links

Status: Active through 2025. Top-tier browser that functions in both graphical and text modes. Excellent 8-bit tables support.

Core links: [homepage]   [wikipedia]   [cwsdpmi]

elinks

Status: Active through 2025. Another browser for DOS that is still currently maintained. Like elinks, it too renders (7-bit) tables. Text-only.

Core links: [homepage]   [wikipedia]   [cwsdpmi]   [tips]   [about]

DilloDOS

Status: version 3.0.2b from 2013. Graphical browser that remains a premiere solution for DOS users. Its rendering engine is still effective today on many sites.

Core links: [download 1]   [download 2]   [download 3]   [nullpkt]

Arachne

Status: version 1.99 from 2021. A graphical browser and internet suite. The most famous and influential browser for DOS. It gave us hope during a time when everyone was transitioning away from DOS.

Core links: [wikipedia]   [download]

Lynx

Status: version 2.9.0dev.5 from 2021. Still remains one of the top browsers for DOS with support for additional protocols.

Core links: [Community Edition w/TLS]   [v2.8.5 for DOS]   [v2.8.5 download]

WebSpyder

Status: 2.1 beta 2 from 1998. DOS graphical browser based on Arachne.

Core links: [download]   [wikipedia]   [2.1 announcement]

MicroWeb

Status: active through 2025. A new entry into the DOS Browser space. 16-bit real mode graphical browser.

Core links: [github]

Bobcat

Status: c. 1998. Text-based browser based on Lynx, not a Lynx port.

Core links: [download standard]   [download latest]   [What is Bobcat?]

DOSLynx

Status: c. 1997. DOS text-based browser with drop-down menus. I personally love the way it's put together with drop-down menus, color scheme, etc. Lots of old school charm. Sadly... weaker html rendering.

Core links: [home]   [download]   [readme]

Webboy

Status: latest version 1998. DOS graphical browser. Great UI but weak rendering engine. Released by IBM Japan, it made a small impact (not many knew it existed) at the tail-end of DOS's last great big push toward HTML relevancy spear-headed by Arachne, WebSpyder and talks of "net-boxes" during the 1996-1998 era (that's how I remember it).

Trial downloads still available.

Core links: [Webboy Home]   [download]   [wikipedia, translated]

HV

Status: latest version 1999. HV - a graphical offline viewer - works with WWW/LX to turn it into a full browser. Needs int5f to run in regular DOS.

Core links: [WWW/LX Home]   [download]   [int5f/TSR]

Minuet

Status: latest version 1994. Text-based. The best TUI for an internet suite: multiple windows, drop-down menus, bottom toolbar, additional apps. HTML rendering nearly non-existent (pre-HTML 2.0). (I don't actually recall it rendered any HTML when I used it circa 1997)

Core links: [wikipedia]   [download]   [download]
Discussion: 24sep2025

Net-tamer

Status: latest version 1998. Text-based Internet suite. Poor HTML 3.2 rendering.

Core links: [home]   [download]

Own

Status: latest version 1997. Open World Navigator (Own) - text-based offline browser, works with 'gethttp.exe' to transform it into an online browser. Decent HTML coverage for its time.

Core links: [download]

Yan

Status: latest version 2001 or 2003. Both an online/offline browser. HTML rendering produces wall of text (no blank linefeeds). John Lewis page for latest.

Core links: [home]   [download]   [john lewis]

Spin

Status: latest version mid/late-90s (?). Saturnus Personal Internet Navigator: Spin.
A graphical browser. Never saw a general release to the public (beta requests only). No downloads anywhere. From my testing in the late-90s: Needed a 486+ and more RAM than any of its competitors.

Core links: [Original Site/Docs]

Alice

Status: latest version 2001 (?). Small graphical browser for DOS & embedded DOS.

Core links: [Home Page]   [Current site]

smxbrowser

Status: latest version 2001 (?). Light DOS & embedded DOS browser. Note: I could never get the DOS demo to run on various machines.

Core links: [Graphical MicroBrowser]   [Browser Demo Instructions]

Skipper / WebMagick

Status: latest version 2002 (?). Browser that was part of Breadbox Ensemble (which ran on top of DOS). (Breadbox Ensemble was amazing)

Core links: [screenshots]   [youtube]   [download]   [download]   [search wayback]   [PC/GEOS]

ssh

Status: latest update 2021. SSH for DOS as a means to access browsers (and other terminal programs) on remote machines.

Core links: [SSH2DOS] [SSH2DOS - Updated for 2021 standards]

curl for DOS

Status: Active, 2025. curl for DOS is a tool that can be used to retrieve web pages (along with resources for many other protocols). Binaries and sources available.

Running "curl -V" displays the supported protocols, which include:

http/s, gopher/s, telnet, ftp/s, sftp, dict, imap/s, pop3/s, smtp/s, more...

Core links: [DOS curl]   [downloads]   [cwsdpmi]   [FreeDOS post]