Alternatives to Falkon

Lightweight KDE browser built on QtWebEngine. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Falkon.

  • Firefox

    The main browser not built on Chromium, with tracking protection turned on by default.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Firefox replaces QtWebEngine with Mozilla's engine, offers strong extension support including full-API content blockers, and adds macOS, Android and iOS builds.

  • qutebrowser

    A keyboard-driven browser with vim-style bindings and almost no interface to click on.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    qutebrowser also uses QtWebEngine but is keyboard-driven with vim-style bindings and Python configuration, adds macOS, and has no Chrome or Firefox extension support.

  • Otter Browser

    Use a configurable browser inspired by classic Opera.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Otter Browser is another Qt application for Windows and Linux that recreates classic Opera controls, though some of its planned features remain unfinished.

  • GNOME Web

    GNOME's browser, built on WebKitGTK, formerly known as Epiphany.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    GNOME Web swaps QtWebEngine for WebKitGTK and integrates with the GNOME desktop instead of Plasma, runs on Linux only, and lags on extensions and some web apps.

  • Midori

    Lightweight browser with an ad blocker and privacy-focused defaults.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinuxAndroid

    Midori is another lightweight open-source browser with ad blocking and tracking protection enabled, built on Chromium and adding an Android version.

  • Min

    Browse with a minimal interface and grouped tabs.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Min is a lightweight open-source browser with tracker blocking, reader views and grouped tabs, adds macOS, and uses userscripts instead of an extension store.

  • Konqueror

    KDE's combined web browser and file manager, using Qt WebEngine for pages.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Konqueror is also KDE software on Qt WebEngine and adds file management, FTP/SFTP and document previews, but it is Linux-only with a small extension ecosystem.

  • Chromium

    The open-source browser project that Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi are all built from.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Chromium is the open-source upstream engine with Chrome's interface and adds macOS, but official builds do not auto-update and most builds lack Widevine DRM for paid streaming.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Falkon as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Angelfish

    A lightweight KDE web browser designed for mobile Linux devices that also runs on the desktop.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Falkon is a KDE browser on QtWebEngine with an ad blocker and password manager enabled out of the box, aimed at desktops and also available on Windows.

  • Dillo

    Browse lightweight pages with a small graphical browser.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinux

    Falkon uses the fuller QtWebEngine engine with a built-in ad blocker and password manager, and runs on Windows and Linux but not macOS.

  • Dooble

    An open-source Qt web browser focused on privacy and usability, with frequent releases.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Falkon is another open-source Qt browser, built on QtWebEngine with an ad blocker and password manager enabled, but it has no macOS build and releases are infrequent.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.