Similarly privacy-focused Pale Moon alternatives?

[MarcellaSchneider]

I recently got Pale Moon, and it's a great browser, problem is: I have a difficult time navigating it, the UI is woefully outdated and I haven't used anything like it since 2014ish. Is there anything like Pale Moon with a more modern UI?

[Moonchild]

If you don't like the default UI or theme, you can customize it!
https://addons.palemoon.org/themes/

Alternatively, you can use other browsers building on UXP, like Basilisk.

[Gemmaugr]

Off-topic:

the UI is woefully outdated

Off-topic, but I wanted to see if I could get a clearer description of this "issue". I see similar sentiments expressed in other places, but no one ever wants to articulate just what is "outdated". Especially since I myself find PM much more intuitive and comprehensive than what I see from chromium and firefox Rebuilds.

[Moonchild]

Off-topic:

I see similar sentiments expressed in other places, but no one ever wants to articulate just what is "outdated".

More often than not it's simply rooted in people getting hung up on the fact that our default theme is similar to Firefox 4-28. Since Firefox 4-28 is outdated (and Mozilla has hyped up every re-do of their UI, with fans/Mozillians beating that drum in echo), and having a UI that hasn't followed the mobile-first trend of flat/colourless icons and tons of white space has been labelled as "outdated" by proponents of the Bauhaus of UI design, it's easy to see how some people might get the opinion that it's "outdated" even though they don't really have a concrete reasoning for it.

[Gemmaugr]

Off-topic:

I see similar sentiments expressed in other places, but no one ever wants to articulate just what is "outdated".

More often than not it's simply rooted in people getting hung up on the fact that our default theme is similar to Firefox 4-28. Since Firefox 4-28 is outdated (and Mozilla has hyped up every re-do of their UI, with fans/Mozillians beating that drum in echo), and having a UI that hasn't followed the mobile-first trend of flat/colourless icons and tons of white space has been labelled as "outdated" by proponents of the Bauhaus of UI design, it's easy to see how some people might get the opinion that it's "outdated" even though they don't really have a concrete reasoning for it.

That is certainly a reasonable explanation, and what I expected, although I never do hear that (however differently alluded to) from the horses own mouth.

[ron_1]

Off-topic:
It might be newer, but it's no more modern than the traditional UI.

tradition.jpg

[suzyne]

Several of the Pale Moon themes have an even more retro look (wood grain paneling and trims) than the default! But to give the browser a more modern feel, I like these a lot:

Dark Moon
Maxi4
White Moon

I also turn off the Menu Bar in the preferences.

Clipboard_07-30-2025_01.png

[Pelican]

I never realised that a window view could be so affected by the window frame.

[Night Wing]

I use the "Past Modern Revisited" theme for my linux Pale Moon. I'm one who really does not care whether the theme I use for Pale Moon is modern (flat looking) or classic (old style).

https://addons.palemoon.org/addon/past- ... revisited/

Why?

First. I have customized the look of the PMR theme to my needs, wants and likes. And I use this theme with my two, at the time of this posting, linux distros (MX Linux, Debian).

Second. I mostly stay on my two desktop tower computers and these two computers are used with my 32" external monitor.

Third. With a 32" external monitor, I have lots of horizontal space and this space comes in handy for the many folders on my Bookmarks Toolbar.

I would be "lost" without my Bookmarks Toolbar since I have around 750 bookmarks. Some of the folders on the Bookmarks Toolbar have sub folders in them and some of these sub folders have sub, sub folders in them also. Everything is easily organized so I can find, info wise, what I need quickly and efficiently.

The attachment below shows "my" customized Past Modern Revisited theme.

[Falna]

I see similar sentiments expressed in other places, but no one ever wants to articulate just what is "outdated".

it's easy to see how some people might get the opinion that it's "outdated" even though they don't really have a concrete reasoning for it.

People do judge on appearances though and there is a big gap between the default theme's appearance and current internet / software design trends.
Yes, the default theme is superficial and easily changed, but unfortunately some / many people may turn away before discovering that, so I can understand the OP's reaction.

[Pelican]

People do judge on appearances though and there is a big gap between the default theme's appearance and current internet / software design trends.

I think that it is more a question of good/bad taste.

Personally I don't see any benefit in changing any web browser theme away from the "classic" look.

[suzyne]

I think the current default look for Pale Moon has an important consequence. Because it looks outdated (or as people prefer to say "Classic") it tempers expectations for the new user of Pale Moon.

