Helium

Helium is a privacy-first, open-source web browser built on Chromium that blocks ads, trackers, and third-party cookies by default. It aims to provide a fast, minimal, and non-invasive browsing experience with features like native !bangs, split view, and support for all Chromium extensions. The project publishes builds and source code on GitHub and provides self-hostable services so users can control data and updates.

• Default privacy protections — Blocks ads, trackers, phishing sites, and third-party cookies out of the box so no extra configuration is required to get basic privacy.
• uBlock Origin and community filters — Uses community filters and ships with uBlock Origin integration to extend blocking capabilities; enable or adjust filters from the extension or settings panel.
• Native !bangs — Type bangs (for example, !w for Wikipedia or !gh for GitHub) directly in the address bar to jump to sites or start AI chats without sending prompts externally; use the bangs list in the UI to browse available shortcuts.
• Split view and productivity shortcuts — Open pages side-by-side with split view and use quick-copy shortcuts (e.g., ⌘+Shift+C) to speed up workflows; enable split view from the window menu or toolbar actions.
• Chromium extension compatibility — Supports all Chromium extensions (including MV2) and anonymizes extension store requests to protect privacy; install extensions from the browser and manage them in the extensions page.
• Open source with self-hosting — All parts of the browser and online services are open source and can be self-hosted; obtain builds or source from the project repository and follow platform packaging instructions.

Get started by downloading a build for your platform, importing data from another browser in one click, and reviewing the bangs list to customize quick navigation and AI integrations.