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Browser Extensions · head to head

HTTPS Everywhere vs Mozilla Firefox

HTTPS Everywhere logo

HTTPS Everywhere

Browser Extensions

Encrypt the web automatically

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mozilla Firefox logo

Mozilla Firefox

Technology

An independent web browser with its own rendering engine, funded almost entirely by search placement deals.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HTTPS Everywhere product discontinued as of January 2023; Mozilla Firefox roughly 85 per cent of Mozilla's revenue comes from search default placement deals, overwhelmingly with Google, so the organisation that competes with Chrome depends on Chrome's owner for its funding and any renegotiation lands on Firefox's engineering budget within a quarter.
  • They diverge on capability: HTTPS Everywhere covers Automatic HTTPS, Mozilla Firefox covers Gecko engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HTTPS Everywhere and Mozilla Firefox actually diverge.

Attributes where HTTPS Everywhere and Mozilla Firefox differ
AttributeHTTPS EverywhereMozilla Firefox
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, Edge, OperaWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsTechnology
Founded19902004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HTTPS Everywhere

  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Encryption enforcement
  • Rule-based upgrading
  • Observatory integration
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

Only in Mozilla Firefox

  • Gecko engine
  • Full webRequest blocking
  • Total Cookie Protection
  • Container tabs
  • Extended Support Release
  • policies.json and ADMX
  • Built-in developer tools
  • Firefox Sync

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HTTPS Everywhere

  • Forcing encrypted HTTPS connections on websites that support itnot Mozilla Firefox
  • Preventing eavesdropping and content hijacking on unsecured networksnot Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox

  • Web development where you need to test against a non-Chromium engine before shipping, because Chromium-only testing hides real bugsnot HTTPS Everywhere
  • Users who require a full-strength content blocker, which Chrome's Manifest V3 no longer permitsnot HTTPS Everywhere
  • Managed fleets that need a browser on a slow release cadence with Group Policy control, using the ESR channelnot HTTPS Everywhere
  • Handling several accounts on the same service at once through container tabs, without separate profiles or private windowsnot HTTPS Everywhere

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HTTPS Everywhere

  • Product discontinued as of January 2023
  • Functionality now built into all modern browsers natively
  • No longer receives security updates or maintenance

Mozilla Firefox

  • Roughly 85 per cent of Mozilla's revenue comes from search default placement deals, overwhelmingly with Google, so the organisation that competes with Chrome depends on Chrome's owner for its funding and any renegotiation lands on Firefox's engineering budget within a quarter.
  • Desktop market share sits at a few per cent, so commercial sites are tested against Chrome and Safari and a Firefox-only rendering or WebRTC bug is triaged as low priority by the site owner, leaving you with the workaround.
  • On iOS and iPadOS the browser is a WebKit shell required by Apple's rules, so it delivers the interface and Sync but none of the engine, extension or tracking-protection behaviour that make Firefox worth choosing on desktop.
  • Mozilla declines to implement several hardware-facing APIs on principle, including WebUSB, WebSerial, Web Bluetooth and WebHID, so a web application that talks to a device simply does not run and no configuration flag changes that.
  • Enterprise management is limited to policies.json and ADMX templates; there is no first-party equivalent of Chrome Browser Cloud Management, so fleet-wide reporting on versions and extensions requires third-party tooling you have to buy or build.
  • Mozilla repeatedly ships decisions its own user base objects to, such as enabling Privacy Preserving Attribution by default and the 2025 Terms of Use rewrite, and reversals arrive after the news cycle, so deploying it on a privacy argument means owning the communications work each time.

Pricing, plan by plan

HTTPS Everywhere

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Automatic HTTPS upgrade
    • Rule sets
    • Custom rules

Mozilla Firefox

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mozilla Firefox review.

Which should you pick?

Choose HTTPS Everywhere if

  • You need automatic https.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
  • You also want encryption enforcement.
HTTPS Everywhere review

Choose Mozilla Firefox if

  • You need gecko engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want full webrequest blocking.
Mozilla Firefox review

Questions people ask

Is HTTPS Everywhere or Mozilla Firefox better?
Neither clearly leads. HTTPS Everywhere starts at Free and Mozilla Firefox at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HTTPS Everywhere or Mozilla Firefox?
HTTPS Everywhere starts at Free and Mozilla Firefox at Free.
Does HTTPS Everywhere or Mozilla Firefox run on more platforms?
HTTPS Everywhere runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera. Mozilla Firefox runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use HTTPS Everywhere for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HTTPS Everywhere best used for?
HTTPS Everywhere is most often used for forcing encrypted https connections on websites that support it, preventing eavesdropping and content hijacking on unsecured networks. Of those, forcing encrypted https connections on websites that support it and preventing eavesdropping and content hijacking on unsecured networks are not what Mozilla Firefox is typically brought in for.
What can HTTPS Everywhere do that Mozilla Firefox cannot?
HTTPS Everywhere covers Automatic HTTPS, Encryption enforcement, Rule-based upgrading, Observatory integration. Mozilla Firefox covers Gecko engine, Full webRequest blocking, Total Cookie Protection, Container tabs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HTTPS Everywhere: Is HTTPS Everywhere still maintained?

No. HTTPS Everywhere was retired in January 2023 because major browsers added native HTTPS upgrade features, making the extension obsolete.

Source
Mozilla Firefox: Does uBlock Origin still work on Firefox?

Yes. Firefox has kept the blocking webRequest API that Chrome removed with Manifest V3, so uBlock Origin runs with its full rule set rather than the cut-down Lite version Chrome requires.

HTTPS Everywhere: What functionality did HTTPS Everywhere provide?

The extension automatically redirected HTTP connections to HTTPS when available, improving encryption and privacy on unencrypted websites.

Source
Mozilla Firefox: Is Firefox on iPhone the same browser?

No. Apple's platform rules require it to use WebKit, so on iOS and iPadOS you get Firefox's interface, Sync and bookmarks on top of Safari's engine. The privacy and extension behaviour are not the same.

HTTPS Everywhere: What is the recommended replacement?

Modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari now include built-in HTTPS upgrade features that automatically redirect to secure connections, making HTTPS Everywhere unnecessary.

Source
Mozilla Firefox: How is Mozilla funded, and does that matter?

Mainly by payments for making a search engine the default, with Google as the dominant payer. It matters because it is a single-source dependency on a direct competitor, and it has been the subject of antitrust litigation whose outcome Mozilla does not control.

Mozilla Firefox: Can I manage it across a company fleet?

Yes, through policies.json or Windows Group Policy with the ADMX templates, and the ESR channel gives you a roughly yearly major version instead of four-weekly. There is no first-party cloud management console, so reporting needs other tooling.

Mozilla Firefox: Will every site work in it?

Most will. The exceptions cluster around sites tested only in Chrome, legacy enterprise applications, and anything using WebUSB, WebSerial, Web Bluetooth or WebHID, which Firefox does not implement at all.

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