Overview
Firefox matters partly for what it does and partly for what it is. Nearly every other browser in wide use is built on the same engine, which means the practical definition of what a web page can do is decided in one place. Firefox runs its own engine, and that independence is worth something regardless of which browser anybody prefers on a given day.
On its own merits it is a fast, capable browser with a strong position on privacy: tracking protection enabled by default rather than as an option, cross site cookie isolation, fingerprinting resistance, and an extension platform that still permits the kind of request filtering that content blockers depend on. The developer tools are excellent and have been for years, particularly the layout inspectors for grid and flexible box.
Privacy and the defaults
Enhanced tracking protection blocks known trackers, cross site cookies, cryptominers and fingerprinting scripts out of the box, with a strict mode for people willing to accept the occasional broken page in exchange for less leakage. Cookies are partitioned per site, so a tracker loaded on two different sites cannot join the two visits by cookie.
Container tabs are the feature that deserves more attention than it gets. Each container has its own cookie jar, so a session in one container is invisible to the others. Two accounts on the same service can be logged in simultaneously in different containers, and a container can be pinned to specific sites so they always open isolated from everything else.
The password manager stores credentials locally with an optional primary password protecting the store, and can generate strong values on account creation. Synchronisation across devices is available and is encrypted so the contents are not readable server side, but it is entirely optional and the browser is fully functional without it.
Performance and everyday use
The engine has been rebuilt in pieces over the last several years and the current builds are quick, particularly on machines with limited memory where the per process memory footprint matters. The site isolation architecture separates content processes properly, which is both a security property and the reason one bad tab no longer takes the window with it.
Reader mode strips a page to its text, which is increasingly necessary. Picture in picture pops a video into a floating window that survives switching tabs. Tab grouping, vertical tabs and a searchable history that actually finds things round out the parts of a browser that get used every hour without being noticed.
Profiles let separate sets of extensions, bookmarks and settings coexist on one machine, which is a cleaner separation than containers for genuinely different uses, such as a work setup and a personal one.
Extensions and developer tools
The extension platform continues to support the request filtering interfaces that content blockers rely on, which is a meaningful practical difference from browsers that have narrowed those interfaces. Blockers therefore work as they always have, with full rule sets rather than a capped list.
The developer tools are the reason a lot of people keep this installed even if they browse elsewhere. The layout inspector for grid and flexible box shows the actual track lines and item areas overlaid on the page, which no amount of reading the stylesheet replaces. The network panel, accessibility inspector, storage panel and responsive design mode are all mature and fast, and the debugger handles source maps without a fight.
What you get
- Independent rendering engine, not shared with the other major browsers
- Enhanced tracking protection enabled by default with a strict mode
- Cross site cookie partitioning and fingerprinting resistance
- Container tabs with separate cookie jars, pinnable to specific sites
- Separate profiles for entirely different extension and settings sets
- Local password manager with an optional primary password
- Optional end to end encrypted synchronisation across devices
- Reader mode, picture in picture and tab grouping
- Extension platform that still allows full request filtering
- Developer tools with grid and flexible box layout inspectors
Inside the archive
- Firefox installer for 32-bit and 64-bit
- Offline installer variant that needs no connection during setup
- Language pack list for the interface options
- Notes on containers, profiles and the strict protection mode
- Portable variant that runs without installing
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10, Windows 11, 32-bit or 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any processor supported by the operating system, SSE2 required |
| Memory | 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended |
| Graphics | Any card, hardware acceleration used where available |
| Storage | 400 MB free |
| Network | Required for browsing, not for installation |
Installing it
- Unpack the archive and run the installer, or run the portable variant from any folder.
- Choose the interface language at the first screen.
- Import bookmarks and passwords from another browser when prompted, or skip it.
- Open the privacy settings and decide between standard and strict tracking protection.
- Install a content blocker if you want one, the extension platform supports full rule sets.
Mirrors
| Route | Region | Note | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, primary | Europe | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Direct, secondary | North America | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Torrent magnet | Global | Direct is faster at this size | Online |
Release history
- Security fixes across the engine and the graphics stack
- Fixed a hang on pages using very large numbers of nested layout containers
- Container tab assignment no longer lost after a profile refresh
- Vertical tabs and tab grouping refined after the initial release
- Reduced memory use per content process on low memory machines
- Fingerprinting resistance extended to more of the graphics interfaces
- Developer tools grid inspector redrawn for subgrid layouts
Questions about this release
Do content blockers still work fully?
Yes. The request filtering interfaces they depend on are intact, so rule sets are not capped the way they are elsewhere.
What is the difference between containers and profiles?
Containers separate cookies within one window and share extensions and bookmarks. Profiles separate everything, including extensions and settings.
Is synchronisation required?
No. It is optional and encrypted so the contents are not readable server side. The browser is fully functional without an account.
Will strict protection break sites?
Occasionally, yes. That is the trade. The shield icon in the address bar disables protection for a single site when something misbehaves.
Is there a portable version?
Yes, included here. It runs from any folder and keeps its profile alongside itself.
Comments
Subgrid inspector is worth the install on its own. Nothing else shows the track lines like that.
Memory use per tab on a 4 GB laptop is noticeably better than what I moved from.
Comments are read before they appear. If a build stops working, say so here and it gets rebuilt rather than quietly left up.
Containers let me stay signed into two accounts on the same service without a second browser. Nothing else does this properly.