Dillo vs Pale Moon
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Dillo is a minimalistic graphical web browser designed for speed and low memory consumption, making it ideal for older hardware and embedded devices. It supports basic HTML, CSS, and image formats while keeping the codebase small and efficient. The browser is open source, runs primarily on Linux and other Unix‑like systems, and offers a simple interface without the bloat of modern browsers. Dillo is often used in environments where resources are limited or where a fast, no‑frills browsing experience is required.
Pale Moon is an independent, open-source web browser derived from the Mozilla codebase, designed to offer a streamlined and efficient browsing experience. It prioritizes customization, user privacy, and traditional browser interfaces over heavy resource consumption or forced design overhauls. By maintaining its own optimized layout engine (Goanna), Pale Moon supports legacy extensions and classic browser features that modern mainstream browsers have dropped. It aims to put control back into the hands of the user, making it a reliable alternative for those who prefer a lightweight and highly configurable desktop browser.
- Extremely low memory usage
- Fast page rendering for simple sites
- Open source and freely modifiable
- Runs on very old hardware
- Completely free and open source
- Supports legacy add-ons and themes
- Lightweight on system resources
- Highly customizable interface and settings
- No modern JavaScript support
- Limited CSS capabilities
- Sparse documentation and community support
- Incompatible with standard WebExtensions
- Smaller developer and extension ecosystem
- May occasionally struggle with heavily optimized modern web frameworks
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Dillo
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Alternatives to Pale Moon
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataPale Moon offers a more complete, customizable browsing experience with legacy add‑on support, while Dillo trades features for ultra‑low resource usage and minimal JavaScript support.
Key differences
- •Rendering engine: Pale Moon uses Goanna (full HTML/CSS/JS); Dillo uses a tiny HTML/CSS2 engine with no modern JavaScript.
- •Extension ecosystem: Pale Moon supports XUL/XPCOM add‑ons; Dillo has essentially no extension support.
- •Resource consumption: Dillo runs under ~5 MB RAM; Pale Moon uses more memory but still lightweight compared to mainstream browsers.
- •Web compatibility: Pale Moon can handle most modern sites (though not WebExtensions); Dillo only works well on simple pages.
- •User interface: Pale Moon retains a classic desktop UI; Dillo provides a minimal toolbar only.
Pricing & value
Both are free and open source, offering no cost advantage over the other.
Ease of use / learning curve
Pale Moon offers a familiar desktop UI and documentation; Dillo’s minimal UI can be confusing for typical web tasks.
Features & depth
Pale Moon supports full HTML/CSS/JS and legacy extensions; Dillo lacks modern JavaScript and CSS capabilities.
Integrations & ecosystem
Pale Moon has a community of XUL/XPCOM add‑ons; Dillo has no extension ecosystem.
Support
Pale Moon lists community forums and documentation; Dillo notes sparse documentation and limited community support.
Security & privacy
Dillo’s lack of JavaScript reduces attack surface; Pale Moon runs full web code which can expose more vulnerabilities.
Choose Dillo if…
Users on very low‑resource or legacy hardware needing a minimal, fast browser for simple pages.
Choose Pale Moon if…
Users who need a functional modern browser with legacy add‑on support and moderate system resources.
Common questions
Can either browser run modern web applications that rely on JavaScript?
Pale Moon supports JavaScript (though not WebExtensions); Dillo does not support modern JavaScript.
Which browser uses less memory?
Dillo typically uses under 5 MB RAM; Pale Moon uses more memory but is still lighter than mainstream browsers.
Is there any official support or paid help available?
Both rely on community forums and documentation only; no paid support is listed.