browser alternative zu safari

How-To Geek

The best browser for mac users (and safari alternatives).

Is Safari really the best choice, and what are the best alternatives?

Key Takeaways

• Safari is highly optimized for Apple hardware, but it may have limited web app compatibility and fewer extensions compared to browsers like Chrome.
• Firefox is a privacy-conscious alternative to Safari, offering features like Do Not Track and blocking invisible trackers. Chrome is the most popular browser, known for its compatibility and wide range of extensions, but it may compromise privacy. Consider trying other browsers like Edge and Vivaldi, or unique options like Arc for a different browsing experience.

Your choice of web browser can have a big impact on your Mac experience. From integration with the services you use to power efficiency and reliability, here’s how to decide which is best for you.

Safari is (Arguably) the Best Mac Browser

There are a few good reasons to pick Safari as your browser of choice if you’re a Mac user, especially if you use other Apple devices like an iPhone or iPad . It might surprise you to find out that you’re not alone, with Safari being the second most popular browser on the web thanks to its inclusion on both mobile and desktop devices.

Apple tightly optimizes Safari for use exclusively on Apple hardware. This means that Safari is highly power efficient on a Mac. When Apple gives an estimate of battery life on its latest Mac models for performing activities like “wireless web” they’re specifically referring to the use of Safari. The company is in a position where both the hardware and the software are designed in unison, so Apple is not bound by thousands of different hardware possibilities.

That helps Safari remain performant on Apple hardware too, a fact you can see for yourself using browser benchmarks like Speedometer 2.0 . In use, Safari feels snappy. The UI is small and non-intrusive, and you can even customize the toolbar using the right-click menu as you can other native Apple apps.

Safari is also loaded with familiar features and technology. iCloud makes it possible to share tab groups, browsing sessions, bookmarks, a Reading List, and even extensions with your iPhone or iPad. The Share menu works just as it does on the iPhone. Continuity makes it possible to quickly jump between devices by placing a small icon in your Mac dock.

Apple’s services work especially well in Safari. You can log in with your Apple ID using your fingerprint, pay for items using Apple Pay right in your browser, and use a variety of Shortcuts actions to build workflows that work using Safari .

Apple also makes it easy to add extensions using the Mac App Store. This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it adds an additional layer of protection against potentially harmful extensions. You can still choose to install unsigned extensions by enabling the Develop menu if you want.

In terms of privacy, Safari isn’t the best browser you can get your hands on but it’s far from the worst. The browser works with Apple’s iCloud Private Relay for iCloud+ subscribers, which anonymizes web requests using a two-step process . Do Not Track is enabled by default, and it provides partial protection against trackers.

You can’t get rid of Safari from your Mac, so it’s ready and waiting for you with every new Apple computer purchase (or every time you reset the operating system ). Apple is always updating and building upon Safari with enhancements, like macOS Sonoma’s ability to turn websites into app-like instances.

Want to Ditch Safari? Here's What to Use Instead

Though Safari is suitable for a wide range of users, it’s far from the last word when it comes to web browsers. It’s convenient and always there if you want it, but it’s not without its critics. One reason you might want to switch is web app compatibility, which can be limited on Safari due to its relatively narrow user base. A lot of Safari users are mobile users, and many services prefer to funnel these users into dedicated apps.

Safari lacks the compatibility of a browser like Chrome or Edge, which means some web apps will simply refuse to work in Safari and demand that you use something else instead. Perhaps worse still, some websites won’t warn you before they refuse to function as intended. You might get glitchy behavior that can be avoided by using another browser.

Safari also isn’t a “platform” quite in the same way that Chrome and similar browsers are. There is a huge range of extensions made with Chrome in mind (including browsers like Edge and Vivaldi), which might make such a platform more desirable if you live inside of browser extensions.

You may even find yourself with no choice but to use an alternative for work or education purposes. Some institutions refuse to support certain browsers, and since Safari is limited to Apple devices it’s easier to tailor an experience to a browser that has cross-platform compatibility.

If privacy is your main concern, Safari might not go far enough to protect you, and you may be tempted to move to something like Firefox instead.

