Say hello to Chrome: Five alternatives to Google's browser
Chrome may have become the default and synonym for the browser, but it does not have to be that way.
Here are 5 equally good alternatives to Chrome, with a different experience that do not make a profit on the back of your privacy
Niv Lillian
18/02/2022
Friday, 18 February 2022, 09:09 Updated: 12:55
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Chrome browser (Photo: AP)
Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, with over three billion users.
But Chrome, as you know, also belongs to Google.
And Google, well, let's say your privacy is not its top priority (successful quarterly earnings and reports come long before that). Recently there have been quite a few reports (we also reported here on the channel) about privacy issues in Chrome. So if you want to say hello to Chrome and stop Paying Google in the hard currency of your privacy, here are five successful alternatives.
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Microsoft Edge
Many of our readers, especially the older ones, do not remember Microsoft's youthful kindness because of Explorer.
Not only was he a major part of the browser wars, Explorer was simply a bad browser.
It was heavy and slow, and Microsoft insisted on shoving it down our throats - until Chrome came along.
But before you and I turn our noses at another browser from Microsoft that comes built-in with your Windows, Edge or Edge is not Explorer.
This is a completely different opera (deliberate pun):
First, Edge is based on chromium.
For those who do not know what it is, chromium is the open source version of chromium and on which chromium itself is also based.
Which means that in terms of engine, you get the same Chrome engine, which means you can also install all the plugins you are used to from Chrome, directly from the Chrome Web Store.
Microsoft Edge (Photo: Microsoft)
But Microsoft has added a million tweaks here, which integrate well if you work with other Microsoft tools anyway.
From information, through collections, advanced privacy settings, drowsy tabs to save resources and more full of useful features.
Give him a chance, he will surprise you.
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox is one of the oldest browsers in existence, and is produced by the non-profit foundation, Mozilla.
Although it has lost a huge market share in favor of Chrome, it is still one of the best privacy browsers available.
Besides it prevents the planting of trackers (small tracking components used to advertise and monitor your browsing) by default, and prevents documentation of your browsing "fingerprint" (there is such a thing), it contains lots of useful tools like password manager, video viewing within an image And more.
Firefox just got a fresh version this week, February 8th, it's version 97, and feel free to give it a try.
Firefox is available for all platforms you sell: Windows 11, Mac, Android, iOS and of course Linux.
Firefox is very popular among Linux users.
To download
Brave
Brave is a relatively young browser, but which has managed to gain momentum and make quite a bit of noise, and rightly so.
First it is a privacy-focused browser.
It blocks advertisements by default, which means you have faster browsing (Firefox does that too, by the way).
And he uses his own search engine, also called Brave.
It's also based on chromium, so all your plugins from the Chrome store will work here as well, and it has a few more intriguing features like crypto wallet management, or the ability to pay content creators you read online using Rewards, which is pretty cool.
To download
Brave browser (Photo: Brave)
Vivaldi
Last but not least - Vivaldi.
Vivaldi, as the composer is named, is a "son browser" of the popular opera, and is produced by a group of retired opera developers.
It is based on a combination of chromium with the engine in the link.
It includes full of built-in tools (even mail management software), and the main thing is the ability to customize it to your liking.
Vivaldi is built so that you can change and customize any part you want, along with advanced privacy features that we have already mentioned here from other browsers.
The people behind Vivaldi come with a very strong sense of privacy and social consciousness, and this is also evident in the browser, whose creators see its users as not just users but part of a social movement.
In short, Vivaldi is very different in landscape, and one of the most intriguing browsers.
To download
opera
If you are told Opera and you honestly think it's an outdated browser, think again.
In fact, Opera is not silent, and they are one of the most innovative browser companies in existence - if not the most innovative.
Aside from their various ventures in Africa, Opera released a crypto browser just a few weeks ago that also supports Web3, the next generation of the web and this is the first popular browser to do so, and right this week these lines are being written, they are also the first browser to support emoji URLs.
Opera has several "flavors", such as a mini browser designed to save memory on a smartphone while desktops and laptops have besides the crypto browser (which also includes a built-in wallet), also a dedicated browser for gamers called GX and their main browser loaded with all goodies: it has a free VPN Direct to messaging services so you can also manage your WhatsApp directly from the browser without the need for a dedicated tab, division into workspaces and lots and lots of features.
If you are looking for a browser that is also a powerful tool and centralizes every possible feature in one place, Opera is the browser for you.
To download
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