A browser is one of the most important and most frequently used programs on your computer. It is your window to the Internet. Among the application’s main tasks: to quickly open sites, be able to work with a large number of tabs, save bookmarks, and download files. Let’s see how popular browsers can handle this, and what additional options they have.
To get a better idea of which browser is right for you, check out our top 10 browsers of 2023. In this review, we’ve evaluated browsers based on key criteria such as functionality, interface, speed, anonymity, extensions, and compatibility with different operating systems. The better a particular browser performed in these categories, the higher its score.
Chrome is by far the most popular browser in the world, with 3.2 billion users. Does that mean Chrome is the best browser? Not necessarily, but it does mean it has everything most users need:
unlimited number of tabs and bookmarks,
password manager,
giant store of extensions,
built-in translator that works in more than 160 languages and can translate pages both automatically and on demand.
A distinctive feature of Chrome is its integration with Google services. By logging into the browser with your Google account, you can use Gmail, Google Docs, your YouTube account, etc. There are quick access buttons for to each of the services on the Chrome home page.
How Chrome takes care of your security:
chrome://settings/cleanup – malware cleanup,
chrome://settings/passwords/check?start=true – search for compromised passwords.
The browser also warns you about sites with potentially dangerous content and blocks the download of suspicious files.
Anonymity
Google has been reproached more than once for collecting user metadata. You can change your privacy settings in your account at https://myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy
There is an incognito mode for anonymous browsing. In the mobile version of the browser, incognito tabs can be additionally protected by a password, Touch ID or Face ID.
Interface
Chrome can be displayed in 167 different languages. You can change the color scheme using the "Customize Chrome" button on the home page. There you can also set the background: download it from the Chrome Web store or upload it from your device. The only noticeable flaw in Chrome’s appearance is the lack of a speed dial. But it can easily be fixed with extensions.
Functionality
Full integration with Google. Built-in translator. Bookmark manager and password manager - both with the ability to import data from other browsers. For webmasters there are built-in developer tools and JavaScript debugger.
Extensions
The largest and most convenient extension store of all browsers. The vast majority of extensions are free.
Speed
There are various methods of measuring speed, different tests. Chrome usually either wins them or at least ranks among the leaders.
OS Compatibility
Chrome supports all popular operating systems: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11; Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016; macOS High Sierra 10.13 and later; 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, openSUSE 15.2+, Fedora Linux 32+; Android 7.0 Nougat, iOS 14.0/iPadOS 14.0 and higher.
Chrome can be synced across devices.
Anonymity
7
Interface
9
Functionality
10
Extensions
10
Speed
10
OS Compatibility
10
Result
9.3
Almost perfect browser. If it lacks something in appearance, you can install themes, news feed or speed dial from the extensions store. Chrome is very fast, but consumes more CPU and RAM resources than many competitors.
Opera
Opera has always been the flagship of innovation. Many of its innovations have subsequently become the standard for all browsers. These include:
picture-in-picture video viewing,
speed dial for quick access to favorite or frequently visited sites,
dark mode (dark theme),
built-in ad blocker,
combined address and search box.
Now Opera, in addition to the common features (tabs, bookmarks, password manager, read mode – almost all browsers have these), provides several unique options:
built-in VPN,
button for screenshots (sounds simple, but there is no such button in Chrome by default, it must be installed additionally as an extension),
quick access to messengers and social networks (WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, etc.),
built-in music player.
The player button is placed on the sidebar, there is no need to open a separate tab for music. The music source can be Apple Music, YouTube and other popular services. Your music will pause automatically if you playback audio in any of the open tabs.
Anonymity
There is an incognito mode that disables cookies and browsing history. There is a built-in free VPN and ad blocker with tracking blocking features.
Interface
Convenient speed dial for quick access to your favorite sites. Sidebar for access to WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, audio player and cryptowallet - all in one click. New Pinboards mode for storing links. Quick switch between light and dark themes. Reader mode. In a word, everything is implemented in Opera for convenient navigation and pleasant content viewing.
Functionality
There are various tools for working with tabs: tab search, grouping, attaching, bookmarks. There is support for mouse gestures, news feed, My Flow space for storing all sorts of interesting things from your computer and phone. Opera lasts 35% longer than Chrome and Microsoft Edge in battery saving mode.
