Monday, December 1, 2025

Ask HN: Should We Choose an Open-Source AI Browser Extension or a Fully Private Chromium Fork?

Unlock the Future of Browsing with Vibe 🚀

I’m excited to share my journey as a solo founder crafting Vibe, an innovative 3-tier AI copilot system transforming the user experience. Our offerings include:

  • Chrome Extension: Currently the MVP, enabling essential API commands.
  • Chromium Fork: A full browser with a native AI copilot for enhanced functionality.
  • Playwright Agent: Provides headless browsing with comprehensive access to the DOM and an accessibility tree.

Key Insights:

  • The extension has limitations in context, while our browser and Playwright agent unlock full power.
  • I’m at a crossroads: open-source the extension for traction or maintain a closed ecosystem to protect future value.

Options on the table:

  1. Source-available extension (public code, but no forks).
  2. Open-source only the extension SDK for integration.
  3. Keep everything closed and launch the browser beta first.

What do you think? 🤔

👉 Join the conversation, share your thoughts, and let’s shape the future of browsing together!

Source link

Share

Read more

Local News