Side by side
Chromium vs GNU GLOBAL
Both stand on code search tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source AndroidExtensioniPhone+3
Choose Chromium if you want an open-source browser project with code, technical documentation, and ways to contribute. Its available builds require manual updating and may come from revisions that do not match user-facing Chrome releases.
Visit Chromium Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
GNU GLOBAL provides code tagging and navigation for several languages, with search options for larger source trees. Check that its language support and platform availability fit your environment.
Visit GNU GLOBALThe facts
| Chromium | GNU GLOBAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, Extension, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | chromium.org | gnu.org |
| On code search tools | #2 of 42 | #6 of 42 |
Chromium: what it does well
- Source code is released under a permissive BSD license.
- Build instructions cover Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
- The project develops the V8 JavaScript and Blink rendering engines.
- Security documentation covers sandboxing, Safe Browsing, and defense in depth.
- Developers can contribute code, report bugs, and join discussions.
What to know first
- Available builds may not match user-facing Chrome releases.
- Builds do not auto-update and do not include symbols.
- Site Isolation is unsupported in Android WebView and some lower-memory Android devices.
GNU GLOBAL: what it does well
- Finds definitions and references for code objects.
- Supports C, Yacc, Java, PHP, and assembly.
- Searches source and library projects.
- Offers multiple output formats and file selection.
- Free software distributed under the GNU GPL.
What to know first
- Built-in parser supports five listed languages.
- Binary packages are supplied by outside projects.
- Supports UNIX (POSIX) environments.
Alternatives to Chromium Alternatives to GNU GLOBAL The whole list