Vela Browser 1.0 · Linux & Windows

The web,
without the noise.

A fast, private, Chromium-powered browser with real tabs, built-in tracking protection, and a calm interface that stays out of your way. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry.

Download Vela for Linux Explore features

AppImage for 64-bit Linux · Free to use · Version 1.0.1

  • No accounts
  • No telemetry
  • Data stays local

Everything you need

A real browser. A quieter default.

Vela is not a mockup or a wrapper. It is a full desktop browser with a Chromium engine underneath and a deliberate, human interface on top.

Tabs that behave like tabs

Open, close, reorder, duplicate, mute, and restore tabs. Links can open in the background. Closed tabs come back with a shortcut. Every tab has its own real browsing session.

Protection on by default

Filter lists block common trackers and ad domains before they load. See what was blocked per page and add site exceptions only when you choose.

27 blocked on this page

Private windows, properly

Each private window gets a temporary session. Cookies, cache, storage, and download history are cleared when the last private window closes.

Ephemeral session

Your search, your choice

Pick Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, Brave, Startpage, or a custom template. The address bar resolves URLs and searches without a detour.

Bookmarks and history that stay put

Folders, a bookmarks toolbar, searchable history, and one-click clearing. All stored on this computer, not on someone else's server.

Shortcuts you can actually change

Twenty-six browser actions are rebindable from one clean screen. Press the keys you want; Vela warns about conflicts and swaps them safely. No hidden configuration files.

A quieter kind of private

Your browsing belongs to you.

Vela has no account system, no sync service, no analytics endpoint, and no advertising business model. The browser works for you and then gets out of the way.

  • Local by design. History, bookmarks, settings, and downloads live in your local profile.
  • Nothing to sign into. No email address, no account, no cloud backup, no telemetry.
  • Do Not Track and GPC. Send DNT and Global Privacy Control signals when you enable them.
  • Clean exits. Choose whether cookies, cache, and site data are cleared when Vela quits.

Private browsing hides local traces; it does not hide your activity from your network, employer, or the websites you visit.

Muscle memory, respected

Keep the keys you already know.

Vela starts with familiar browser shortcuts, then lets you rewrite all of them. Open the shortcuts page, choose an action, and press the new combination. If it is already taken, Vela swaps the two actions instead of silently breaking one.

26 configurable actionsTabs, navigation, bookmarks, tools Try it
New tabCtrlT
Reopen closed tabCtrlShiftT
Private windowCtrlShiftN
Find in pageCtrlF
Bookmark this pageCtrlD
Open downloadsCtrlJ
Clear browsing dataCtrlShiftDel

On macOS, use ⌘ in place of Ctrl.

Version 1.0.1

Take Vela for a spin.

Download the full desktop browser. The Linux build ships as an AppImage and a portable tar.gz archive. Windows gets a portable ZIP that runs without an installer.

1.0stable release
Linux AppImage Recommended 64-bit · x86_64 · ~122 MB · No install required Linux tar.gz 64-bit · x86_64 · ~116 MB · Portable archive Windows portable Windows 10 / 11 · 64-bit · ~148 MB · Portable ZIP

Install in a minute

  1. 1
    Download

    Save the build that matches your computer.

  2. 2
    Make it executable

    On Linux: chmod +x Vela-Browser-*.AppImage

  3. 3
    Open Vela

    Run the AppImage, extract either archive, and launch Vela Browser.

Verify your download

Compare the SHA-256 checksum after downloading. Vela does not phone home, so verification happens on your machine.

Show SHA-256 checksums
Linux AppImage 10edc2aa2388cd3a1f4d5d50939ebefdf0adc9aa5bcf07faf94257d0c7c70f11
Linux tar.gz 9d8591760c6105d1a13935b0e2f040113298e3a42c12ab7ae986c097ad7cb838
Windows ZIP 4b565cdb2cffbc198f599ca651d84d31ce04703a6533f2080d10d4ffafa4b219

Windows builds are not code-signed, so SmartScreen may warn when you first run Vela. Verify the checksum before continuing.

System requirements Linux x64, glibc-based distribution Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit 4 GB RAM · 500 MB free disk

Good questions

Before you download

Is Vela a Firefox fork?

No. Vela is an independent desktop browser built on the Chromium engine through Electron. Its interface is inspired by classic browser design — tabs, a compact toolbar, a bookmarks bar — but the code and branding are original. Vela is not affiliated with Mozilla or Firefox.

Where is my browsing data stored?

In Vela's local profile on your computer. Bookmarks, history, settings, permissions, and download records never leave the machine. Private windows use a separate temporary session that is cleared when the window closes.

Does Vela block every ad and tracker?

No blocker catches everything. Vela uses maintained filter lists and a built-in fallback list, and it may occasionally miss new or first-party tracking. You can turn protection off for a specific site when it breaks something.

Why is the download so large?

Vela bundles a complete Chromium runtime so it can browse the modern web without depending on another browser being installed. That is what makes real tabs, HTTPS, downloads, and site isolation possible.

Does private browsing make me anonymous?

No. Private windows remove local traces such as cookies, cache, and history when they close. Your network, employer, and the websites you visit can still see your traffic. Use a trusted VPN or Tor Browser if you need network-level anonymity.

How do updates work?

Vela 1.0 is a manual download. Check this page for newer builds and verify the checksum before replacing an older copy. There is no background updater and no update telemetry.