[Feature Request] Former Windows user requesting Horizon Browser for Linux

[hossaindev]

Hello developers,

Thank you for building Horizon Browser — the design and features are truly impressive!

I recently switched to Linux (Zorin OS) from Windows last month. I used to use Horizon Browser on Windows and really enjoyed its clean interface and performance. However, since there is no Linux version available, I’m unable to use it on my current system.

Would you consider developing a Linux-native version (GTK, Qt, or even Electron-based)? Even a limited early version would be helpful, and I’d be happy to test and provide feedback.

Thank you again for your hard work — I hope to see Horizon on Linux in the near future!

Best regards,
hossaindev

[Pinguin2001]

Hey there,
I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed Horizon on Windows, it means a lot to me!
While I'd love to have a cross-platform version of Horizon for Windows, Linux and macOS, it sadly doesn't seem feasable for now.

That said, I have explored some cross-platform toolkits, with quite a lot of blockers..:

Electron: While it's popular for cross-platform apps, it goes against what Horizon is, a truly native browser for Windows 11 (which is alongside Arc the only one, and if you count the old iteration of Bluebird, the first one)
=> Blocker: Large bundle size, harder MSIX packaging, and non-native UI.

Tauri: Smaller and more lightweight than Electron. I liked the potential here, and I might use it for other apps in the future.
=> Blocker: No built-in WebView component that could support website rendering.

GTK: Seems like a solid choice with a similar language (Vala is quite similar to C#)
=> Blocker: Not the best support on Windows and I'd have to learn a new toolchain

Uno Platform: This is probably the most promising option I've seen. It should support everything that Horizon needs (OnionMedia for example runs on Linux this way) but there's still work needed to make it viable for a proper Linux and macOS version.

I'd love to bring Horizon to Linux and macOS, but realistically, it's unlikely to happen this year. I really appreciate your offer to test and provide feedback, many thanks!

Greetings,
Julian Hasreiter