Firefox
Open-source web browser from Mozilla, built on the Gecko engine.
HN commenters use it as a daily driver for uBlock Origin ad blocking on desktop and Android,1234 for rarely hitting broken sites,5678 and as a non-Chromium engine.910 The most common complaint is its UI design and recent redesign,11121314 followed by feeling slower than Chrome.151617
Why people recommend it
Ad blocking · 3
Commenters pair it with uBlock Origin and SponsorBlock to block ads, including on Android.
“Firefox on Android with the UBlock Origin and Sponsorblock extensions is still the gold standard.”
“I use Firefox on Android with ublock origin, it works great.”
Show 1 more
“I use Firefox in the side for browsing because IT doesn’t control it and I can block ads.”
Site compatibility · 3
Long-time users say they rarely run into sites that don't work in it.
“Firefox is my daily driver and I've never run into a site that was broken in it.”
“I have been using Firefox as my main browser for many years now, and I can count on one hand the number of times where I've been hit by compatibility issues.”
Show 1 more
Performance · 3
Some find it on par with Chrome, or faster, on desktop and mobile.
“firefox and its derivatives are essentially at feature and speed parity or better than chrome across the board”
“I use it everyday on laptop and mobile and I don't see the difference to the Chrome or Brave”
Show 1 more
“Firefox for Android is butter-smooth for me.”
Engine diversity · 3
Users choose it to avoid adding to Chromium's dominance.
“This is exactly why I still use Firefox.”
“There’s a reason I use Firefox (Gecko).”
Show 1 more
“as much as i love firefox”
Many tabs · 2
Heavy tab users say it handles memory better than Chromium, and about:processes can unload heavy tabs.
“switched to Firefox years ago because I tend to open a lot of tabs, which make Chromium seem to just gobble up RAM”
“I use about:processes to stop processes that eat up too much memory over time. The tabs stay open but get unloaded.”
Stability · 2
Long-time users report it is stable and rarely crashes.
“Firefox is a much more stable experience.”
“my firefox and chromium running as snaps never crashed a single time for as long as I can remember”
Caveats and dissent
UI redesign · 3
Some dislike its visual design and recent redesign, or find it out of place on Apple platforms.
“My eyes hurt for the amount of design problems in Firefox.”
Show 1 more
“how disjointed and alien the Firefox UX and general feel is to Apple platforms”
Slower feel · 3
Some users, including loyal ones, find it slower than Chrome or report memory and performance issues.
“I know Firefox is slower. I can feel it”
Show 1 more
“I was a loyal Firefox user but between the memory and perf issues and now this”
Mozilla direction · 3
Critics point to new-tab ads, privacy-eroding changes and Mozilla mismanagement.
“the adverts Firefox displays on new tabs by default are unacceptable”
Show 1 more
“Firefox no longer holds the technical or moral high ground”
Site gaps · 3
A handful of sites, especially video calling, work less well than in Chrome.
“I have been using Firefox as my main browser for many years now, and I can count on one hand the number of times where I've been hit by compatibility issues.”
“I use Firefox on Linux; I have to forego a handful of websites, but nothing is a dealbreaker.”
Show 1 more
“At home, I’m an ardent and committed Firefox user”
Android limits · 2
Users report that Firefox for Android lacks keyboard shortcuts and handles background playback poorly.
“I use Firefox on all my devices except my Android tablet.”
“Mobile Firefox with background playing is really bad”
Security · 1
One commenter says its sandbox is weaker than Chromium's.
“isn't firefox like far less secure than chromium? its sandbox pales in comparison”
Often compared with
22 moved from Chrome to Firefox
7 moved from Firefox to ChromeOn the home page's Debates
2 moved from Brave to Firefox
10 moved from Firefox to Brave
1 moved from Safari to Firefox
3 moved from Firefox to Safari
1 moved from Vivaldi to Firefox
4 moved from Firefox to VivaldiMicrosoft Edge29 comments mention both
2 moved from Microsoft Edge to Firefox
2 moved from Firefox to Microsoft Edge
1 moved from Chromium to Firefox
3 moved from Firefox to Chromium
3 moved from Orion to Firefox
3 moved from Firefox to Orion
Who recommends it in their own words
From the makers not counted in the ranking
“we can ship compatibility shims in the browser.”
