Anyone still typing this into a search bar in 2026 is likely an old Maxthon user, or someone who needs its dual-engine trick for a specific old web app that only renders correctly under Trident. This page gets you the current installer without wading through the vendor's regional redirects. Maxthon has quietly kept updating for over two decades, and cloud-synced favorites and its built-in ad blocker remain the draw for its niche but loyal user base. Both Windows and macOS builds are current as of this listing.
Why It Still Ships a Legacy Rendering Mode
Maxthon switches between its "Ultra" mode, a WebKit-based engine for modern sites, and a "Retro" mode built on Trident, the old Internet Explorer engine, useful for internal enterprise tools that were never updated for modern browsers.
It's free with no separate paid tier, and account sign-in is optional unless you want its cloud sync for bookmarks and open tabs across devices.
Who ends up using Maxthon Browser
Maxthon draws long-time users nostalgic for its early tabbed-browsing features and IT staff who still need to open legacy intranet pages built for old Internet Explorer.
- Office workers who need Trident-mode rendering for an old internal web app
- Users wanting split-screen browsing and cloud-synced favorites in one app
- Longtime Maxthon loyalists who have stuck with it since its early-2000s heyday
Before you install
A couple of things worth knowing about Maxthon Browser before you request the link: it covers Windows and macOS, so grab the build that matches the machine you're setting up. And on pricing, Maxthon Browser is free to use outright — there's no paid tier hiding behind it, so what you install is the whole app. It's developed and maintained by Maxthon International.
System requirements
- WindowsWindows 10 or 11 (64-bit); older 7/8.1 builds usually still run but no longer get official support
- macOSa recent macOS release — check the download page for the current minimum version, since Apple Silicon vs Intel builds sometimes differ
It's a lightweight tool, so there's no serious CPU/RAM/storage requirement beyond what its OS already needs to run comfortably.
Quick steps
- Choose the Windows or macOS installer below.
- Run setup and skip account creation if you don't need sync.
- Toggle Ultra or Retro mode from the engine switch icon in the toolbar.
Maxthon Browser: the honest trade-offs
- Dual rendering engines let it fall back to legacy sites modern browsers break on
- Built-in ad blocker and resource sniffer work without installing extra extensions
- Cloud sync for bookmarks and open tabs works across devices for free
- Ultra mode's WebKit engine lags behind Chromium in extension compatibility
- Development pace and update frequency trail far behind mainstream browsers
The build linked here is pulled directly from Maxthon International's own release channel, unaltered and unbundled with extra offers.
Other Web Browsers downloads people search for
Browse the full Web Browsers category →
Keeping Maxthon Browser up to date
Maxthon Browser usually has a built-in updater or store-based auto-update (Microsoft Store / Mac App Store / Play Store, depending on platform); if you installed it manually, re-downloading the current build from the official source is the fallback. Sticking to the developer's own distribution channel — which is what this page links to — means you're never stuck on an old build with unpatched bugs just because a mirror site stopped updating its copy.
Features, install steps, alternatives and more detail live on the main Maxthon Browser page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Maxthon based on Chromium like most browsers now?
Its Ultra mode uses WebKit rather than Chromium, and it additionally bundles a separate Trident-based Retro mode that most modern browsers dropped years ago.
Can I import bookmarks from Chrome or Firefox?
Yes, the first-run setup includes an import wizard that reads bookmarks and saved passwords from the major browsers already installed on your machine.
