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In recent years, there has been growing concern about the dominance of a few major companies in the web browser market, often referred to as the browser monoculture. Many lament the sheer complexity of web specifications, which have grown so large and intricate that only a handful of companies possess the resources and expertise to build browsers from scratch. However, these complaints might miss the fundamental issue. Even if the web platform were simpler and had a smaller API surface, building a large-scale browser with significant market share remains nearly impossible. The reason lies not in technology but in business incentives. Without control over an operating system or a major search engine, there is little motivation or financial incentive to invest heavily in building a browser, as it does not generate direct revenue. This explains why WebKit is primarily driven by Apple to support Safari on their hardware, and Chromium is backed by Google to bolster their search engine dominance. Even Microsoft’s Edge browser was a strategic move to maintain presence in its own ecosystem rather than a standalone commercial success.
The problem with browser monoculture is not merely technical but strategic and economic. Attempts to create a new browser face competition from tech giants who invest billions in a product considered a commodity, with no direct profit stream. Even if an independent team were to create a fully compliant new browser, the lack of market share would render the effort effectively futile. This dynamic stifles the development of alternative operating systems, as a modern OS requires a full-featured browser to be truly usable. The analogy to launching an OS without an app store is apt; without mainstream browsers, new platforms struggle to attract users or developers. Alternative approaches, such as embracing smaller web protocols like Gemini or the so-called "smol web," have been proposed, but these solutions either exclude the majority of users or fail to address the root causes of problems like spam and tracking on the current web.
The Gemini protocol, for example, aims to create a tracker-free, spam-free subset of the internet by enforcing strict limitations. However, its exclusionary nature and insularity limit its appeal and real-world impact. By diverging from the mainstream web standards, Gemini risks becoming an isolated niche rather than a viable alternative. While the ideals behind Gemini are commendable, focusing on social enforcement of privacy rather than purely technical solutions, it does not solve the underlying issues that transformed the web into what many call a cesspool of spam and tracking abuses.
Despite these challenges and the practical impossibility of capturing significant market share, the author argues for the value of building new browsers. Demonstrating this, a minimalist browser was created in under 1000 lines of TypeScript code. Although not fully spec-compliant, this prototype handles a useful subset of HTML and CSS, rendering basic page elements like links, lists, paragraphs, and images. The approach here is pragmatic: by relaxing constraints and aiming for simplicity rather than full compliance, many seemingly complex problems become manageable. The prototype relies on the host browser only for graphics and networking, which a standalone application would typically delegate to the operating system. This exercise proves that creating a functional browser is possible for individuals or small teams, at least on a basic level, and opens the door to innovation that does not require billion-dollar budgets.
In summary, the state of web browsers is shaped more by business realities than technical limitations. While the browser market remains a monoculture dominated by a few giants, building new browsers remains a worthwhile challenge. It pushes innovation, explores alternative design choices, and could foster new platforms in the future. Meanwhile, alternative protocols like Gemini, while socially meaningful, have limited potential to replace the web as we know it. The best path forward may involve embracing simplicity, leveraging existing technology, and focusing on incremental improvements rather than seeking to overthrow entrenched incumbents.
