# Helium Browser

Private, fast, and honest web browser

Repository: https://github.com/imputnet/helium
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/helium-browser
Homepage: https://helium.computer
Language: C++
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: browser, chromium, privacy, web-browser
Last push: 2026-08-26T21:38:56+00:00
Link (homepage): https://helium.computer
Link (site_page): https://helium.computer/blog/transparency

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 83/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 87, longevity 40
- inputs: {"age_days": 564, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 9, "gap_med": 3.0, "n_releases_24m": 99}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 19892, forks 550 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:29.359596+00:00)

## What it is
Helium is a privacy-first, Chromium-based web browser that blocks ads, trackers, cookie banners, and fingerprinting by default with no data collection. It is built on ungoogled-chromium with additional patches, offers a minimal customizable interface, and is currently in beta.

## Use cases
- browse the web without ads and trackers
- replace Chrome with a privacy-focused browser
- block cookie banners and fingerprinting by default
- use a Chromium browser that supports all extensions without telemetry
- reduce browser resource usage and save battery
- search sites directly with !bangs
- self-host browser services and build the browser from source

## When to choose
- you want Chromium extension compatibility with strong out-of-the-box privacy
- you dislike telemetry, browser ads, and background requests
- you want a transparent, fully open-source browser with reproducible builds
- you want a minimal, customizable UI with vertical tabs and split view

## When to avoid
- you need maximum stability - Helium is in beta
- you rely on Chrome sync or Google account integration
- you need enterprise deployment features or official support
- you prefer Firefox-based or Gecko browsers

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: privacy, security, browser-extension
- domain: privacy, web-development, cross-platform
- platform: windows
- tags: chromium, web-browser, ad-blocking, ungoogled-chromium, anti-fingerprinting, beta, linux, macos, desktop

## Member repositories
- imputnet/helium (main) score 83
- imputnet/helium-windows (infra) score 80
- imputnet/helium-macos (infra) score 84

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:29.359596+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T16:59:24.205674+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/imputnet/helium (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:29.359596+00:00, sha ef1504157394)
  - homepage: https://helium.computer (fetched 2026-08-29T07:57:58.027786+00:00, sha c65f9a74b1de)
  - site_page: https://helium.computer/blog/transparency (fetched 2026-08-29T07:57:58.037330+00:00, sha 87907c7cfb10)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.