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Mozilla Firefox vs React Developer Tools

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
React Developer Tools logo

React Developer Tools

Browser Extensions

Debug React applications in your browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; React Developer Tools react Developer Tools is only available as a Chrome browser extension. No support for other browsers mentioned.
  • They diverge on capability: Mozilla Firefox covers Gecko engine, React Developer Tools covers Component inspection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mozilla Firefox and React Developer Tools actually diverge.

Attributes where Mozilla Firefox and React Developer Tools differ
AttributeMozilla FirefoxReact Developer Tools
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidChrome, Firefox, Edge
CategoryTechnologyBrowser Extensions

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2004).

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 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

Only in React Developer Tools

  • Component inspection
  • Props/State viewing
  • Performance profiler
  • Hooks debugging
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support

What people use each for

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

Mozilla Firefox

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

React Developer Tools

  • Debugging React components during developmentnot Mozilla Firefox
  • Inspecting component state and propsnot Mozilla Firefox
  • Performance profiling of React applicationsnot Mozilla Firefox

Where each one falls short

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

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.

React Developer Tools

  • React Developer Tools is only available as a Chrome browser extension. No support for other browsers mentioned.

Pricing, plan by plan

Mozilla Firefox

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mozilla Firefox review.

React Developer Tools

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Component tree
    • Props inspection
    • State tracking

Which should you pick?

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

Choose React Developer Tools if

  • You need component inspection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want props/state viewing.
React Developer Tools review

Questions people ask

Is Mozilla Firefox or React Developer Tools better?
Neither clearly leads. Mozilla Firefox starts at Free and React Developer Tools at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mozilla Firefox or React Developer Tools?
Mozilla Firefox starts at Free and React Developer Tools at Free.
Does Mozilla Firefox or React Developer Tools run on more platforms?
Mozilla Firefox runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. React Developer Tools runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
Can I use Mozilla Firefox for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mozilla Firefox best used for?
Mozilla Firefox is most often used for web development where you need to test against a non-chromium engine before shipping, because chromium-only testing hides real bugs, users who require a full-strength content blocker, which chrome's manifest v3 no longer permits, managed fleets that need a browser on a slow release cadence with group policy control, using the esr channel, handling several accounts on the same service at once through container tabs, without separate profiles or private windows. Of those, web development where you need to test against a non-chromium engine before shipping, because chromium-only testing hides real bugs and users who require a full-strength content blocker, which chrome's manifest v3 no longer permits are not what React Developer Tools is typically brought in for.
What can Mozilla Firefox do that React Developer Tools cannot?
Mozilla Firefox covers Gecko engine, Full webRequest blocking, Total Cookie Protection, Container tabs. React Developer Tools covers Component inspection, Props/State viewing, Performance profiler, Hooks debugging.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

React Developer Tools: How much does React Developer Tools cost?

React Developer Tools is completely free. It is a free browser extension with no subscription fees or costs.

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.

React Developer Tools: Is React Developer Tools available for download?

Yes. React Developer Tools is available as a free extension on the Chrome Web Store for download at no cost.

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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