Ladybird (web browser)
{{Short description|Open-source web browser}}{{Infobox software
| name = Ladybird
| logo = Ladybird icon png.png
| logo size = 64px
| screenshot = Ladybird.png
| caption = Ladybird, showing the main page of Wikipedia
| author = Andreas Kling
| developer = Ladybird Browser Initiative
| programming language = C++, Swift
| operating system = Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like operating systems.
| language = English
| language count = 1
| genre = Web browser
| engine = LibWeb
| license = BSD 2-Clause License
| website = {{URL|ladybird.org}}
| repo = {{URL|github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird}}
}}
Ladybird is an open-source web browser developed by the Ladybird Browser Initiative, a nonprofit organization focused on development of the browser.{{Citation |title=LadybirdBrowser/ladybird |date=2024-08-07 |url=https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird |access-date=2024-08-07 |publisher=Ladybird |archive-date=2024-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806041722/https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Kling |first=Andreas |title=Announcing the Ladybird Browser Initiative |url=https://ladybird.org/posts/announcement/ |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=ladybird.org |language=en}} It is licensed under the BSD 2-Clause License.{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Tim |date=2024-07-03 |title=Ladybird web browser now funded by GitHub co-founder, promises 'no code' from rivals |url=https://devclass.com/2024/07/03/ladybird-web-browser-project-now-funded-by-github-co-founder-promises-no-code-from-other-browsers/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=DEVCLASS |language=en-GB |archive-date=2024-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920183747/https://devclass.com/2024/07/03/ladybird-web-browser-project-now-funded-by-github-co-founder-promises-no-code-from-other-browsers/ |url-status=live }} An alpha release is planned in 2026,{{Cite web |last=Kling |first=Andreas |title=Ladybird FAQ's |url=https://ladybird.org/#faq |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=ladybird.org |language=en}} beta release is expected in 2027 and a stable release for general public in 2028.{{Cite web |author=World Wide Web Consortium |date=2024-09-25 |title=🐞Ladybird: A new, independent browser engine — written from scratch |url=https://www.w3.org/events/meetings/8e1ca708-fdbf-4264-a79b-4c953fa85248/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=w3.org |language=en |archive-date=2024-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240917202824/https://www.w3.org/events/meetings/8e1ca708-fdbf-4264-a79b-4c953fa85248/ |url-status=live }} Originally a component of SerenityOS, it is now being developed as a standalone project.
Features
Ladybird uses a new browser engine called LibWeb that is being created from scratch by the development team. Unlike SerenityOS, it will also use other open source libraries for development. An ad blocking feature is planned. Unlike most new web browsers, Ladybird does not rely on Chromium or Firefox and uses its own rendering engine and JavaScript engine.
History
The project was initially developed by the SerenityOS community using its internal software libraries implementing specific features (with self-descriptive names prefixed with “Lib”, e.g. LibWeb, LibHTTP, LibJS, or LibWasm).
Ladybird was announced by Andreas Kling, the maintainer and founder of the SerenityOS project, in September 2022.{{Cite web |title=Ladybird browser spreads its wings |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/976822/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=LWN.net |archive-date=2024-09-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926195839/https://lwn.net/Articles/976822/ |url-status=live }}
On June 30, 2024, Kling announced that he would be stepping back from the main project to focus solely on building the Ladybird browser.{{Cite web |last=Proven |first=Liam |date=17 October 2023 |title=Serenity OS turns five and emits first offspring, Ladybird |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/17/serenity_os_turns_five/ |access-date=8 August 2024 |website=The Register}}{{Cite web |date=July 2, 2024 |title=Fork! Ladybird Browser And SerenityOS To Go Separate Ways |url=https://hackaday.com/2024/07/02/fork-ladybird-browser-and-serenityos-to-go-separate-ways/ |website=Hackaday}} In July 2024 the Ladybird Browser Initiative announced that it was being funded by Chris Wanstrath, the co-founder of GitHub.{{Cite web |last=Förster |first=Moritz |date=July 4, 2024 |title=Ladybird web browser takes off: One million US dollars from GitHub founder |url=https://www.heise.de/en/article/Ladybird-web-browser-takes-off-One-million-US-dollars-from-GitHub-founder-9789840.html |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Heise}} Ladybird began receiving sponsorships to fund its development including from large companies such as Shopify and Proton VPN.{{cite web |last1=Conway |first1=Adam |title=4 reasons Ladybird is the most exciting new browser currently in development |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/reasons-ladybird-exciting-new-browser/ |website=XDA |language=en |date=12 March 2025}}
As of March 2025, it ranked fourth highest on the Web Platform Tests, a suite of tests used by browser developers, below Chrome, Safari and Firefox. It also had the second most conformant JavaScript Engine after Firefox's SpiderMonkey.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official|https://ladybird.org/}}
{{web browsers}}
{{Browser engines}}
Category:Cross-platform web browsers
Category:Free and open-source software
Category:Free software for Linux
Category:Free software for macOS
Category:Software using the BSD license