Pages, not little apps.
Once Plain has the readable page, there is no page script left alive in the background.
Plain
When you want the readable web, browse Plain.
Plain turns articles, docs, blogs, and references into fast, readable pages: no ad-tech, no app shell, just the words, images, and links you came for.
Download the beta
Plain Browser is a native Swift app for macOS.
It is currently ad-hoc signed and not notarized.
The old web was mostly pages.
You clicked, it loaded, you read, you followed the next link. Plain is built for that older rhythm: HTML as source material, the active app layer stripped away, the useful part rebuilt as a native macOS document.
Faster, lighter, more private.
Less ad-tech surface.
Scripts, frames, embeds, trackers, and pop-up machinery are left outside the reading surface.
Faster, smaller, lighter.
In measured runs against Chromium, Plain reached a native document sooner, fetched fewer bytes, and used less estimated energy.
Made for pages you read.
Plain is for articles, docs, essays, recipes, references, blogs, and the next useful link. It is the wrong tool for banking, shopping carts, editors, social feeds, video apps, and JavaScript-only pages. Open those in your regular browser.
A measurable difference.
In the current local benchmark gate against Chromium, Plain text-only reached a native document 61% sooner, fetched 74% fewer bytes, made one median request, executed zero page-script bytes, used 36% less idle-adjusted estimated SoC energy in the measured power run, and packaged in an arm64 beta DMG of about 4.5 MB.
Benchmark and power evidence: 20 URLs, 3 iterations per URL, captured May 14, 2026. Comparative local measurements, not a promise that every page is always faster or lower energy.
FAQ
Is Plain a full browser replacement?
No. Plain is intentionally narrow. Your regular browser remains the right tool for complex web apps.
Does Plain block ads?
Plain is not an ad blocker bolted onto a browser. It removes the scripts, frames, embeds, trackers, and pop-up machinery that many ads depend on, then builds the readable document from what remains.
Does Plain support images?
Yes. Plain can fetch first-party images, or run in true text-only mode when images are off before loading.
What happens when a page needs JavaScript?
If a page needs forms, dashboards, login flows, or a rich runtime, Plain can hand it off to your default browser.
What if a readable page looks wrong?
Use Plain's Report Page Issue action, email hello@browseplain.com, or open a GitHub issue. The most useful reports include the page URL, what looked wrong, and a screenshot if possible.
Does Plain track browsing?
No. There is no product telemetry, account system, sync service, remote AI call, or analytics script.
Is Plain open source?
Yes. Plain is a 1.0 beta native Swift app with source available on GitHub.