Firefox is the Privacy-Conscious Safari Alternative

Mozilla’s browser is a solid alternative to Safari, with some excellent privacy considerations. Firefox enables Do Not Track by default and blocks both invisible trackers and tracking ads. Firefox even uses DuckDuckGo as its default search engine.

Firefox tests slower than Safari and Chrome in many benchmarks, but how much time this will save you during your daily surfing sessions is up for debate. The browser also enjoys a far wider range of extensions than Safari, though it still falls short of the Chromium family.

Like Safari, Firefox Sync allows you to share browsing sessions and bookmarks with other devices including Windows PCs and mobile platforms like iOS and Android. Firefox remains a browser of choice for those mostly concerned with web privacy and enjoys a loyal (if small) base of users.

Chrome is Number One for Compatibility and Extensions

Google Chrome is the behemoth of web browsers, with more than 60% of all web users choosing to use it. As such, it enjoys excellent compatibility with most websites and web apps, and some even insist on its use (or a similar Chromium-based browser).

Google Chrome fares poorly from a privacy standpoint , with Do Not Track disabled by default, and both invisible trackers and tracking ads able to track you unless you limit this behavior with extensions. On the plus side, there are a huge number of extensions and apps available for Chrome that can help remedy the problem.

Though Chrome has a bit of a reputation for being a resource hog, Google has attempted to address the problem with a feature called Chrome Memory Saver that is designed to purge websites from memory after a period of inactivity. The company also improved Chrome’s energy efficiency with Chrome Energy Saver Mode .

Chromium-Based Browsers Offer Unique Alternatives to Chrome

Chromium is the core open-source browser core on which Chrome and similar projects are built. This means you can have Chrome’s speed, compatibility, and even the full range of extensions without having to use the Google-branded variant.

There are plenty of other Chromium-based browser to choose from, such as Microsoft Edge which falls into the same privacy pitfalls as Chrome; Vivaldi with its customizable interface and email client; and Brave Browser which delivers a slightly confusing combination of cryptocurrency features, opt-in adverts, and privacy considerations.

For a no-frills experience, there’s also vanilla Chromium , the open-source version of Chrome to which Google contributes. Then there are projects like Ungoogled Chromium , which removes dependency on Google services and makes tweaks to enhance privacy.

Alternatively, Try Something Completely Unique

Arc is a browser that does things a little differently than most. Not only does it cull your tabs for you, but it also includes some unique features like side-by-side tab mode, note-taking and whiteboard functionality within the app, and a macOS Spotlight-esque command interface for getting around without touching your mouse.

We reviewed Arc in March 2023 and loved it, though the fledgling browser wasn’t without issues surrounding power consumption and general jitteriness. It’s now out of beta and things have settled down somewhat, so it might be worth a shot if you’re looking for a web browser that helps you stay neat and organized.

It’s far from the only weirdo browser out there though. Colibri is a browser that lacks tabs and emphasizes an uncluttered experience. It’s designed to force you into more mindful browser sessions. Tor is a browser designed for browsing the dark web , but there are other private browsers like Mulvad and Waterfox that you might want to use instead.

The Case for Multiple Browsers

There are so many compelling reasons to use Safari that we think it’s the best choice for most users. Failing that, Firefox offers a solid browsing experience that respects your privacy.

It’s a good idea to have more than one browser installed for those times when you encounter difficulties with your primary choice. On top of this, you can kit a second browser out with extensions that might make certain web operations easier to complete.

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The best web browsers for 2024

All web browsers have the same basic function, and yet, the choice between them has always been one of the most contentious in tech history. You have more options these days than ever before, whether you’re looking for the best web browser for privacy , the best for speed, or perhaps something a bit more adventurous.

To help you decide on the best web browser, we grabbed the latest browsers and put them through their paces. Even if some could use a complete overhaul, these options are your best chance for a great online experience.

The best web browser: Google Chrome

Chrome is ubiquitous — and for good reason. With a robust feature set, full Google Account integration, a thriving extension ecosystem (available through the Chrome Web Store), and a reliable suite of mobile apps, it’s easy to see why Chrome is the most popular and the best web browser.

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Chrome boasts some of the most extensive mobile integration available. Served up on every major platform, keeping data in sync is easy, making browsing between multiple devices a breeze. Sign in to your Google account on one device, and all Chrome bookmarks, saved data, and preferences come right along. Even active extensions stay synchronized across devices.

