Icon of program: Pale Moon

Pale Moon for Windows

  • Free
  • 4.1
    422
  • 121.4K
  • V31.0.0.0
Free Download for Windows

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A private, customizable open-source browser

Pale Moon, developed by Moonchild Productions, is an open-source web browser built on its own maintained platform and Goanna rendering engine. The browser is designed for users who want an efficient, privacy-respecting alternative to mainstream browsers, especially those who prefer deep customization, legacy add-on support, and independence from the Chromium ecosystem.

Top Recommended Alternative

What is Pale Moon used for?

Pale Moon is used by people who want a classic, flexible browsing experience with more control over the browser’s appearance and behavior. It supports full themes and legacy XUL extensions, allowing users to customize the interface and, in some cases, alter core browser functions. However, users who prefer sleek, modern browser designs may find its traditional interface outdated.

How does it perform on modern hardware?

Pale Moon is built with efficiency in mind and is optimized for reasonably modern hardware. Its Goanna engine can use available system capabilities, including GPU acceleration where supported. It should not be described simply as a browser for old or severely limited computers. It is designed to get the most out of modern desktop hardware without wasting resources.

Can it run legacy extensions and plugins?

Yes. Pale Moon supports many legacy Firefox extensions based on XUL, including add-ons that can modify browser functions, the interface, and web content. Some extensions have also been rewritten or forked by the Pale Moon community specifically for the browser.

It also supports NPAPI plugins, allowing compatibility with older native plugins such as Flash and Java. This is useful for legacy workflows, but users should not expect the same extension ecosystem found in current Firefox or Chromium-based browsers.

What privacy protections does it provide?

Pale Moon does not include built-in ads, telemetry, or data-gathering features. It also does not include DRM or AI features and does not spy on users or their browsing habits. This makes it a strong choice for users who want less vendor-side tracking by default. However, it should not be confused with a full anonymity tool. Users who need stronger privacy protections should still review their settings, extensions, DNS behavior, and network setup.

A customizable independent browser

Pale Moon is best for experienced users who value customization, privacy, browser independence, and legacy add-on support. It is a practical choice for people who prefer a traditional, configurable browser with flexible theming, NPAPI plugin compatibility, and an efficient browsing experience on modern desktop hardware.

  • Pros

    • No data-gathering features
    • Strong customization options
    • Legacy extension support
    • NPAPI plugin compatibility
    • Independent Goanna engine
    • Open-source browser platform
    • Efficient modern performance
  • Cons

    • Traditional interface may feel outdated
 0/3

App specs

Also available in other platforms

Program available in other languages


Icon of program: Pale Moon

Pale Moon for PC

  • Free
  • 4.1
    422
  • 121.4K
  • V31.0.0.0
Free Download for PC

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User reviews about Pale Moon

4.1

8 reviews

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Main reviews for you

  • Anonymous user

    Good job.. Excellent browser. Smooth, without crashing. I wonder why is not more famous? In my opinion it is better than Firefox , Opera and Chrome.

  • Anonymous user

    Brilliant! What Firefox SHOULD be (but isn't). I want to thank all the folks who recommended Pale Moon. I've just been fed up with FF because of all of the memory leaks, etc. I've been running v16 forever because whenever I've tried to upgrade to newer versions, they'd all pretty much just crash after 30 minutes of heavy use, and not a single version of FF that I've ever used has ever fixed the memory leak problems. Not a single one. I actually installed a tiny batch file on quicklaunch so I could quickly kill FF at the point it's consumed all of my RAM so I could then start over with "Restore Session" to automatically reload all of my previous tabs. After trying every "solution" to the leak problem, that's the only one that ever did in any good for me. Apparently the arrogant tards at mozilla would rather tweak the UI to death rather than make a browser that actually works. They're worse than even Microsoft because Microsoft has to listen to their customers sooner or later or go broke. Nonprofits can just drift along forever.At any rate, I just finished installing PM, including importing everything from FF with their little importer program, and everything went flawlessly, including all settings and the plethora of add-ons I use. The only difficulty was getting roboform attached, which I can't live without. I did finally dumb around and got the roboform taskbar program to attach roboform to PM, which then worked flawlessly. It is, however, necessary for the roboform taskbar program to run all time for roboform to continue to work on PM, but this is a small price to pay to ditch FF forever.I've used PM for a week now, opening/closing/keeping hundreds of tabs, and I've been stunned at how much faster PM is than FF, as well as the VERY small memory footprint occupied by PM vs FF. Even after a week's HEAVY utility, PM has not grown beyond 1 GB, and even better, when I close tabs, ALL of the RAM is given back.Basically, PM is what FF ought to be, and even better, the genius behind Pale Moon, Mark Straver, has committed to keeping the PM UI fundamentally unmolested. I'll be installing PM instead of FF on all of my client's computers in the future as well!

  • Anonymous user

    Excellent. An excellent variation of firefox. Fast, reliable, and full compatibility. Amazing Pros: Very FastFull CompatibilityExactly Like FirefoxSleek Cons: Updating

  • Anonymous user

    A picture. it is a pity that it os not in a dutch translation, it is a good fast browser, only a little functie

  • Anonymous user

    An Enhanced Firefox Clone. Pale Moon is an enhanced Firefox clone. It is built around Firefox technology and has been tweaked to offer superior performance over it's original counterpart. Firefox add-ons and themes are also compatible with Pale Moon.The downsides to Pale Moon are the same fate a lot of other clones share. Pale Moon is not on the newest Firefox build and won't get updated as much thus add-ons and themes may not always be as compatible with Pale Moon as they will be for FirefoxOverall with Flock working to shred it's Firefox persona and working to become a Chrome clone, there isn't a better Firefox alternative available. So if you wish to have an enhanced Firefox alternative then Pale Moon is the browser for you. Pros: Uses Firefox Add-ons And ThemesEnhances Firefox's Performance Cons: Older Build Than FirefoxAdd-ons May Not Always Be Compatible

  • Anonymous user

    The best for Window's users. Palemoon,now available,as well as Firefox,in version 3.6.3,is just the best browser for Window's users(if you don't need parental control and accessibility options,of course),together with Opera 10.53(still a little bit less customizable).It has all the good of Firefox(extensions,components,graphical,stability..)but is more light,on resources as well, and quick.At the moment Palemoon and Opera 10.53(if you are a fan of Opera Speed Dial you can have it on Palemoon as well just installing the Speed Dial for Firefox extension)are simply the best browsers available. Pros: all the best of Firefoxlighter and quicker

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Is Pale Moon safe?

100/100

Score result: Clean

This file passed a comprehensive security scan using VirusTotal technology. It is safe to download.

  • Virus free
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  • Malware free
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Scan Info

Last scan
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
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Pale Moon has been thoroughly scanned by our advanced security systems and verified by industry-leading partners. This file comes from the official developer and has passed all our security checks, showing no signs of viruses, malware, or spyware. For more information, visit our Security and Trust Center

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