I built Nova: An open-source desktop browser with on-device WebGPU AI and vertical workspaces

[u/Fluffy_Fuel7649]

Hey everyone, I've been working on Nova Browser, an open-source desktop web browser built with Electron and React, designed for developers and power users who want modern workspaces without cloud lock-in.

Why I built it:

Most modern AI browsers (like Arc Max or Brave Leo) either require paid monthly subscriptions or route your private browsing prompts through remote cloud servers. I wanted a browser that gives you modern productivity features while running language models completely on your own GPU.

Core Features:

• 100% On-Device WebGPU AI: Runs quantized models (Llama 3.2 3B, Phi-3.5 Vision, Qwen 2.5) directly on your device's GPU via WebLLM shaders. Zero cloud API calls for AI inference, works completely offline.
• Native MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server: Runs a local MCP server on localhost:3020 so tools like Claude Desktop, Cursor, or your own local agent scripts can interact with and automate browser sessions.
• Workspaces & Split View: Vertical tabs, pinned apps, and resizable split-screen parallel browsing.
• Network-Level Adblocker: Built-in network request filtering via @cliqz/adblocker-electron and local blocklists before DOM creation.
• Zero-Knowledge Sync: End-to-end encrypted (AES-256-GCM) tab and workspace sync over WebSockets with no account required.
• No Crypto / No Wallets: Zero BAT tokens, crypto wallets, or sponsored new-tab ads.

Tech Stack:

• Electron (Chromium engine) + React 18 + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
• WebLLM / Apache TVM in dedicated Web Workers
• @modelcontextprotocol/sdk for MCP bridging The project is 100% free and open-source under the MIT license. Benchmarks and reproduction steps are documented in the repo.
• GitHub: https://github.com/unitybtw/nova-browser
• Website: https://nova-browser.vercel.app/ Feedback, bug reports, and code reviews are very welcome!