Still using Firefox — but not because of its vision

For years I have been using Firefox as my primary browser. Not out of ideology or nostalgia, but because it did the job well enough and stayed out of the way. Lately, however, I have been increasingly uncomfortable with where Firefox is heading — and yet I am still using it.

This post is about why.

Firefox’s new direction

In December 2025, Mozilla made it clear that Firefox is entering an “AI browser” phase. New built‑in AI features, assistants, and AI‑driven workflows are now part of the official roadmap. Mozilla has been careful to stress that these features are optional and that users will be able to fully disable them, but the strategic direction is obvious: AI is no longer an experiment, it is a pillar.

I am not fundamentally opposed to AI features. What bothers me is that this shift does not address the core reasons many long‑time users stayed with Firefox in the first place: practical tooling, strong primitives, and workflow flexibility. None of that improves by calling the browser “AI‑first”.

And yet, I am still here.

The one feature that keeps me on Firefox

Firefox has a single feature that no other mainstream browser truly replaces: Multi‑Account Containers.

Containers allow tabs to be isolated from each other at the session level. Cookies, local storage, logins, and sessions are separated per container, while still living inside a single browser window. This is not a cosmetic feature. It fundamentally changes how you can work.

For my daily workflow, this means:

• Multiple accounts on the same service, logged in at the same time
• Tabs side by side in one window
• No profile switching
• No logging out and back in
• No separate windows cluttering the desktop

A concrete example: I can have Client A’s Jira open right next to Client B’s Jira in the same window, fully isolated, clearly color‑coded, and always correct. This is not possible to achieve cleanly in Chromium‑based browsers.

Why browser profiles are not a solution

Chromium browsers solve multi‑account use with profiles. Profiles work, but they come with unavoidable trade‑offs:

• Separate windows
• Separate taskbar entries
• Separate mental contexts

Profiles force you to switch environments. Containers let you compose environments. That difference matters when you work with multiple clients, services, and identities at the same time.

I do not want my work browser in one window and my personal browser in another. I want them next to each other, visible, controlled, and explicit. Containers make that possible.

Trying to leave Firefox

I have tried.

I tested several Firefox forks to see if I could escape Firefox without losing this workflow.

• Zen felt opinionated in ways that did not match my habits, especially around vertical tabs.
• Floorp is impressive for a largely single‑maintainer project, but its features do not meaningfully improve my setup.
• Waterfox feels slightly off — hard to quantify.
• LibreWolf goes further than I want. It requires tuning down, not up.

Ungoogled Chromium was fast, clean, and surprisingly pleasant — but the moment I needed multiple sessions for the same service, the lack of containers became a hard stop.

Containers should be a first‑class concept

The need to be logged into the same service multiple times is not exotic. It is normal for freelancers, consultants, developers, and anyone working with multiple organizations.

Despite that, container‑style isolation remains:

• Firefox‑only
• Mostly hidden behind an extension
• Treated as a privacy feature rather than a workflow primitive

This is a mistake. Containers are not about paranoia or tracking prevention. They are about control and clarity.

Stuck, not loyal

I am still using Firefox.

Not because I like its current direction. Not because of AI features. Not because I trust the roadmap.

I am using Firefox because Multi‑Account Containers solve a real, everyday problem that no other browser solves properly.

Until another browser offers per‑tab identity isolation inside a single window, I am not choosing Firefox — I am stuck with it.