Ask HN: Would You Use a Fast, Minimal, Private Web Browser?

Hi HN,

I’m building a new browser called Zer0 Browser, focused on being fast, minimal, and privacy first with absolutely zero bloat.

Most browsers today are packed with features users never asked for: ads, tracking, shopping suggestions, crypto plugins, and so on. Zer0 is the opposite—just a clean, focused experience for browsing the web.

Core Principles: Speed – Instant launch, lightweight UI, minimal memory usage

Simplicity – No tabs by default (like iA Writer for the web), clean reading mode, minimal UI

Privacy – No telemetry, no trackers, no background “smart” services

Exploring: Local LLM Integration – We're experimenting with optional on-device LLM support for things like page summarization, note-taking, and command-based browsing—all without sending your data to the cloud.

If this sounds interesting, I'm inviting early users to try the alpha version: https://www.zerobrowser.co/

Would love your feedback:

Would you use a browser like this?

What must-haves or deal-breakers come to mind?

What annoys you most about current browsers?

Thanks in advance!

I think most people here know how hard it is to build a browser from scratch, so this will just feel like a lot of wishful thinking. Might be an idea to back it up with how you plan to build it and pay for it.

Probably not, if it's just another Chromium reskin. Lack of Manifestv2 / uBlock Origin support would be a dealbreaker, as would a solo dev browser project (too much potential for security issues).

Are you writing your own renderer too?

I'd only consider another browser if it were either open source and/or maintained by a company or org I kinda trust. Definitely not a single dev. And it'd preferably be Webkit and not Blink/Chromium based. E.g. I'd consider using Ladybird or Kagi's Orion once they're a bit more mature.

Local AI integration is a turnoff too. I want my browser to be simple and stable, not chase every FOMO fashion trend.