Comparison

Wayline Browser vs Crest Browser

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Wayline Browser

Read full description

Wayline Browser is a clean, general-purpose web browser for iPhone. It opens HTTP and HTTPS links directly, lets you search or enter a web address from the start page, and gives you familiar controls for tabs, bookmarks, history, private browsing, and downloads. Designed around local-first privacy, Wayline keeps browsing tools understandable. Bookmarks, history, regular tabs, and website data are managed on your device. Private tabs are not restored after relaunch. The Website Data screen lets you review stored website data by site and remove it when you choose. What you can do: - Search or enter any web address - Open HTTP and HTTPS links directly - Use regular and private tabs - Save bookmarks and revisit browsing history - Review and clear website data by site - Export downloads with the iOS share sheet - Clear browsing data from Settings Wayline uses Apple's WebKit engine on iPhone and is built for a quiet, predictable browsing experience without accounts, ads, or in-app analytics.

About

Crest Browser

Organize your online life with distinct browsing contexts for work, personal use, and private browsing. Each context has its own tabs, history, and data, ensuring a clean separation of your digital activities.

Highlights
  • Isolated browsing contexts (Spaces)
  • Separate tabs, history, and cookies per Space
  • Customizable Space identity
  • Focused sidebar for tabs and history
  • Peek for temporary link previews
  • Optional iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Work, personal life, and everything between deserve their own Space. Crest is a native browser for iPhone and iPad that keeps your accounts separate, your tabs organized, and your browsing distinctly yours. KEEP YOUR ACCOUNTS SEPARATE Each Space has its own tabs, cookies, website data, history, passwords, and site permissions. Stay signed in to different accounts on the same website. Switch from work to personal browsing without carrying the wrong session with you. GIVE EVERY TAB A PLACE Pin the sites you use every day. Save pages in folders. Keep today's tabs close and completed work in the archive. Select and move tabs, folders, and Split View groups together. On iPhone, bring in the sidebar with a gesture; on iPad, keep it beside your page. MAKE IT YOUR OWN Start from Winter, Lion, or another template in Crest Studio, then choose a color for each part of the crest and the sidebar. Choose a crest, emoji, monogram, or symbol. Appearance settings adjust the window border, sidebar material, tab corners, borders, and default page zoom. KEEP RELATED PAGES TOGETHER Group two to four pages in Split View. On iPad, browse them side by side and resize the columns. On iPhone, swipe across the compact toolbar to move between pages in the group. Peek lets you check supported links without losing your place, then keep the page as a tab when you need it. TOOLS FOR EVERYDAY BROWSING Choose one default search for every Space and another for Private Browsing, or pick one for a single Space. Search from a new tab to find the pages and tabs you use most. Translate webpages on device with Apple's Translation framework. Read supported articles in Reader, find text on a page, adjust zoom, share links, and export pages. Content blocking and site permissions give you control over each Space. Language availability varies, and translation may require a language download. PRIVATE WHEN YOU NEED IT Private Browsing uses temporary website storage. Private tabs stay out of saved history, restoration, archive, and sync. Crest does not run an advertising SDK, collect browsing analytics, or require a Crest account. PICK UP ON ANOTHER DEVICE Optional iCloud sync keeps supported Space and tab organization available across your Apple devices through your private iCloud database. Crest is also available for Mac. Crest is free and open source, built with Apple's WebKit. Requires iOS 26.1 or iPadOS 26.1 or later. Some website features and integrations vary by device.

Screenshots

Wayline Browser3 screens
Crest Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Wayline Browser at 16.0 against Crest Browser's 26.1. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Wayline Browser versus Crest Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWayline BrowserCrest Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.9 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—14 — better
Update frequency—Every 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB73 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperOlga SharkovaPaul Davis

In-app purchases

None

Wayline Browser

No in-app purchases

None

Crest Browser

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wayline Browser free?
Wayline Browser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Crest Browser free?
Crest Browser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Wayline Browser or Crest Browser have ads?
Neither Wayline Browser nor Crest Browser shows ads.

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