System-wide ad-blocking and privacy protection for your entire computer
75k+ downloads 3.7k+ GitHub stars
- Blocks ads and trackers across all browsers and many apps
- Works quietly in the background – no extensions needed
- Free, open source, and privacy-respecting
Available for
Works with
Free · Open source · No account required
Why Zen?
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Powerful built-in filters
Pre-configured filter lists for ads, tracking, and security, plus regional lists for your language or country. Add your own lists and rules – Zen supports all popular filter list formats.
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Replaces many tools with one
One app instead of extensions, hosts files, and manual setup. Works automatically across all browsers and many desktop apps.
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Privacy without trade-offs
Free and open source. Fast and lightweight, with zero tracking or data collection.
Downloads
Windows
Unsure which version to download? Click on 'Start' and type 'View processor info'. The 'System type' field under 'Device specifications' will tell you which one you need.
macOS
Unsure which version to download? Learn at Apple's website.
Linux
Automatic proxy configuration is supported on GNOME- and KDE-based desktop environments.
Community
Questions, issues, or feedback? Join our Discord server to get help from maintainers and other users, share feedback, and stay up to date with releases. If you'd like to contribute, you can also report bugs, suggest features, or submit code on GitHub.
FAQ
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Why does Zen need to install a certificate?
During the first run, Zen may prompt you to install a local root certificate. This enables HTTPS filtering so Zen can block ads and trackers on encrypted connections. The certificate is generated locally on your device and never leaves it. All traffic is processed on your machine – no data is sent to any servers.
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Does Zen work with a VPN?
Yes. Zen works with any VPN on Windows and Linux, and with most VPNs on macOS. If you experience issues, please reach out on Discord or other community channels for help.
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Which apps does Zen work with?
Zen works with all major browsers – including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, and Brave – as well as many desktop applications that use the system's network settings. Some apps with custom networking or strict certificate pinning may bypass filtering or require additional configuration.
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Does Zen slow down my computer or internet?
Zen is designed to be efficient and lightweight. All filtering happens locally on your device, and for most users the performance impact is negligible. In many cases, blocking ads and trackers can actually improve page load times and reduce data usage.
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Can Zen break websites or apps?
Like any ad-blocking tool, Zen can occasionally interfere with certain sites or apps. When that happens, you can easily disable filtering for a specific site, or adjust the filter lists. Zen aims to minimize breakage while giving you control when needed.
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How is Zen different from browser ad-blockers?
Browser ad-blockers operate within a single browser and only affect traffic inside that browser. Zen runs at the system level, allowing it to apply the same filtering rules across all browsers and supported desktop apps – including applications that embed web content or perform unwanted background tracking.
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How is Zen different from DNS-level ad-blockers?
DNS-level ad-blockers work by blocking entire domains before a connection is made. This approach is simple and fast, but it cannot distinguish between ads and legitimate content served from the same domain.
Zen operates at the HTTP(S) level, which allows it to inspect requests and responses and apply more precise filtering rules. This enables finer-grained blocking with fewer false positives and capabilities that are not possible at the DNS level.