---
title: "Kort vs Waterfox: an honest comparison"
canonical: https://kortbrowser.com/vs/waterfox
description: "Kort and Waterfox side by side: what Kort adds, then engine, platforms, price, ad blocking, cookie pop-ups, usage data and AI. With sources and dates."
updated: 2026-11-01
language: en
---

# Kort vs Waterfox

> Kort and Waterfox side by side: what Kort adds, then engine, platforms, price, ad blocking, cookie pop-ups, usage data and AI. With sources and dates.

Waterfox is an independent Firefox fork from the UK. It has a built-in ad blocker on the desktop and says it has no AI.

## Kort adds 8 things

- Apple's WebKit, the engine in Safari
- Native Mac app, written in Swift
- Vertical tabs and colored Spaces
- Cookie pop-ups answered for you
- AI Overviews hidden in search
- Split View, up to four pages
- Pay once, no subscription
- Import from Waterfox in one step
- iPhone and iPad app (coming)

## Scorecard

|  | Kort | Waterfox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apple's WebKit engine | Yes | No |
| Ad blocker, built in and on | Yes | Yes |
| Cookie pop-ups answered | Yes | Not confirmed |
| No usage data sent | Yes | Yes |
| No account needed | Yes | Not confirmed |
| No AI in the browser | Yes | Yes |
| Vertical tabs and Spaces | Yes | Not confirmed |
| iPhone and iPad app | Coming | No |
| Made in the EU | Yes | No |

"Not confirmed" means we could not check it in a primary source. 

Switching: Kort imports your bookmarks, history and open tabs from Waterfox in one step.

## What both have

- Built-in ad blocker.
- No usage data.
- No AI.
- A European maker.

## Side by side

|  | Kort | Waterfox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engine on Mac | WebKit, Apple's engine (the same as Safari) | Gecko (Firefox) |
| Platforms | Mac. iPhone and iPad coming to the App Store | Mac, Windows, Linux, Android |
| Made by | Made in the EU | BrowserWorks Ltd, United Kingdom |
| Price and business model | 5 € once, no subscription. One license per iCloud account. | Free. Search partnerships, optional private search subscription |
| Ad and tracker blocking | Built in and on by default. Blocked inside WebKit before the request is sent. No extension needed | Built-in ad blocker on the desktop, on by default |
| Cookie pop-ups | Answered for you: "Reject all" or "Only necessary", or hidden | Not confirmed (last seen: Not confirmed) |
| Usage data | None. Crash reports only if you choose to e-mail them | No data collection, per its site |
| Account | None. No sign-in | Not confirmed (last seen: Not required) |
| AI features | No AI. Google's AI Overviews hidden by default | No AI |
| Vertical tabs and spaces | Vertical sidebar, Spaces, split view with up to four pages on Mac | Not confirmed (last seen: Firefox vertical tabs) |

Waterfox: Gecko (Firefox), made by BrowserWorks (United Kingdom), on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android. Facts about Waterfox checked on 2026-11-01. Kort's price is shown in euros; [every currency](https://kortbrowser.com/pricing.md).

## Questions

### Waterfox also has no AI. What differs?

Waterfox is a Firefox fork for many platforms. Kort is built on WebKit for Mac, iPhone and iPad, with a sidebar and Spaces.

## Sources

- <https://www.waterfox.com/> (as of 2026-11-01)
- <https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/18/firefox_no_ai_alternative_waterfox/> (as of 2025-12-18)

We describe other browsers from their own pages, help centers, app store listings and press coverage. Products change. If something here is out of date, write to us and we will fix it.