Dillo review
A free, open-source desktop browser for basic web access with minimal resource demands.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Dillo is a lightweight graphical web browser for people who need basic desktop browsing on slow networks, older machines, or systems with limited resources. It runs on Linux, BSD, macOS, Windows through Cygwin, and Atari, and is distributed as GPLv3 free software. Its custom real-time rendering engine supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, local files, tabs, bookmarks, images, and a subset of HTML and CSS. The browser is designed around a narrow, efficient set of browsing functions rather than broad modern web compatibility.
There is no paid tier to compare: Dillo is free and open source. Its feature set covers practical offline and online basics, including bookmarks stored locally, built-in downloads through a graphical wrapper, images-off browsing, cookies disabled by default, and domain-based content blocking. A plugin framework can add support for additional protocols and services, but Dillo does not document a browser extension marketplace. This makes it a focused fit for desktop users who value a small browser with local storage and straightforward controls over a larger ecosystem.
The main trade-off is compatibility. Dillo does not support JavaScript, and the published feature set does not include cross-device synchronization. Sites that depend on scripts, extensive modern HTML or CSS, browser extensions, or synchronized browsing may not fit its approach. Choose Dillo for lightweight access to supported pages, local files, and basic protocols; choose another browser when interactive web applications, broader modern web functionality, or an extension ecosystem are central requirements.
Dillo pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free, open-source browser with a custom real-time rendering engine
- Supports tabs, bookmarks, downloads, images-off browsing, and local files
- Cookies are disabled by default and domain-based content blocking is included
- Where it doesn't
- No JavaScript support limits access to modern interactive websites
- No cross-device synchronization is documented
- No browser extension marketplace or extension support
Dillo fact sheet, pricing and score →
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