Helium Browser

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Project & Architecture

  • Helium is essentially ungoogled-chromium plus a thin Python/patch layer and opinionated defaults; several commenters say it’s “just” a nicer skin and build system around that.
  • About 2–3 people are maintaining it; the repo is mostly patch files that generate a de‑Googled Chromium build.
  • It keeps Manifest V2 (MV2) via ungoogled-chromium patches; Helium will “support MV2 as long as possible,” but is effectively tied to upstream ungoogled-chromium’s ability to keep that working.

Privacy, Extensions & Search

  • Positioning: “best privacy by default,” no network requests on first launch, bundled uBlock Origin, and anonymized access to the Chrome Web Store through Helium’s own services.
  • Users like that Kagi is a first-class search option and find the critical summaries of search providers refreshingly blunt.
  • Skeptics argue “Chromium + patches” can’t be the best privacy story and still leaves Google controlling web standards and APIs; others counter that Chromium forks (e.g., Brave) can be hardened and may even be more secure than Gecko, citing sandboxing commentary from other projects.
  • MV2 longevity is a big concern: people don’t want to switch browsers twice when uBlock Origin or other MV2 extensions finally become unusable.

Trust, Funding & Maintenance

  • Major worry: small, pseudonymous team with an auto-updating, security‑critical app.
  • The website gives only a Wyoming LLC; identities are discoverable via GitHub, but some still find that insufficient for something that can push code onto their machines.
  • People question how security fixes and backports will keep up with Chromium’s patch cadence, pointing to other forks that lagged or were abandoned.
  • Sustainability and business model are unclear; users want to know how the project will pay for ongoing work without “enshittifying” later.

UX & Features

  • Praised for: Kagi integration, PWA support, “no unsolicited network requests,” and a generally clean, light feel (some compare it to old Camino).
  • Missing or weak for many: vertical tabs, advanced tab management, sync (especially mobile/desktop), flexible new‑tab customization.
  • Tabs‑in‑title‑bar sparks a long argument: some see it as space-efficient and standard; others call it user‑hostile, especially for window dragging.

Engine Choice & Web Monoculture

  • Large meta‑discussion: why yet another Chromium fork instead of Gecko/WebKit/Servo.
  • Concerns: further entrenching Google’s control over web standards, Manifest V3, and Chrome‑first site behavior vs. desire for compatibility, devtools, and performance.
  • Alternatives repeatedly mentioned: Firefox (and forks like Zen/LibreWolf), WebKit browsers (Orion, Safari), and upcoming engines like Ladybird and Servo.

Community Sentiment

  • Mix of curiosity and exhaustion: some already using Helium and happy; many dismiss it as “another Chromium skin” without a clear long‑term story.
  • Several commenters say they’ll watch the project, but will stick with Firefox, Brave, Zen, or Safari until Helium proves its staying power and broader feature set.