Ladybird

Ladybird is a new web browser built on a completely original engine. It shares no code with Blink, WebKit, Gecko, or any other existing browser engine. The project is backed by a non-profit, funded entirely through donations and sponsorships, with no search deals, no data collection, and no advertising arrangements.

The browser is in active development. A first Alpha release is targeting Linux and macOS in 2026, aimed at developers and early adopters. Windows and mobile support are not current priorities.

Eight full-time engineers are working on the project alongside a community of volunteer contributors. Recent monthly updates have included an inline PDF viewer, browsing history, HTTP caching, media streaming, CSS anchor positioning, off-thread JavaScript compilation, and a new regex engine. The project is also incrementally adopting Rust as a successor to C++, using it to replace subsystems over time.

What sets Ladybird apart is structural. Every major browser engine today is controlled by a company with commercial interests tied to the web. Unlike Brave or other browsers built on existing engines, Ladybird's non-profit model means no entity can purchase board seats or other forms of influence. Sponsorships are unrestricted donations. The project's stated focus is narrow: build a browser, nothing else.

For anyone concerned about the consolidation of browser engines, Ladybird is the only active effort to build a genuinely new one from scratch. It's open source, and contributions are welcome across all areas of the engine.