NetSurf
NetSurf is an open-source web browser designed for low-resource devices and environments. It is lightweight, customizable, and supports modern web standards.
opensource
lowresource
lightweight
customizable
web-standards
NetSurf: Lightweight Open-Source Web Browsers
NetSurf is an open-source web browser designed for low-resource devices and environments. It is lightweight, customizable, and supports modern web standards.
What is NetSurf?
NetSurf is an open-source web browser that was created in 2004. It is designed to run efficiently on systems with limited resources, such as older computers or embedded devices. Some key features and characteristics of NetSurf include:
- Lightweight codebase making it suitable for systems with slower processors or less RAM
- Support for modern web standards including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
- Tabbed browsing interface
- Customizable interface through user stylesheets
- Mouse and keyboard-driven operation for non-touchscreen devices
- Minimal memory footprint allowing it to run on systems with as little as 14MB of RAM
NetSurf is written in C and builds on top of widget, rendering, and layout engines to process and display web content. It supports all major operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD. The small resource footprint makes it well-suited for older computers, Raspberry Pis, smartphones, or embedded systems.
While it lacks some features of larger browsers, NetSurf's open-source nature and ability to run on low-end hardware make it a good option for lightweight browsing and embedding into appliances. Its focus on standards compliancy over legacy compatibility differentiates it from other minimal browsers.
NetSurf Features
Features
- Tabbed browsing
- Mouse and keyboard navigation
- Bookmarking
- Cookie management
- Page zooming
- Page printing
- History
- Themes and skins
- Extensions
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Lightweight and fast
Low memory usage
Highly customizable
Open source
Supports modern web standards
Available on many platforms
Cons
Limited support for advanced JavaScript
No support for browser plugins
Limited compatibility with some modern websites
Development is slow
Official Links
The Best NetSurf Alternatives
Top Web Browsers and Lightweight and other similar apps like NetSurf
Here are some alternatives to NetSurf:
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