Nook Download

Fast, minimal macOS browser with sidebar-first vertical tab design, built with SwiftUI using modern macOS APIs for high performance and low memory usage, featuring extension support, profile isolation, split-view tabs, and command palette.

⭐ 1,677 stars on GitHub
Latest Release: v1.0.5

About Software

Nook is a fast, minimal web browser for macOS 15.5+ featuring a unique sidebar-first design with vertical tabs for natural, uncluttered navigation. Built with SwiftUI and modern macOS APIs, it emphasizes performance with low memory usage and a content-focused UI. The browser uses a manager-based architecture where BrowserManager coordinates TabManager, ProfileManager, ExtensionManager, HistoryManager, and other components.

The application supports browser extensions, multiple user profiles with data isolation, workspace organization with Spaces, split-view tab management, and a command palette for quick actions. Features include browsing history tracking, download management, cookie and cache management, drag-and-drop operations, and Metal shaders for UI effects. Built from source using Xcode with GPL 3.0 license. Community development via Discord.

Use Cases:

  • Sidebar-first browser with vertical tab navigation for focused macOS browsing experience
  • Fast, minimal web browser optimized with modern macOS APIs for speed and low memory usage
  • Browser extension support with profile-based data isolation and workspace organization
  • Split-screen tab viewing with quick preview (Peek) feature and command palette for power users

Downloads

v1.0.5 November 29, 2025
Nook-v1.0.5.dmgdmg
v1.0.4 October 16, 2025
Nook-v1.0.4.dmgdmg
v1.0.3 October 09, 2025
Nook-v1.0.3.dmgdmg
v1.0.2 October 07, 2025
Nook-v1.0.2.dmgdmg
v1.0.1 October 07, 2025
Nook-v1.0.1.dmgdmg

Package Info

Last Updated
Nov 29, 2025
Latest Version
v1.0.5
License
GPL-3.0
Total Versions
5

README

Nook

A fast, minimal browser with a sidebar-first design for macOS.

Looking for the dev branch? Click here (https://github.com/nook-browser/Nook/tree/dev)

Features

  • Sidebar-first navigation – vertical tabs that feel natural and uncluttered.
  • Performance – optimized with modern macOS APIs for speed and low memory use.
  • Minimal, modern UI – focused on content, not chrome.

Getting Started

Download

Download for macOS (https://img.shields.io/badge/Download%20for-macOS-000000?style=for-the-badge&logo=apple&logoColor=white)

or, Build from Source

Prerequisites

  • macOS 15.5+
  • Xcode (https://developer.apple.com/xcode/) (to build from source)

git clone https://github.com/nook-browser/Nook.git
cd Nook
open Nook.xcodeproj

Some obj-c libraries may not play nice with Intel Macs, though there should technically be full interoperability. You can use any number of resources to debug. You will also need to delete a couple lines of code for older versions of macOS than Tahoe (26.0).

You’ll need to set your personal Development Team in Signing to build locally.

Join our Discord to help with development: https://discord.gg/J3XfPvg7Fs

Project Structure

Nook/
├── Nook/
│   ├── Managers/              # Core business logic and state management
│   │   ├── BrowserManager/    # Central coordinator for browser state
│   │   ├── TabManager/        # Tab lifecycle and organization
│   │   ├── ProfileManager/    # User profile and data isolation
│   │   ├── ExtensionManager/  # Browser extension support
│   │   ├── HistoryManager/    # Browsing history tracking
│   │   ├── DownloadManager/   # File download handling
│   │   ├── CookieManager/     # Cookie storage and management
│   │   ├── CacheManager/      # Web cache management
│   │   ├── SettingsManager/   # User preferences
│   │   ├── DialogManager/     # System dialogs and alerts
│   │   ├── SearchManager/     # Search functionality
│   │   ├── SplitViewManager/  # Split-screen tab viewing
│   │   ├── PeekManager/       # Quick preview feature
│   │   ├── DragManager/       # Drag-and-drop operations
│   │   └── ...
│   │
│   ├── Models/                # Data models and business entities
│   │   ├── Tab/              # Tab model and state
│   │   ├── Space/            # Workspace organization
│   │   ├── Profile/          # User profile data model
│   │   ├── History/          # Browsing history entries
│   │   ├── Extension/        # Extension metadata
│   │   ├── Settings/         # Settings data structures
│   │   └── BrowserConfig/    # Browser configuration
│   │
│   ├── Components/            # SwiftUI views and UI components
│   │   ├── Browser/          # Main browser window UI
│   │   ├── Sidebar/          # Sidebar navigation UI
│   │   ├── CommandPalette/   # Quick action interface
│   │   ├── Settings/         # Settings screens
│   │   ├── Extensions/       # Extension management UI
│   │   ├── Peek/             # Preview overlay UI
│   │   ├── Dialog/           # Modal dialogs
│   │   ├── FindBar/          # In-page search
│   │   └── ...
│   │
│   ├── Utils/                # Utility functions and helpers
│   │   ├── WebKit/           # WebKit extensions
│   │   ├── Shaders/          # Metal shaders for UI effects
│   │   └── Debug/            # Development tools
│   │
│   ├── Protocols/            # Swift protocols and interfaces
│   ├── Adapters/             # External API adapters
│   ├── ThirdParty/           # Third-party dependencies
│   └── Supporting Files/     # App configuration and resources
│
├── Config/                   # Build and project configuration
└── assets/                   # Static assets and resources

Architecture Overview

Nook follows a manager-based architecture where:

  • Managers handle business logic and coordinate between different parts of the app
  • Models represent data and state using Swift's @Observable macro
  • Components are SwiftUI views that reactively update based on model changes
  • BrowserManager acts as the central coordinator, connecting all managers together

LICENSES

With the exception of third-party libraries in Nook/ThirdParty, all code is under the GPL 3.0 License. The relevant third-party code is licensed per-folder under a variety of free, open-source software licenses.