Browser Laptop is a free, open source desktop browser for Windows, macOS and Linux, built on the older Muon version of Brave. It is intended for developers, researchers and curious users who want to study or build on the early Brave codebase rather than for everyday browsing.
Read this before you install anything: the project is deprecated. Its last code update was on April 10, 2019, and the Muon line has a single Release channel, while the Beta and Developer channels have already moved to brave-core. Browser Laptop for Windows remains available as a ready-made build and as public source code, but it should be treated as a historical reference rather than a maintained daily browser. Below we explain what the project offers, how to install it, and what to weigh before relying on it.
What Is the Muon Version of Brave?
Brave's desktop browser was once built on Muon, a fork of Electron. Electron is a framework that lets developers build desktop applications with web technologies, and a fork lets a project carry its own changes on top of the upstream framework. Browser Laptop is the program that packages this older Muon line for desktop users.
The Muon line is now a legacy branch. The project says it will be deprecated as development moves to brave-core, the newer code base that the Beta and Developer channels already use. For readers, the practical meaning is simple: the Muon build is a snapshot of an earlier architecture, not the current direction of the Brave browser.
If you are comparing versions, look at how the code is organized rather than only at version numbers. The latest version listed for Browser Laptop is v0.27.3, and it reflects a codebase whose last update arrived in April 2019.
Who Is Browser Laptop For?
The program suits a narrow group of readers rather than the general public. Its most natural audience is made up of developers who want to read a real, shipped desktop browser built on Electron-style architecture. Studying how the shell, the interface and the browser features connect can be instructive for anyone learning desktop development.
Contributors and translators form a second group. The repository includes guidance on contributing, styling, testing and localization, so people who want to practice on an established project have a clear starting point. Even if the codebase is no longer the main development line, the documentation remains a worked example of how a larger open source browser project is organized.
Researchers and journalists who follow the history of Brave may also find the program useful. Comparing the Muon release with the newer brave-core line shows how the project changed its foundations. Readers who simply want a daily browser, however, will be better served by a current, maintained release.
Why Open Source Code Matters in a Browser
Open source means the code can be read, copied and modified under the project's license. For a browser, which processes web pages, cookies and login forms, that transparency is valuable. Security researchers and curious developers can examine how data moves through the program, and they can report problems publicly.
Open source does not automatically mean safe, though. Public code can still contain bugs, and an unmaintained project may never receive fixes for issues found after its final update. Readers should therefore treat source visibility as one signal among several, alongside the project's activity, its download channels and the checksum of the file they install.
A practical way to think about this is to separate the ability to inspect a program from the decision to trust it. Inspecting the source is a skill that takes time, but even a casual look at the repository can reveal whether the project is active, whether issues are being discussed and whether a deprecation notice is present. Those details matter as much as the license.
Key features
Publicly available source code
Contributor guidelines
Styling documentation
Testing instructions
Debugging guide
Translation and localization help
Linux installation guide
How to install Browser Laptop on Windows
- 1
Get the program from an official source
Download only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page of the project. Avoid mirror sites and repackaged installers, even if they appear high in search results, because they can contain modified files. Choose the Windows build or installer, and save it to a folder you can easily find.
- 2
Check the file before running it
Look in the release notes for a SHA-256 checksum or a signature. On Windows, you can compute the hash with PowerShell's Get-FileHash command and compare the result with the published value. If the values do not match, delete the file and do not run it.
- 3
Run the installer
Launch the installer or the Windows build and follow the on-screen prompts. Accept the default installation folder unless you have a specific reason to change it. The prerequisites listed in the repository, such as Node.js or npm, apply to building from source and are not needed for the ready-made program.
-
Start the browser and review the status
Open the program once to confirm that it starts and displays a window. Because the Muon line is deprecated and has only a Release channel, check the GitHub repository for notices before relying on it for anything long term. Keep your Windows system and other browsers up to date as usual.
How to use Browser Laptop
Browser Laptop works like most desktop browsers, so the basics are straightforward. The steps below help you test it safely and avoid surprises, especially because the project is no longer actively developed.
- Start the program from the Start menu or the shortcut you created during installation.
- Click the address bar and type the address of a simple, public website, such as a documentation page you already know.
- Confirm that the page loads correctly, including images and links, before you try anything more complicated.
- Open a second page to check that navigation between pages behaves as you expect.
