arthurmoorgan/drift

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

★ 6JavaScriptAudience · generalComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Drift Browser))
    What It Does
      Desktop browser Windows
      Vertical tabs
      Web apps panel
    Privacy Tools
      Ad blocker
      Password vault
      Hardened sessions
    AI Assistant
      Claude API
      Bring your own key
      Streams responses
    Tech Stack
      Electron
      Chromium engine
      Node.js

mindmap root((Drift Browser)) What It Does Desktop browser Windows Vertical tabs Web apps panel Privacy Tools Ad blocker Password vault Hardened sessions AI Assistant Claude API Bring your own key Streams responses Tech Stack Electron Chromium engine Node.js

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Use Drift as a privacy-focused Windows desktop browser with ad blocking and an encrypted password vault built in.

USE CASE 2

Keep social apps like WhatsApp and Discord open in a slide-out panel with separate logins while you browse normally.

USE CASE 3

Chat with a Claude AI assistant on the browser's new-tab page using your own Anthropic API key.

What is it built with?

JavaScriptElectronChromiumNode.jsHTMLCSS

How does it compare?

	arthurmoorgan/drift	lukeed/editor-lite	masilvasol/stremio-lacartoons
Stars	6	6	6
Language	JavaScript	JavaScript	JavaScript
Last pushed	—	2016-11-05	—
Maintenance	—	Dormant	—
Setup difficulty	moderate	easy	moderate
Complexity	2/5	2/5	2/5
Audience	general	developer	general

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Windows only, requires Node.js LTS installed on your machine.

The browser's own code is MIT licensed. The bundled uBlock Origin ad blocker is separately licensed under GPLv3.

In plain English

Drift is a desktop web browser for Windows, built on Electron (a framework that packages web technologies into a native application using a real Chromium engine, the same one that powers Google Chrome). It is described as calm and private, with a frosted-glass visual style: seven color themes and a minimal default appearance that keeps clutter out of the way. The browser uses vertical tabs rather than the traditional horizontal tab row at the top. A side rail holds the address bar, pinned tab icons, and quick access to tools. There is also a slide-out web app panel that lets you keep Instagram, WhatsApp, Discord, TikTok, and similar sites open in their own isolated sessions alongside your normal browsing. Privacy and security features include a built-in ad blocker powered by uBlock Origin, which is downloaded automatically when you install the app. There is also an encrypted password vault with autofill and a hardened security model for the Chromium sessions running inside the browser. There is a built-in AI assistant on the new-tab page. It uses Anthropic's Claude API, and you supply your own API key. Once you paste the key in once, it is stored only in the app's local data folder and is never exposed to any web page. Replies stream in token by token as you type. The default model is Claude Haiku 4.5, with Sonnet and Opus available in settings. Running from source requires Node.js on Windows. You clone the repository, run npm install (which also fetches uBlock Origin), and then npm start to open the browser. Building a distributable produces either a Windows installer or a single portable executable file. The project's own code is MIT licensed. The bundled uBlock Origin ad blocker is separately licensed under GPLv3.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I want to run Drift browser from source on Windows. Walk me through cloning the repo, installing dependencies with npm install, and starting the app with npm start.

Prompt 2

How does Drift store and protect my Anthropic API key? Explain where the key is saved, how AI calls go through the Electron main process, and why the key never touches a web page.

Prompt 3

I want to build a distributable Windows installer for Drift using electron-builder. What command do I run and what files does npm run dist produce?

Prompt 4

Drift defaults to Claude Haiku for its AI assistant. How do I switch to Sonnet or Opus in the browser settings?

Frequently asked questions

What is drift?

A Windows desktop browser built on Electron with vertical tabs, an encrypted password vault, built-in ad blocking, and a Claude AI assistant that runs on your own API key.

What language is drift written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Electron, Chromium.

What license does drift use?

The browser's own code is MIT licensed. The bundled uBlock Origin ad blocker is separately licensed under GPLv3.

How hard is drift to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is drift for?

Mainly general.

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