Welcome to Aeon Browser
Aeon Browser is a privacy-first, AI-native web browser built from the ground up on a Chromium foundation. This developer documentation covers everything you need to understand, build, and contribute to the project.
What is Aeon?
Aeon isn't just another Chromium skin — it's a full browser engine architecture with custom components designed for:
- 🔒 Radical Privacy — Built-in ad blocking, tracker prevention, and fingerprint resistance at the engine level
- 🤖 AI Integration — Gemini + local LLM support for smart tab grouping, page summarization, and context-aware browsing
- ⚡ Performance — Optimized process management, lazy resource loading, and memory-efficient tab handling
- 🧩 Extensibility — Full Manifest V3 support plus Aeon-specific APIs for deeper browser integration
Architecture Overview
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Aeon Shell │
│ (C++ / Win32 / UI Layer) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Aeon Engine DLL │
│ ┌─────────┬──────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Privacy │ AI │ Extensions │ │
│ │ Engine │ Bridge │ API │ │
│ └─────────┴──────────┴──────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Chromium Embedded Framework │
│ (CEF / Blink / V8) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Quick Links
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Architecture | How Aeon is structured |
| Building from Source | Set up your dev environment |
| Contributing | Contribution guidelines |
| Dev Blog | Engineering updates and releases |
| Main Site | Product landing page |
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Browser Core | Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) |
| Engine | Custom C++ DLL (aeon_engine.dll) |
| UI Shell | Win32 / C++ native |
| AI | Google Gemini API + local LLM fallback |
| Build System | CMake + Ninja |
| Docs | Docusaurus 3 |
Getting Started
:::tip Prerequisites
- OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- Build Tools: Visual Studio 2022+, CMake 3.20+
- Node.js: 20+ (for dev-site) :::
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/AeonBrowserDev/aeon-browser.git
# Build the engine
cd aeon-browser
cmake -B build -G Ninja
cmake --build build --config Release
# Run Aeon
./build/Release/aeon.exe
Project Status
Aeon Browser is currently in active development (pre-alpha). The core browser shell is functional with basic navigation. The engine integration, privacy features, and AI capabilities are being built out.