern web engine.
Choose Firefox/Brave/Ungoogled Chromium → if you want full web compatibility, speed, and features, with some privacy tweaks.
Choose Pale Moon/NetSurf/Terminal browsers → if you want lightweight, legacy, or extreme privacy setups, but can tolerate limited web compatibility.
GNU/Stallman wins again.
