Updated at: May 6, 2026
It is a huge, on-going task to build and maintain a fully functional, modern web browser rendering engine; as a result - most web browsers simply re-use one of the free, large, community supported engines such as Chromium, Gecko, or WebKit. However, in a handful of cases, some talented and ambitious developers decide to write their own rendering engine from scratch. These kinds of rendering engines tend to not support every single modern feature that we've come to expect, but they play an important part in ensuring that there is choice and variety in the rendering engines landscape. It's also often the only way that older operating systems have a chance to run web browsers that can still work online.
| Browser Name | Rendering Engine | Timeline | Device Type | Operating Systems | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1X | Custom | Unknown | Desktop | Windows | |
| Abaco | Custom | 2006 - ? | Desktop | Linux, Plan 9 | Discontinued |
| Air Mosaic | Custom | 1994 - ? | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| Amaya | Custom | 1996 - 2012 | Desktop | Unix-like, Windows, OS X, NeXTSTEP | Discontinued |
| AMosaic | Custom | 1993 - ? | Desktop | Amiga OS | Discontinued |
| AMSD Ariadna | Custom | 1995 - 1996 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
|
AOLPress
Formerly Navipress
|
Custom | 1994 - 1997 | Desktop | Windows, Mac OS Classic | Discontinued |
| Aplix | Custom | 1996 - ? | Game Console | Game Console | Discontinued |
| Arachne | Custom | 1996 - 2021 | Desktop | Linux, FreeDOS | Idle |
| Arena Browser | Custom | 1993 - 1998 | Desktop | Unix-like, NeXTSTEP | Discontinued |
| Argo | Custom | 1994 - 1997 | Desktop | Unix-like | Discontinued |
| AWeb | Custom | 1996 - 2007 | Desktop | Amiga OS | Idle |
| Blazer | Custom | Unknown | Mobile | Palm OS | |
| BrowseX | Custom | 2000 - 2001 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| Cello | Custom | 1993 - 1994 | Desktop | Windows, OS2 | Discontinued |
| Charon | Custom | 2006 - 2024 | Desktop | Plan 9 | Discontinued |
| Classilla | Custom | 2009 - 2021 | Desktop | Mac OS Classic | Discontinued |
| Cyberdog | Custom | 1995 - 1997 | Desktop | Mac OS Classic | Discontinued |
| Cyberjack | Custom | 1995 - 1996 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| Dillo | Custom | 1999 → | Desktop | BSD, Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeDOS | Active |
|
DR-WebSpyder
Also known as Embrowser, and also Embedix Browser
|
Custom | 1997 - 1999 | Desktop | MS-DOS | Discontinued |
|
Embedix Browser
Formerly Embrowser
|
Custom | 1999 - ? | Desktop | Linux | Discontinued |
| Emissary | Custom | 1995 - 1996 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| Eolas WebRouser | Custom | 1995 - ? | Desktop | Unix-like | Discontinued |
| Erwise | Custom | 1992 - 1994 | Desktop | Unix-like | Discontinued |
| FixBrowser | Custom | 2025 - ? | Desktop | Linux, Windows, Haiku | Idle |
| Flow Browser | Custom | Unknown | Desktop & Mobile | Android, Linux, macOS, Windows, Raspberry Pi | |
| Fresco | Custom | 1994 - 2004 | Desktop | Linux, Windows | Discontinued |
| Galio | Custom | 2004 - 2010 | Desktop | Linux, Windows | Discontinued |
| Gazelle | Custom | 2009 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| GlobeHopper | Custom | Unknown | Desktop | Misc Desktop OS | Discontinued |
| gngr | Custom | 2014 - 2025 | Desktop | Java Platform | Idle |
| Grail | Custom | 1995 - 1999 | Desktop | Unix-like | Discontinued |
| Highwire | Custom | 2001 - 2005 | Desktop | Atari | Discontinued |
| IBM Home Page Reader | Custom | 1998 - 2005 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| IBM WebExplorer | Custom | 1994 - 1998 | Desktop | OS2 | Discontinued |
| IBrowse | Custom | 1996 - 2023 | Desktop | Amiga OS | Idle |
| Kristall Small-Internet Browser | Custom | 2020 - 2024 | Desktop | BSD, Linux, Windows, OS X, Haiku | |
| Lobo Evolution | Custom | 2019 → | Desktop | Misc Desktop OS | |
| MacWeb | Custom | 1994 - 1996 | Desktop | Mac OS Classic | Discontinued |
|
MacWWW
Also known as Samba
|
Custom | 1992 - 1994 | Desktop | Mac OS Classic | Discontinued |
| MidasWWW | Custom | 1992 | Desktop | Unix-like | Discontinued |
| Minuet | Custom | 1994 - 1996 | Desktop | MS-DOS | Discontinued |
| Mothra | Custom | 1995 - 2011 | Desktop | Plan 9 | Discontinued |
| MultiTorg Opera | Custom | 1994 - 1996 | Discontinued | ||
| NCSA Mosaic | Custom | 1993 - 1997 | Desktop | Unix-like, Windows, OS2, Misc Desktop OS | Discontinued |
| NetHopper | Custom | 1996 - 1998 | Mobile | Apple Newton | Discontinued |
| NetLink Custom Web Browser | Custom | 1996 - 1997 | Game Console | Game Console | Discontinued |
| NetPositive | Custom | Unknown | Desktop | BeOS | Discontinued |
| NetSurf | Custom | 2007 - 2023 | Desktop | BSD, Linux, macOS, Haiku, RISC OS, Amiga OS, Plan 9 | Active |
| NetSurfer (NeXTSTEP) | Custom | Unknown | Desktop | NeXTSTEP | Discontinued |
|
Nexus
Formerly WorldWideWeb
|
Custom | 1990 - 1992 | Desktop | NeXTSTEP | Discontinued |
| Nokia Xpress | Custom | 2012 - 2015 | Mobile | Nokia X | Discontinued |
| Off By One | Custom | 2001 - 2004 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| Oracle PowerBrowser | Custom | 1996 | Discontinued | ||
| Oregano | Custom | 2000 - 2007 | Desktop | RISC OS | Discontinued |
| Origyn | Custom | ? - 2014 | Desktop | Amiga OS, Misc Desktop OS | Discontinued |
| Phoenix TkWWW | Custom | 1993 - 1995 | Desktop | Linux, Windows, MS-DOS | Discontinued |
| PlanetWeb | Custom | 1999 - 2001 | Game Console | Game Console | Discontinued |
| Procomm Plus Web Zeppelin | Custom | 1996 - 2002 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| PS2 Browser | Custom | 2025 → | Game Console | Game Console | Active |
| QuarterDeck Mosaic | Custom | 1995 - 1998 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| SlipKnot | Custom | 1994 - 1998 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| SpiderWoman | Custom | Unknown | Desktop | NeXTSTEP | |
| ThunderHawk | Custom | 2001 - 2008 | Mobile | Misc Mobile OS | Discontinued |
| TkWWW | Custom | 1992 - 1995 | Desktop | Unix-like | Discontinued |
| UdiWWW | Custom | 1995 - 1996 | Desktop | Windows | Discontinued |
| ViewML | Custom | Unknown | Desktop | Linux | Discontinued |
| ViolaWWW | Custom | 1992 - 1995 | Desktop | Unix-like | Discontinued |
| Voyager (Amiga) | Custom | 1999 - 2002 | Desktop | Amiga OS | |
| Voyager (QNX) | Custom | Unknown | Desktop | Misc Desktop OS | Idle |
| WinWAP | Custom | 1999 - 2008 | Mobile | Windows CE | Discontinued |