Waterfox has announced plans to integrate Brave’s adblock engine into its browser, alongside a decision to allow search ads by default as part of a sustainability strategy.
The update was announced by Waterfox creator Alex Kontos in a blog post marking the project’s 15-year anniversary. Kontos, who first launched Waterfox in 2011 as a self-compiled 64-bit version of Firefox, used the milestone to outline both the browser’s evolution and its upcoming technical direction.
The most notable change is the introduction of a built-in ad blocker powered by Brave’s open-source “adblock-rust” library. Unlike traditional ad blockers such as uBlock Origin, which operate as browser extensions, Waterfox’s implementation runs directly within the browser’s main process. This allows for improved performance, tighter integration, and reduced reliance on extension APIs and frequent upstream updates.
Kontos said the choice of Brave’s adblocking engine was partly driven by licensing compatibility. The library is released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0), aligning with Waterfox’s own licensing model, while alternatives like uBlock Origin are distributed under GPLv3, which can complicate deeper integration at the browser level.
However, the new ad-blocking approach comes with a notable exception. By default, Waterfox will allow text-based ads to appear on its default search partner, currently Startpage. Kontos described this as a necessary compromise to generate revenue, as search partnerships remain one of the primary income sources for independent browsers.
He stressed that this behavior is not inherited from Brave’s technology. In a clarifying update, Kontos noted that Brave blocks third-party ads across websites by default and does not whitelist ads for its partners. Waterfox’s decision to allow search ads is a deliberate, standalone choice aimed at maintaining financial viability.
Users who prefer a stricter setup will be able to disable all ads, including those on the search partner page, through a single setting. Existing users who already rely on third-party ad blockers can continue using them, as the native blocker will mainly target new users or those without an installed solution.
Waterfox is an independent, Firefox-based browser maintained under BrowserWorks, focusing on privacy, customization, and support for legacy extensions. The project has accumulated tens of millions of downloads over its lifetime and currently has an estimated one million monthly active users.
Kontos also highlighted the broader challenges in the browser ecosystem, pointing to declining revenues following the termination of third-party search agreements by Bing, a shift that has significantly impacted smaller browser vendors that depend on such deals to remain sustainable.
Beyond ad blocking, Waterfox continues to position itself as a privacy-first alternative, explicitly avoiding the integration of AI-driven features seen in competing browsers. The roadmap also includes expanded support for additional platforms and architectures, particularly ARM64, as well as continued participation in initiatives advocating for fair browser competition.
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