Extensions
The extension store may not be as big as Chrome's, but it offers some unique plugins. For example, blockchain and cryptocurrency applications. Also, extensions for downloading videos from YouTube, which contradict Google's policy and therefore are not available for Chrome, can be freely installed on Opera.
Speed
In various tests, Opera does not rank among the leaders. But the difference with Chrome (both browsers, by the way, use the same engine) is imperceptible to the naked eye and does not cause discomfort.
OS Compatibility
Opera works on the following (and newer) operating systems: Windows 7, OS X 10.13, 64-bit Ubuntu 16.04 (as well as other Linux distributions such as openSUSE or Fedora), Android 7, iOS 11.
Opera can be synced across devices.
Anonymity
8
Interface
10
Functionality
10
Extensions
9
Speed
8
OS Compatibility
10
Result
9.2
It is a fast and light browser. It consumes little RAM and is ideal for those who like to keep many dozens of tabs open. Many useful and unique features are available at once: VPN, ad blocker, quicks access to messengers, social media and music.
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox is a comfortable and functional browser that has everything you need:
its own extension store,
password and bookmark managers,
“Pocket” button to save interesting content,
reading mode and anonymous browsing mode,
smart search box with autofill,
various tools for working with tabs: pin, duplicate, mute, tab search.
Firefox uses its own engine, unlike many other browsers, based on the Google Chrome’s engine. At the same time, Firefox perfectly cooperates with Chrome: in particular, it can export and import bookmarks and passwords, and supports work with Google Docs and Gmail.
One of the distinctive features of Mozilla Firefox is taking care of your security. To this end, the browser applies:
cryptominer blocking,
alerting on compromised passwords,
blocking digital prints tracking,
blocking all kinds of trackers, including social network trackers.
Trackers are scripts that track your actions on the Internet (often even long after visiting a site with trackers). Trackers can also slow down the loading of pages. It is good that Firefox blocks them.
Anonymity
According to the developers, they put the privacy of users above all and promise not to collect unnecessary data about them. The browser has an incognito mode, blocking third-party cookies, protection from tracking sites and social networks: it is also recommended to install the Facebook container extension for full privacy in Facebook and Instagram.
Interface
Firefox supports 90 different languages. The appearance of the browser can be called unsightly or laconic. The browser header can be changed using extensions, but the design of the main part of the page will not change, which is not particularly nice. There is no speed dial by default.
Functionality
Read mode with read-aloud and pace control options. Built-in screenshot tool and built-in spell checker. Firefox may not be able to do anything extraordinary, but it can do everything you need.
Extensions
The extensions store is small, with awkward navigation. However, there are many useful plugins: translators, password managers, weather forecast, download videos from YouTube, image search.
Speed
In terms of speed, Firefox is average. It is significantly inferior to Chrome, but it will be noticeable only when opening a large number of pages as Chrome is able to open more pages in a given amount of time. The difference will not be evident on a single page.
OS Compatibility
Firefox works on the following operating systems: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11; macOS 10.12, 10.13, 10.14, 10.15, 11, 12; Android 5.0 and up; iOS/iPadOS 13.0 and higher. To run on Linux, Firefox needs at least glibc 2.17, GTK+ 3.14, libstdc++ 4.8.1, X.Org 1.0. Recommended: X.Org 1.7 and higher, DBus 1.0, GNOME 2.16, libxtst 1.2.3, NetworkManager 0.7, PulseAudio.
Firefox can be synced across devices.
Anonymity
8
Interface
8
Functionality
9
Extensions
8
Speed
7
OS Compatibility
10
Result
8.3
Quality browser with a great feature set and low consumption of system resources. One thing with which Firefox is trying to stand out is privacy. The developers have declared taking care of user data as one of their main goals.
Tor Browser
The Tor Browser is a browser based on Mozilla Firefox that uses onion routing to encrypt messages. In simple terms, Tor is the most anonymous browser, it’s as anonymous as it gets.
How onion routing works: each message is encrypted multiple times and passed from sender to receiver not directly, but through a network of routers, each of which removes one layer of encryption (like an onion layer) and passes the message on.
The routers know neither the sender nor the recipient, nor the content of the message.