If the default theme was slick and modern (however you choose to define that), it would unconsciously communicate that this is a browser that's great with slick and modern websites. But as much as I love Pale Moon and as good as it is, I can't seriously make that suggestion.

So the default classic theme is a filter that helps curates those who try it to those who won't mind that it isn't like (or work the same) as every other browser out there.

[moonbat]

Because it looks outdated (or as people prefer to say "Classic") it tempers expectations for the new user of Pale Moon.

Good, I'm not too excited about more normies showing up here with their ChromeZilla tempered expectations, complaining that it isn't a carbon copy of what they had before and absolutely ignoring the basic rules of this forum with regard to requesting for help. Some act entitled as though they're dealing with premium customer support.

[frostknight]

I use the "Past Modern Revisited" theme for my linux Pale Moon. I'm one who really does not care whether the theme I use for Pale Moon is modern (flat looking) or classic (old style).

I use the exact same one myself. I have learned though, I am the opposite of one who doesn't care whether the theme i use is modern looking. I actively HATE modern looking in the sense of mobile and eye candy shiny.

Good, I'm not too excited about more normies showing up here with their ChromeZilla tempered expectations, complaining that it isn't a carbon copy of what they had before and absolutely ignoring the basic rules of this forum with regard to requesting for help. Some act entitled as though they're dealing with premium customer support.

I agree with you on more than than part of this. I don't care for chromezilla crap either. In my reasoning though its more about my hatred towards shiny KDE5/LXQT modern eye candy and mobile device appearances.

Off-topic:
QT desktop environments are also ugly with the exception of trinity desktop and Lumina Desktop (If you change the default wallpaper!)

Modern used to look good, prior to the new millennium... aka, XP and Vista and similar ruined 'modern' Btw, on a site note, the idea of normies makes me gag.

[andyprough]

If the default theme was slick and modern (however you choose to define that), it would unconsciously communicate that this is a browser that's great with slick and modern websites.

You have to define what you mean by 'slick and modern'. Because many (if not all) well-built modern and slick websites which follow established standards work very well with Pale Moon. However, sites that refuse to adhere to established standards might have some significant problems.

[suzyne]

If the default theme was slick and modern (however you choose to define that), it would unconsciously communicate that this is a browser that's great with slick and modern websites.

You have to define what you mean by 'slick and modern'.

Three of the top of my head are Instagram, Reddit (not old!) and BlueSky that I would call slick and modern, but I am very reluctant to say that they work great with Pale Moon.

[Gemmaugr]

If the default theme was slick and modern (however you choose to define that), it would unconsciously communicate that this is a browser that's great with slick and modern websites.

You have to define what you mean by 'slick and modern'.

Three of the top of my head are Instagram, Reddit (not old!) and BlueSky that I would call slick and modern, but I am very reluctant to say that they work great with Pale Moon.

"Slick" and "modern" are perhaps more apt words then one expects. Slick like an oil patch. All pretty rainbow colors on top, but foul underneath. Modern like used in recent times, new trend, fashionable. Form without regards to function.

[Pelican]

Lets not forget that the term "Classic" not only refers to "conservative", but also to good taste that has survived the ages and will continue to survive after all the fluff dissipates.

[andyprough]

Three of the top of my head are Instagram, Reddit (not old!) and BlueSky that I would call slick and modern, but I am very reluctant to say that they work great with Pale Moon.

Well, the first two are very open about the fact that they are selling out any information they can obtain about their users to the highest advertising or AI bidder. That's not really Pale Moon's niche. Pale Moon, while not a privacy extremist browser, has reasonable privacy defaults and reliance on established standards that would probably make it quite difficult for the non-standard data harvesting scripts from reddit and instagram to work well.

BlueSky I know nothing about, but I stopped reading the wikipedia page when I read that it started as a Jack Dorsey project. I'm sure its goals are going to be pretty much the same as Instagram and reddit (i.e., selling out its users for $$$$$$).

If those are prime examples of sites that don't work well with Pale Moon then that's a fantastic advertisement for the fact that Pale Moon is definitely doing something very right, and there's a huge population of users who are looking for exactly such a browser and probably just don't know about Pale Moon yet.

[UCyborg]

Off-topic:
Modern used to look good, prior to the new millennium... aka, XP and Vista and similar ruined 'modern' Btw

Off-topic:
I still like Aero the most. Can't say any other theme moved me. Luna was passable and Windows classic theme looks like it came out of the cemetery. At least that's my view, no idea how (un)common it is.