We recently came across two lovely reviews of Horse Browser, shared online by Beth McClelland and Réka Writes. Both Réka and Beth are researchers, who enjoy deep-diving online and getting lost down internet rabbit holes. Their personal writing is well worth a read.

As a two-person team, trying to build Horse Browser from scratch, hearing that people are enjoying using our browser keep us motivated. These reviews from Beth and Reka, in particular, really mean a lot to us.

Beth talks a lot about how grounding Horse Browser feels. This is a feeling that we’ve always felt ourselves, whenever we open up Horse Browser, but found it difficult to articulate or explain to people. There’s something about using Trails that helps keep you calm and grounded in the present moment.

Beth also explains the value of paid-for tech tools and supporting indie projects. We often get queries (and sometimes outright complaints!) about being a paid-for browser. We firmly believe that when software isn’t free, there is always a hidden cost for the user. Big corporations make money through advertising and selling users’ data. Horse Browser is a user-supported browser. We want to remain independent, without any VC, so we can focus on building a good product. We want the direction of the browser to be swayed by what users actually want, not by investors.

And we want your data to be private and protected that’s why we created a built-in ad blocker. We know it can feel a stretch to pay for software sometimes but when it’s a tool that helps you, the value becomes worthwhile.

Writing about her experience on the Trail, Réka describes Horse Browser as “cozyweb”. A description that couldn’t make us happier!

We love all things cozy here. And, when we first started testing Horse Browser, we also noticed that we were spending less time doom-scrolling or getting aimlessly caught up in internet noise. Something about Trails helps you keep control online.

Both Réka and Beth’s reviews really capture what we’ve been hoping to build with Horse Browser. Take a full read here and here.