Thus, Tor Browser provides the highest possible level of anonymity. Also to protect personal data user applies the following measures:
automatic change of IP every 10 minutes,
automatic clearing of cookies,
prohibiting the installation of a number of extensions and blocking their operation (especially Flash, RealPlayer and QuickTime),
blocking trackers,
the default search engine is DuckDuckGo.
In addition, Tor Browser allows you to overcome Internet censorship, and there are quite a few sites that can be accessed only through this browser.
Anonymity
Multi-level encryption through thousands of servers maintained by volunteers. Ads and trackers are blocked. IP change every 10 minutes. Automatic clearing of history and cookies. Protection against tracking (no one see what sites you're visiting) and from identifying you by browser and device features.
Interface
The interface is minimalistic: the main window, the search bar and a few settings buttons. Several dozen languages supported. A choice between dark and two light themes. Other themes can be installed from the Mozilla addons store.
Functionality
Tor is not about diverse functionality. Any other browser advertises itself through a list of unique and interesting features. While Tor's site doesn't even have such a list. This browser is all about security and privacy. The feature set is very basic: tabs, bookmarks, and passwords.
Extensions
Since the Tor browser is based on Mozilla Firefox, all the extensions from the Mozilla store are available to it. However, the developers themselves do not recommend installing add-ons, so as not to compromise your anonymity. In addition, Tor Browser blocks some plug-ins (Flash, RealPlayer, QuickTime, and others).
Speed
Loading web pages via Tor is slower than in a regular browser. This is because the connection is not made directly, but through a network of onion routers.
OS Compatibility
Tor Browser runs on the following operating systems: Windows 10, 8, 7 32/64-bit (with SSE2 instruction set processor support), Mac OS X (10.9+), Linux, Unix, BSD (32/64-bit), Android: 4.1 and above.
For iOS there is an app called Onion Browser. It's open source, uses Tor routing, and its developer works closely with the Tor Project. However, Apple requires iOS browsers to use the Webkit package. This prevents the Onion Browser from providing the same high level of privacy as the Tor Browser.
Anonymity
10
Interface
7
Functionality
6
Extensions
6
Speed
7
OS Compatibility
8
Result
7.3
Tor Browser has no unique features like built-in buttons for music and social media. It doesn't shine in terms of speed or appearance. But in terms of anonymity, data protection and privacy, freedom to move around the web and access different sites, Tor is simply unrivaled.
Safari
Safari is the second most popular browser in the world after Chrome. Safari is tailored for Apple devices, and in its native environment (macOS, iOS, iPadOS) it’s unmatched:
frequently visited pages load 50% faster in Safari than in Chrome,
lower battery consumption: Safari lasts up to 90 minutes longer than Chrome, Edge or Firefox,
with iCloud+ you can sign up to any site without giving them your email address.
In response speed, rendering speed, and other metrics measured by Jetstream, MotionMark, and Speedometer benchmarks, Safari proved to be the fastest browser in the world.
Another trump card of Safari, apart from speed, is its elaborate design. The designers were not afraid of non-standard solutions. Is putting the tabs in the center (instead of on the left, like everyone else) bold and interesting, or is it awkward? It is up to the user to decide. The user has lots of options within a flexible interface with a lot of tools for comfortable display of content:
add or remove extra buttons,
change the arrangement of elements, drag and drop them, change the distance between them,
set the background, font and letter size for each page,
translate selected items or whole pages with a single click,
leave notes and share bookmarks,
save pages as PDF files, highlight what’s important, and send them via email.
Many actions in the browser can be done in different ways: single-click, double-click, hotkeys – whatever suits you best.
Anonymity
The "Prevent cross-site tracking" feature blocks attempts to profile and cross-track you online. With iCloud+, you can sign up for sites and services without giving them your personal email address. There is password monitoring, suspicious site alerts, and a weekly privacy report.
Interface
Fully customizable interface, where different buttons (Favorites, iCloud tabs, etc.) can be added, deleted or moved, you can even change the distance between them. For each page you can set an individual background, font, zoom.
Functionality
Watch 4K video online on YouTube, Netflix, and Apple TV+. One-click page translation in one of 8 available languages. Improved energy efficiency: up to 1.5 hours longer to watch videos online and up to 30 minutes longer to browse websites (compared to Chrome, Edge and Firefox).
