Alternatives to Lynx

Text-mode web browser for terminals and remote systems. 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 Lynx.

  • Links

    Small browser that runs either as text in a terminal or in a basic graphics mode.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Links also runs as text in a terminal but renders tables and frames and adds a basic graphics mode that draws images without X, while still lacking JavaScript.

  • Browsh

    Browse modern web pages through a terminal interface.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Browsh uses a Firefox backend to render modern pages including JavaScript and shows them in the terminal, but it needs Firefox installed and uses more resources than Lynx.

  • w3m

    A text-based web browser and pager that runs in the terminal.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    w3m also runs entirely in a terminal and over SSH, adds table and frame rendering plus a pager mode for local files, but lists only Linux and CLI platforms.

  • ELinks

    A text-mode web browser for the terminal, maintained as an actively developed fork.

    FreeProprietaryLinuxCommand line

    ELinks keeps terminal and SSH browsing from an actively developed fork, but is listed for Linux only and usually needs building from source or a distribution package.

Also worth comparing

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

  • Chawan

    A terminal web browser with its own engine supporting CSS, JavaScript and inline images.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    Lynx runs in any terminal, including on Windows, with very low resource use, but has no JavaScript, CSS or images, so most modern sites are unusable.

  • edbrowse

    A line-oriented command-line text editor that also works as a web browser with JavaScript support.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    Lynx is a text-mode terminal browser with a full-screen keyboard interface instead of line commands, runs on Windows and macOS too, but has no JavaScript support.

  • NetSurf

    A small, fast open-source web browser written in C with its own layout engine.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinux

    Lynx is a text-mode browser for terminals and bare SSH sessions with extremely low resource use, but shows no JavaScript, CSS or images.

  • Offpunk

    An offline-first command-line browser and feed reader for Gemini, Gopher, Spartan and the web.

    FreeOpen sourceCommand line

    Lynx is a text-mode terminal browser with very low bandwidth and resource use that works over SSH, but it has no JavaScript, CSS or images.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.