v1.4.0 — macOS 13+ — Free & Open Source

The right browser,
every single time

QuickBrowser intercepts every link click on macOS and routes it to the correct browser instantly. Set rules once, forget about choosing forever.

Install via Homebrew View on GitHub
QuickBrowser picker overlay showing browser selection
Features

Everything you need,
nothing you don't

A focused set of features designed to eliminate browser choice friction. No bloat, no subscriptions, no Electron.

Keyboard-first picker

Press 1-9 to choose a browser instantly. No mouse needed, no delay. The overlay appears and disappears in milliseconds.

Pattern-based routing

Define URL patterns and each link opens in the right browser automatically. No overlay, no prompt, no friction.

Auto-learning

Pick the same browser for a domain 5 times and QuickBrowser remembers. Set autolearn=true for silent mode.

Usage statistics

See how often each browser is used, split by manual picks versus automatic routing. Full transparency.

SwiftUI config editor

Manage browsers and patterns from the menu bar GUI, or edit the plain-text config file directly. Your choice.

Zero dependencies

A single ~2 MB native Swift binary. No Electron, no runtime, no frameworks. Just a small, fast app.

How it works

Three steps to link freedom

Set it up once, forget it exists. QuickBrowser handles every click after that.

1

Set as default browser

Install QuickBrowser, set it as your default browser in System Settings. All link clicks now go through it.

2

Configure your rules

Add your browsers and URL patterns to a simple plain-text config file, or use the built-in GUI editor.

3

Click any link

Matched URLs open in the assigned browser automatically. Unknown URLs show the keyboard picker. Done.

Configuration

Plain text you own

No databases, no proprietary formats. A simple config file you can diff, grep, back up, and version-control.

  • Browsers defined by number and app path
  • URL patterns matched in file order, first match wins
  • Comments with #, empty lines ignored
  • Editable from menu bar or any text editor 
# ~/.config/quickbrowser

# Settings
autolearn=true

# Browsers
1=/Applications/Safari.app
2=/Applications/Firefox.app
3=/Applications/Google Chrome.app

# Auto-routing patterns
github.com 2
openai.com 1
stackoverflow 2
Comparison

How it stacks up

QuickBrowser is focused on fast link routing with a tiny native app. Here is how it compares.

QuickBrowser Browserosaurus OpenIn Choosy
License MIT MIT (archived) Proprietary Proprietary
Price Free Free $9.99 $10
Tech Native Swift Electron Native Native
App size ~2 MB ~150 MB — —
URL pattern rules ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Auto-learning ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
Usage statistics ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
Config format Plain text + GUI GUI GUI GUI
Maintained Yes No (archived 2025) Yes Yes
Installation

Up and running in seconds

brew tap andreygaag/quickbrowser
brew install --cask quickbrowser

Then set QuickBrowser as the default browser in System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Default web browser. If macOS blocks the first launch, run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/QuickBrowser.app.

git clone https://github.com/andreygaag/quickbrowser.git
cd quickbrowser/QuickBrowser
xcodebuild -project QuickBrowser.xcodeproj \
           -scheme QuickBrowser \
           -configuration Release \
           clean build
cp -R ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/QuickBrowser-*/Build/Products/Release/QuickBrowser.app /Applications/

Requires Xcode and macOS 13.0+. After copying to /Applications, set QuickBrowser as the default browser in System Settings.