A lightweight web browser is a
web browser
A web browser, often shortened to browser, is an application for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's scr ...
that sacrifices some of the features of a mainstream web browser in order to reduce the consumption of
system resource
In computing, a system resource, or simply resource, is any physical or virtual component of limited availability that is accessible to a computer. All connected devices and internal system components are resources. Virtual system resources in ...
s, and especially to minimize the
memory footprint
Memory footprint refers to the amount of main memory that a program uses or references while running.
The word footprint generally refers to the extent of physical dimensions that an object occupies, giving a sense of its size. In computing, t ...
.
The tables below compare notable lightweight web browsers. Several of them use a common
layout engine, but each has a unique combination of features and a potential niche. The minimal
user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fro ...
in
surf, for example, does not have
tabs, whereas
xombrero can be driven with
vi-like keyboard commands.
Four of the browsers compared—
Lynx
A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
,
w3m,
Links, and
ELinks—are designed for
text mode
Text mode is a computer display mode in which content is internally represented on a computer screen in terms of characters rather than individual pixels. Typically, the screen consists of a uniform rectangular grid of ''character cells'', ea ...
, and can function in a
terminal emulator
A terminal emulator, or terminal application, is a computer program that emulates a video terminal within some other display architecture. Though typically synonymous with a shell or text terminal, the term ''terminal'' covers all remote term ...
.
Eww is limited to working within Emacs. Links 2 has both a
text-based user interface
In computing, text-based user interfaces (TUI) (alternately terminal user interfaces, to reflect a dependence upon the properties of computer terminals and not just text), is a retronym describing a type of user interface (UI) common as an ear ...
and a
graphical user interface
A graphical user interface, or GUI, is a form of user interface that allows user (computing), users to human–computer interaction, interact with electronic devices through Graphics, graphical icon (computing), icons and visual indicators such ...
. w3m is, in addition to being a web browser, also a
terminal pager.
Overview
Operating system support
;Notes
Features
Test scores reflect the version of the browser engine in use. Generally, a lower score indicates an older version of the browser engine.
;Notes
See also
*
Comparison of web browsers
This is a comparison of both historical and current Web browser, web browsers based on developer, engine, platform(s), releases, license, and cost.
General information
Basic general information about the browsers. Browsers listed on a light purpl ...
*
List of web browsers for Unix and Unix-like operating systems
References
Further reading
*
*
*
{{Embedded systems
Lightweight web browsers