Extensions
In the desktop version, extensions are added directly from the browser. In the mobile version, this is done through Settings - Safari - Extensions. There are less extensions than in Chrome, but there are still many useful ones: translators, picture-in-picture, spell checker, shopping schedulers, discount coupons, etc.
Speed
Apple has conducted testing using different benchmarks: Jetstream, MotionMark, and Speedometer. The tests included JavaScript performance in complex web applications, rendering speed for animated content, and responsiveness in web applications. Safari took the first place in every test, beating Chrome, among others.
OS Compatibility
The Safari browser only works on Apple operating systems (macOS, iOS, iPadOS). The Windows version of Safari existed from 2007 to 2012, but has not been updated since then. There has never been an Android or Linux version.
Safari can be synced across devices.
Anonymity
8
Interface
10
Functionality
10
Extensions
8
Speed
10
OS Compatibility
5
Result
8.5
The fastest browser in the world (according to tests conducted by Apple). Frequently visited pages load an average of 50% faster than Chrome. Convenient, good-looking and reliable browser. The only drawback is that Safari is only available on Apple devices. For them it is probably the best choice: in terms of performance, power efficiency and functionality.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi is the spiritual successor of Opera 12, the last “real” Opera before the migration to Chromium. Vivaldi browser was created by one of the Opera founders, and in the first 10 days after its release, the app was downloaded half a million times. And now Vivaldi has about 2.5 million users in all.
In terms of its functionality Vivaldi is not inferior to more famous and popular browsers, it has:
its own translator, which works with 100 languages and can translate texts from websites or manually entered,
easy controls: the browser supports mouse clicks, mouse gestures and customizable keyboard shortcuts,
handy content organization system: with bookmarks, speed dial, tabs grouping by domain, tabs tiling to view 2 or more tabs in 1 window,
ads and trackers blocking.
The main feature of Vivaldi is a flexible interface, where you can set up everything, from the color scheme of the browser to the number of buttons on the sidebar. As the developers say: “Extreme customization. Better organization”:
tabs can be placed at the top, bottom, right or left,
panels can be added or removed: status, bookmarks, downloads, reading list, etc.,
favorite sites can be saved to the speed dial, the top bookmarks panel, or the sidebar,
you can add and remove buttons, choose type of controls (for example, sliders instead of buttons),
if you have too many tabs open, you can arrange them in two tiers or collapse all pages from one site into a stack to free up space and make it easier to navigate.
Thus, Vivaldi is a browser-constructor where everything can be customized to your comfort.
Anonymity
Viewing history and personal data are saved locally, on users' computers if possible, to prevent the possibility of these data leaking to third-party services. There are settings that prohibit access to geolocation, microphone and camera. There is phishing protection, built-in ad and tracker blocking. Besides, Vivaldi does not support FLoC advertising targeting technology from Google.
Interface
The interface is multilingual and very flexible: you can customize everything, from the width of the tabs to the appearance of the buttons. You can place panels all around the screen or hide them. You can add and remove buttons, change design themes, and add an unlimited number of sites to the speed dial.
Functionality
In addition to standard features like a password manager and picture-in-picture mode (for viewing videos on top of a window), there are some unique features. In particular, mail, calendar and newsfeed can be added to the sidebar. Any sites can also be added there. The built-in translator works not only with web pages, but also with pasted or typed in texts.
Extensions
All extensions from the Chrome web store are available in Vivaldi. To download them, you will need to log in to your Google account.
Speed
Since Vivaldi runs on Chrome's Blink engine, it shows speed comparable to Chrome. In addition, Vivaldi has an option to hibernate background tabs to free up system resources and thereby increase speed.
OS Compatibility
Newer versions of Vivaldi work on the following operating systems: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11, OS X High Sierra 10.13 and higher, 64-bit Ubuntu 14.04+, Debian 8+, openSUSE 13.3+, Fedora Linux 24+, Android 6 Marshmallow and higher. iOS/iPadOS is not supported.
Vivaldi can be synced across devices.
Anonymity
8
Interface
10
Functionality
10
Extensions
10
Speed
9
OS Compatibility
8
Result
9.2
Convenient and fast browser. A kind of hybrid of Opera (appearance) and Chrome (engine), with refined functionality. The main feature of Vivaldi is the ultra-flexible interface, which allows you to optimally customize the space: the location of the buttons, their controls and their appearance.