For years, Firefox was one of the first installations I'd make on a new computer. The browser represented everything I appreciated about the open-source community, was more privacy-focused than Chrome, and, well, it wasn't Internet Explorer (for you young'uns, that's the precursor to Edge). But then things started to change. Firefox started to run more slowly, its features started to fall behind competitors, and the elements that made Firefox so appealing for so long seemed to fade away.

So I made the decision to give up Firefox. It feels like a shell of its former self. Instead, I've turned my attention to an alternative that performs much more like the Firefox I remember: LibreWolf, a privacy-focused browser built from a Firefox fork. It offers a load of powerful data security features right out of the gate, and it works with most existing Firefox extensions. Best of all, it's not Chromium-based, which means Google can't stick their grubby fingers into the decision-making process.

uBlock Origin is built-in

Adios, ads

More and more browsers are integrating ad blockers into their basic functionality, and it's one of the smartest moves they could make. LibreWolf has uBlock Origin as its primary, default ad blocker. Not only does that save time — I don't have to install it myself, which would be one of my first steps — but it's so well-integrated that I didn't even notice it at first. It's an excellent tool that uses some of the most popular blocklists, but allows me to opt for stricter security through optional lists like EasyList Cookie, AdGuard Annoyances, and more.

Beyond that, LibreWolf also has numerous security features built-in, like deleting all cookies and site data when the browser is closed and browser-wide security preferences. That means I no longer have to individually tell websites not to track my activity; the browser does it for me. This granular level of control makes it one of my favorite tools for everyday use, especially if I'm doing any sort of financial activity online.

The anti-fingerprinting tools add even more security

No inky prints here

Most browsers collect a huge amount of information about not only the websites you visit, but the hardware you're visiting from. That's why so many ads feel almost eerily targeted towards you: they are. A website can tell what kind of device you're using to access it, what sort of monitor you have, where you live, and much more. For an example, go to AmIUnique.com and test your browser. You might be surprised at the data it returns about your setup. LibreWolf makes your connection seem more homogeneous; think of it like hiding in a crowd of people.

I used https://coveryourtracks.eff.org to test. On Chrome, the tool said I had virtually no protection against tracking on the internet, but LibreWolf offered strong protection against a variety of trackers. I can also turn on DNS over HTTPS to further hide my activity. Combining the built-in protection of LibreWolf and a standard VPN does more to protect my info on the web than just about anything else.

Even the search engines are private

Bye bye, Bing and Google

The default search options in LibreWolf are as focused on privacy as the rest of the platform. After the initial setup, it's set to DuckDuckGo, but you can opt for these as well:

• DuckDuckGo Lite
• Metager
• Mojeek
• SearXNG
• Startpage
• Wikipedia

You can even choose a different search engine for use in private (LibreWolf's version of incognito) windows only. Since none of these engines collect personal data, you aren't inadvertently feeding shopping algorithms even more details on how to target you with unwanted products.

LibreWolf's future isn't certain

Without major backing, its survival relies on a small team of volunteers

Since LibreWolf is a modified version of Firefox without any sort of corporate and monetary backing, its entire existence is dependent on a relatively small group of volunteer coders. The community contributes on a regular basis, too, but if any of the core contributors stop working on it, updates will slow to a crawl or potentially stop altogether. Of course, that's the same risk with any kind of open-source software; there's no guarantee it will work years down the road, although LibreWolf allows users to generate their own forks if they want.

But that uncertainty means it can't be killed by corporate whims

There's no single point of failure

There's a lot of debate around why Firefox started to go downhill, but many users agree it's because the platform started to seek out funding instead of maintaining its focus on its user base. While LibreWolf might not have a set-in-stone future, the fact that it's open-source and community-driven means it's much harder to bring down than a platform that relies on financial backing from a single source.

LibreWolf feels like Firefox did back in its heyday

The more I use LibreWolf, the more I enjoy it. The browser is fast, snappy, and free of annoying ads and trackers. It reminds me of everything I loved about Firefox before it all started to go downhill.