“Firefox combatted that.”
Threads where it came up
- Hang on to Your Firefox 33 mentions
- Google Chrome is killing all uBlock Origin bypasses, Edge, Opera to follow 24 mentions
- Google Has Removed MV2 Extensions from the Chrome Web Store, Including UBO 22 mentions
- Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin 15 mentions
- I switched to Brave 13 mentions
- Firefox Enterprise 12 mentions
Data: firefox.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 54
“I lost the habit of using them when they got removed from Firefox (I used to be a heavy user)”
“I used my system package manager to update it”
“type new in the URL bar and FF completes it to the URL of this site”
“which is extraordinarily buggy in both Firefox and Chrome”
“I keep sites isolated a lot in Firefox containers”
“on FF mobile I do often miss qutebrowser's quickmarks”
“firefox if i need a third browser”
“I use Firefox generally”
“They accuse me of being a bot when I use firefox on linux.”
“the adverts Firefox displays on new tabs by default are unacceptable”
“switched to Firefox years ago because I tend to open a lot of tabs, which make Chromium seem to just gobble up RAM”
“I use Firefox, edge, brave across these devices.”
“Firefox is my daily driver and I've never run into a site that was broken in it.”
“Now on desktop, use Firefox and uBlock origin.”
“To the point I hate updating Firefox, because it there's a chance it will do something silly I'll have to fix.”
“I use Firefox on Linux; I have to forego a handful of websites, but nothing is a dealbreaker.”
“that those tests take longer than Firefox and Chrome, my daily drivers”
“I’m a Firefox user.”
“Firefox built from source is sufficiently sped up that I can notice it starting up at least 1-2 seconds faster.”
“Firefox for everything else.”
“I had switched to Firefox on Linux/Windows and Safari on Macs.”
“I use Firefox in the side for browsing because IT doesn’t control it and I can block ads.”
“I installed firefox and that was fine.”
“At home, I’m an ardent and committed Firefox user”
“Firefox is a much more stable experience.”
“Firefox was the only approved browser.”
“We used to install FF and Chrome on the local PCs at work”
“My eyes hurt for the amount of design problems in Firefox.”
“personally I use both Chrome and Firefox every day”
“I try to only use Firefox except for YouTube”
“Anything that makes enterprise management of FF easier is a win for the browser environment.”
“Recently, it's Firefox.”
“Firefox already had a very mature policy management engine”
“I've been using Firefox for years and don't think I've ever seen this.”
“I use Firefox DNS over HTTPS so they can't see that”
“If I use Firefox, I can not listen to audio”
“Same with Firefox.”
“i have a tab with the web UI pretty much constantly open in Firefox”
“Firefox for Android is butter-smooth for me.”
“Plus Firefox or Edge for uBlock support.”
“Firefox on Android with the UBlock Origin and Sponsorblock extensions is still the gold standard.”
“This is exactly why I still use Firefox.”
“Firefox, I used to love you but you can't UX your way out of a decline.”
“I was a loyal Firefox user but between the memory and perf issues and now this”
“Redesign for the sake of the redesign”
“I have been using Firefox as my main browser for many years now, and I can count on one hand the number of times where I've been hit by compatibility issues.”
“I use it and don't really have problems.”
“Firefox works on 99% of websites I use.”
“Firefox always felt slower to me”
“Works well for me on Firefox with uBlock origin without any special lists.”
“how disjointed and alien the Firefox UX and general feel is to Apple platforms”
“I know Firefox is slower. I can feel it”
“There’s a reason I use Firefox (Gecko).”
“I use Firefox on Android with ublock origin, it works great.”