Pale Moon Web Browser: A Unique Alternative to Firefox

Pale Moon is a free and open-source web browser that was first released in 2009 as a fork of the popular Mozilla Firefox browser. Over the years, Pale Moon has developed its own unique features and characteristics, which have set it apart from its Firefox counterpart.

One notable difference between the two browsers is their support for older operating systems. Version 26.5 of Pale Moon was the final official release to support Windows XP, a decision that reflects Pale Moon's commitment to preserving compatibility with legacy software.

In terms of functionality, Pale Moon offers several enhancements over Firefox. For example, it uses the IP-API service instead of Google's for geolocation, providing users with an alternative option for location-based services. Additionally, Pale Moon defaults to DuckDuckGo as its search engine, rather than Google or Yahoo!. Users can also customize their start page in cooperation with the browser, a feature that is not available in Firefox.

Pale Moon also supports add-ons exclusive to itself, including dozens of themes that can be applied to the entire user interface. This is in contrast to Firefox, which removed support for complete themes in one of its updates. Furthermore, Pale Moon continues to support XUL, XPCOM, and NPAPI plugins, all of which are no longer supported in Firefox.

Another key difference between Pale Moon and Firefox is their use of the browser engine. While Firefox uses the Gecko engine, Pale Moon has replaced it with the Goanna fork, a decision that reflects its commitment to innovation and experimentation.

Finally, Pale Moon runs in single-process mode by default, whereas Firefox became a multi-process program in one of its updates. This means that Pale Moon is more lightweight and efficient than Firefox, making it a great option for users who value simplicity and speed.

Overall, Pale Moon is a unique web browser that offers a range of features and characteristics that set it apart from its competitors. Whether you're looking for a fast and efficient browsing experience or simply want to try something new, Pale Moon is definitely worth considering.

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