Principles
Status: these principles apply to every design decision, pull request and review. Astela is in early development; its betas are released for testing.
Astela aims to be a browser that feels like your own tool: it starts instantly, uses little memory and adapts to the way you work. Apart from that, it leaves you alone. Eight principles turn that vision into rules that can be checked.
The eight principles
Section titled “The eight principles”1. Performance first
Section titled “1. Performance first”Performance is a feature, and it is measured rather than claimed. Budgets for start-up time, memory, idle CPU, switching speed and package size run as CI gates, and any regression fails the build. See performance.
2. Lean by design
Section titled “2. Lean by design”Astela is a microkernel with feature modules. A module that is switched off is never imported, so it costs neither start-up time nor memory. Every new dependency needs a reason in its pull request; a dependency larger than 20 KB gzipped in the UI, or one with native code, needs an architecture decision record. See modules.
3. Customization at the core
Section titled “3. Customization at the core”Settings, themes, policies, shortcuts and the toolbar are declarative and schema-based. One source generates the settings UI, the documentation, the JSON Schema and the ADMX templates, so they cannot drift apart. See settings, policies and themes.
4. Calm
Section titled “4. Calm”The browser does not interrupt. Modal dialogs are reserved for security decisions. There are no ads, no sponsored tiles, no news feeds, no upselling and no nag screens.
5. Private by default
Section titled “5. Private by default”There is no telemetry, and no account is required. A content blocker is part of the browser and on by default, from 0.1.0-beta.3 (see the roadmap). Data stays on the device, and secrets are kept in the operating system’s key store.
6. Manageable
Section titled “6. Manageable”Every setting can be set and locked by policy. Organizations get an MSI package, silent installation and control over updates. See enterprise.
7. Secure
Section titled “7. Secure”Astela relies on the Chromium sandbox, process isolation, validated IPC and signed updates. Security patches follow a fixed service level: an Electron security fix leads to an Astela patch release within 72 hours, with a target of 24 hours for critical issues. See security.
8. Honest
Section titled “8. Honest”Only real numbers, badges and screenshots. Performance figures come from CI measurements, screenshots come from the real app, and every feature is documented and tested.
Target groups
Section titled “Target groups”| Group | Needs most |
|---|---|
| Power users and developers | Workspaces, vertical tabs, a command palette, custom shortcuts, split view. |
| Everyday users who want speed and calm | Fast start-up, a built-in blocker, no distractions, a clear interface. |
| Designers and customizers | Themes, a theme editor, layouts, density, fonts. |
| Users on low-end hardware | Low memory use, tab sleep, little CPU use when idle. |
| Organizations and IT departments | Policies (Group Policy, Intune, MDM, JSON), MSI, update channels and mirrors, proxy and SSO, no telemetry. |
Non-goals
Section titled “Non-goals”No bundled third-party services, no feeds and no sponsored content; no own rendering engine and no engine fork; no mobile apps for now.