Waterfox is a free and open-source web browser and fork of Firefox. It claims to be ethical and user-centric, emphasizing performance and privacy. There are official Waterfox releases for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. It was created in 2012 to provide official 64-bit support when Firefox was only available for 32-bit systems.
Waterfox shares core features and technologies like the Gecko browser engine and support for Firefox Add-ons with Firefox. It is also compatible with Google Chrome and Opera extensions. It disables telemetry by default, which is present in Firefox builds. However, it collects technical information about the user's device to update properly.
Waterfox Classic was a version of the browser based on an older version of the Gecko engine that supported legacy XUL and XPCOM add-on capabilities that Firefox removed in version 57. It was partially maintained with fixes and patches from Waterfox and Firefox ESR releases. However, its development had been separated due to several changes from Waterfox that were otherwise inapplicable, and with its final published release in November 2022 it is effectively discontinued as of 2026.
What is Waterfox?
Waterfox by BrowserWorks is open-source Windows software in the web browsers category. It ranks 2nd by popularity among web browsers in this catalogue. It is written in C++, C, and Cascading Style Sheets. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux, Android and macOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 6.7.6, released on October 13, 2026. The version history goes back to February 10, 2022: 68 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 15 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 155,193 times. The source code on GitHub (BrowserWorks/waterfox) has 6,385 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 21 of our languages. On Windows it registers 9 file types, including .pdf, .html, .xhtml, .webp and .htm. Similar programs include Brave, qutebrowser and Ablaze Floorp.
Project description on GitHub: “The official Waterfox 💧 source code repository”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 15 a year)
- Also runs on GNU/Linux, Android and macOS
- Large user base
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Waterfox is an open-source web browser tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Waterfox safe to download?
- The file is served by cdn.waterfox.com; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
7F5293ACAE538CE497829D31C7217FC89763A19A37F4451649F78DDB93F92684· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 68 versions ›68 versions over 5 years · about 15 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.7.6Latest | October 13, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 6.7.5 | September 30, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 6.7.4 | September 22, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE64-bit EXE |
| 6.7.3 | September 12, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 6.7.2 | September 9, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE64-bit EXE |
| 6.7.1.1 | August 27, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 6.7.1 | August 27, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 6.7.0 | August 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Waterfox.Waterfox -echoco install waterfox -yscoop install extras/waterfox"Waterfox Setup 6.7.6.exe" -msRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask waterfoxInformation
- Publisher
- BrowserWorks
- Category
- Web browsers
- Licence
- MPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/BrowserWorks/waterfox
- Written in
- C++, C, and Cascading Style Sheets
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, Android, macOS
- Version
- 6.7.6
- Released
- October 13, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- February 11, 2022
- Versions listed
- 68
- Updates / year
- 14.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 155,193
- GitHub stars
- 6,385
- GitHub forks
- 434
- Website
- waterfox.net
- winget ID
- Waterfox.Waterfox
- Chocolatey package
- waterfox
- Scoop package
- extras/waterfox
File types it opens (9)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Waterfox free?
Yes. Waterfox is open-source software under the MPL-2.0 licence.
Is Waterfox safe to download?
The download comes from cdn.waterfox.com; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Waterfox with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Waterfox be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Waterfox run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Waterfox?
The versions page lists all 68 versions with links to their official installer files, back to February 10, 2022.
What are alternatives to Waterfox?
Brave, qutebrowser, Ablaze Floorp, geckodriver and Safari. The alternatives page compares them.
