Helium is a privacy-focused desktop browser built on Chromium by imput (imputnet). Based on ungoogled-chromium, it ships with uBlock Origin and community filter lists enabled by default, so it blocks ads, trackers, and third-party cookies with no setup. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Helium
helium.computer 1 rating so far*
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Threat level
Covered
A covered pick. Anyone can use it as a private drop-in, with no setup or know-how. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
This is the Chromium browser to reach for if Brave’s crypto and ad-network baggage put you off. uBlock Origin is built in and third-party cookies are blocked by default, and it makes zero network requests on first launch. It even routes Chrome Web Store downloads through its own service so Google cannot profile your extensions. The catches: it is still young and desktop-only, with no mobile build or account sync, and like every Chromium fork it leaves you on Google’s engine. Best for anyone who wants private-by-default browsing without touching settings.
GitHub at a glance
imputnet/helium
Stars
17,712
+ 34 this week
Last commit
1d ago
healthy
License
GPL-3.0
Latest release
0.13.5
1d ago
Stars, last 15d
Helium alternatives
LibreWolf A modified version of Firefox designed to increase protection against tracking and fingerprinting techniques, while also including security improvements.
Brave Fast, cross-platform Chromium browser that blocks ads and trackers by default. A complete package out of the box, suitable for beginners or when setup time matters.
Firefox Reliable, fast and privacy-friendly. Harden it with add-ons, enable DNS-over-HTTPS, and sync across all your devices.
Firefox Focus Dedicated mobile privacy browser with automatic tracking protection and ad blocking. With Focus, your pages load faster and your data stays private.
DuckDuckGo Privacy-focused search engine and mobile browser that blocks trackers and searches without profiling you. Partially open source, based in the US.
Orion WebKit browser by Kagi for macOS and iOS with zero telemetry and support for Chrome and Firefox extensions.
Helium license, in plain English
GPL-3.0 Strong copyleft
Free to use and modify, but anything you distribute that is built on it must also be open under the same license.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Patent use
- Private use
Requires
- Disclose source
- Same license
- State changes
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: Strong copyleft keeps every distributed version open. A vendor cannot fold this into a closed product and ship it without releasing their changes.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.
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