- Avoid logging in to banking, email or cryptocurrency accounts until you have decided that this older build meets your needs.
- If you plan to study the source code, read the documentation files in the repository, starting with the contributing guide and the testing notes.
- Close the browser and reopen it to confirm that it starts cleanly on your machine.
Keep these tests short. Their purpose is to show whether the program runs and behaves predictably on your hardware, not to replace a current browser for everyday tasks.
Pros & cons
- Free to download and use
- Open source, with the code publicly available on GitHub
- Documentation for contributors covers styling, testing, debugging and translations
- Includes a Linux installation guide for readers on other platforms
- The project states its deprecation status openly, which helps readers make an informed choice
- The project is deprecated, and its last code update was on April 10, 2019
- Only the Release channel remains for the Muon line; development has moved to brave-core
- Not a suitable daily browser for readers who expect ongoing updates
- Built on the older Muon and Electron-based architecture rather than the current codebase
- Limited value for ordinary users who want the newest browser features
Is Browser Laptop safe?
Browser Laptop is a web browser, so treat it with the same care as any program that handles web traffic and possibly sensitive data. Get the file only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page, and never from third-party download sites. Compare the file's SHA-256 checksum with the value published by the project, or verify its signature, before running the installer.
Because the project is deprecated and has not had a code update since April 2019, use extra caution. Do not use it for cryptocurrency transactions or for any task involving money. Never enter a seed phrase on a website or into a program you have not verified, and never share one with anyone. Before installing, check the latest version on the official website, since the project's status may have changed.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/brave/browser-laptop. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Browser Laptop is a general desktop browser, so it is different from most of the programs listed in this catalog. Messaging tools such as Iris Chat, Session Desktop and Loquaz focus on private conversations, while Browser Laptop focuses on browsing the web. Matterbridge is a bridging tool for chat platforms, and Wasmer runs applications in sandboxes, so neither competes directly with a browser.
TON Browser is the closest comparison. It is a native browser built for the TON network, whereas Browser Laptop is a general-purpose browser derived from Brave's older Muon line. If your goal is to work with a specific blockchain network, a network-focused browser may suit you better. If you want a broad desktop browser to study or test, Browser Laptop covers that role, with the caveat that it is no longer maintained.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- v0.27.3
- Last update
- 10 Apr 2019
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/brave/browser-laptop
Frequently asked questions
No, the project is deprecated. Its last code update was on April 10, 2019, and the Muon line has only a Release channel left, while the Beta and Developer channels have moved to brave-core. Treat the program as a legacy build. If you need a browser that receives current development, look at the newer brave-core based line instead.
The code is public on GitHub, which lets people review it, but public code is not a guarantee of safety. Get the file from the official website or the GitHub Releases page, check its SHA-256 checksum or signature, and avoid third-party download sites. Because the project is no longer actively updated, use extra caution and do not rely on it for sensitive tasks.
Yes, Browser Laptop is free, and it is an open source project. You do not pay to download the Windows build or installer. Free software still needs to be verified before installation, and the project's deprecated status matters more than the price when you decide whether it fits your needs.
Yes. The project lists Windows support and offers a Windows build or installer, alongside macOS and Linux. The project also lists Android and iOS among its platforms. For a Windows PC, use the Windows package from the official download source and follow the installation steps on this page.
You use it like any desktop browser: open the program, type an address into the address bar and load a page. Start with a non-sensitive website to see how it behaves on your machine. The step-by-step guide on this page walks through first use and a few safe checks you can run before deciding how much to rely on it.
It is closely related. Browser Laptop is the older Muon version of Brave's desktop browser, while the newer Brave line runs on brave-core. The two share a project history, but they are different code bases, so a current Brave release is not the same program as this deprecated build.
No. Tools such as Node.js, npm and Python appear in the repository's development instructions for building from source. The ready-made Windows build or installer does not require them. Install the program from the official download source, and only consider a build-from-source setup if you plan to work on the code yourself.
Verdict
Browser Laptop for Windows suits people who want to study, test or contribute to the older Muon line of Brave's desktop browser. It is free, open source and documented for developers, which makes it a useful reference. It is not a good choice for everyday browsing, because the project is deprecated and its last code update dates to April 2019. If you want a current browser from the same family, look at the newer brave-core line. If you need a browser built around a specific network, compare the alternatives in this catalog before deciding.