I like LibreWolf, but I don’t like that it wipes cookies and session tokens each time you launch it. I understand why they do it, but it’s a consideration outside my threat model, so it just annoys me.
You can also easily set specific sites’ cookies not to be wiped, I use this to have websites I trust to store my data for convenience, but any random tracker-infested blog to forget me as soon as the browser closes!
And also, Mullvad Browser does this by default, as well. I think theirs can’t even be configured on a per-site basis.
In Settings, Privacy & Security, Manage Exceptions, I “Allow” only a handful of sites to store my perma-cookies…so I’m not nagged for user & pw
…do you really think they’ve spent all this time creating a new browser that just has a setting enabled?
No, because Librewolf also adds fingerprint resisting which is stronger than Firefox’s and has ublock origin installed by default. It also has the ability to block stuff like WebGL and JS canvases by default
Also, Librewolf strips out telemetry and allows for some good about:config flags to be used via simple toggles in settings
- trust: The biggest trust factor difference to me is, who manages the package and how it is installed. Both are not packaged by my distribution maintainers, therefore I have trust issues with a program that important. However both are available as Flatpak. So I would recommend to install it this way.
- updates: Another big factor is how often these are updated, especially security patches. In example for any Firefox based browser, I would not want to wait longer than 1 day before the fork is on the same version as the mainline Firefox.
I personally would prefer LibreWolf over Mullvad, because it is based off Firefox.
adding extensions would alter the fingerprint - removing the ability to blend in with the herd which is the whole goal of mullvad browser.
Sounds like librewolf is for you!
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Launch your browser.
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Right-click on your toolbar to open toolbar settings.
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Click on Customize Toolbar.
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A new page with a list of items will open that you can drag into the toolbar.
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Click on the Add-on and drag it into your toolbar.
Both are good. Librewolf is more like vanilla Firefox, just configured way better by default. Mullvad Browser is like a port of the Tor Browser (also based on Firefox) for the clear web (or for use with Mullvad’s VPN, or whatever). Also configured very well by default. Mullvad Browser has better anti fingerprinting stuff built-in but as a result of its unusual configuration some sites might be broken. Librewolf is kind of the opposite in that regard - sites won’t be broken but you’ll be easier to fingerprint. In any case, they both are at the top of the best Firefox variants I’d say.
Librewolf and Torbrowser both include hardening and privacy optimizations.
Kind of separately, but Librewolf, Mull (Android) often take the configs of Torbrowser.
So calling them opposite makes no sense. They may just leave out some settings.
The “opposite” was just referring to those 2 aspects - Mullvad has stronger anti-fingerprinting which leads to more breakage. Librewolf has that aspect reversed. Of course, both browsers are similar overall. That’s just one detail where they prioritize differently.
I think “reversed” and “opposite” makes no sense here.
Librewolf copies the Torbrowser or Arkenfox patches, maybe adding their own ones, maybe not. Arkenfox is a 1:1 copy of Torbrowser to my knowledge, without using private browsing.
As you dont have Cookie Containers, the “being more private” or “anti fingerprinting” is a very vague statement. If you use your browser for a single website then yes maybe.
Wait. Mull browser is mullvad browser?
No, mull is a fork of Firefox meant for android and developed by the divestOS team, while mullvad is a completely different fork, only for desktop atm and developed by mullvad (the VPN company)
they both focus on privacy and integrate Tor patches and modify some configs to better resist fingerprinting, but mullvad browser goes a step further with the tor integration, going as far as storing all data in RAM, so it deletes every cookie, history etc on restart. Could be an advantage, could be a disadvantage, up to you