Chrome’s Password Manager can automatically generate and recommend strong passwords when a user creates a new account on a webpage. Managing saved passwords and adding notes to passwords is even easier. The search bar, or Omnibox, provides “rich results” comprised of useful answers, and it now supports generative AI capabilities. Favorites are more accessible as well, and they’re manageable on the New Tab page. And it’s now easier to mute tabs to avoid unwanted sounds.

Other updates have included a Dark Mode for Windows and macOS , better New Tab customization and tab group creation, tab hover cards, and an in-browser warning if your password was discovered in a data breach. There’s a price tracking feature that can help locate the best deals. Android users will appreciate the Phone Hub for linking and monitoring their phones. There’s also the ability to quiet notifications, so websites don’t bombard you with requests to enable in-browser notifications.

What’s the bottom line? The Google Chrome browser is fast, free, and even better looking than before. With a thriving extension ecosystem, it’s as fully featured or as pared-down as you want it to be. Everything is right where it belongs, privacy and security controls are laid out in plain English, and the browser just gets out of your way. While it can be a little RAM-hungry at times , Google is working to make it more efficient — like Microsoft’s Edge, Google can now hibernate tabs in the background to stop them from using too many resources.

Overall, Chrome remains the best web browser download for the average user.

And, things are looking to get even better. Google announced some significant upgrades to the browser that haven’t gone live yet, to celebrate Chrome’s 15th birthday . A Material You design language will allow users to customize Chrome’s look and feel and attach themes to profiles to make it easy to tell them apart. The menu system will be revamped to provide easier access to a variety of settings and features including Extensions, Password Manager, Translate, and others. The Chrome Web Store will be redesigned using Material You to be easier to use, and AI will help identify useful extensions. And finally, Safe Browsing will now work in real time to protect against threats.

The best Chrome alternative: Microsoft Edge

In response to the market’s rejection of its original home-grown Edge browser, Microsoft rewrote Edge using the open-source Chromium web browser engine. The new Edge launched on February 5, 2020 , as a separate, stand-alone browser that replaced the integrated version. It became part of Windows 10 with the May 2020 update, although you can still download it for Windows 10 builds prior to version 2004. Of course, it’s the default web browser for Windows 11.

At first glance, the new Edge browser looks and feels like Google Chrome. It prompts you to import Chrome’s bookmarks toolbar and other settings. This is great if you hated the old Edge browser and want to give Microsoft’s new browser another shot. It also supports Chrome extensions , though the browser leads you to the Microsoft Store for add-ons. You must manually load the Chrome Web Store to install anything not listed in Microsoft’s repository.

However, it’s not Chrome with a Windows 11 theme. Microsoft reportedly disabled many features, including Google’s Safe Browsing API, ad blocking, speech input, Google-centric services, and more. In return, the company worked to optimize Edge and reduce its footprint while continuing to add new, Microsoft-oriented features. As of January 2023, Edge is the most efficient browser in terms of memory usage. It also allows sleeping tabs, to let tabs release their resources when they haven’t been used for some time.

Features launched since its release have included the new Edge Sidebar that provides easy access to various tools, more flexibility in managing how Edge starts up, Citations to make it easier for students to cite sources, and various other updates to make the browser more productive. Edge Workspaces lets users organize tasks into dedicated windows, and Microsoft has continuously tweaked various features, like the Edge Sidebar, to make them more user-friendly.

Microsoft Edge also provides simpler privacy settings and security updates. Microsoft Edge uses a graphically friendly interface that displays three security levels: Basic, Balanced, and Strict. With Balanced set as the default, many sites request you to disable your pop-up blocker even though one isn’t manually installed. All in all, we’re very optimistic that Edge is on its way to challenging Chrome as the best web browser.

The best Chromium alternative: Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is the best browser that’s not based on the Chromium browser engine. Mozilla has taken real strides to make its browser a truly modern way to surf from site to site, thanks to efforts like its upgrade to Firefox Quantum , its VR alternative Firefox Reality , and password-free browsing .

It wasn’t too long ago that Mozilla rebuilt the browser’s interface, offering a cleaner, more modern take on what a web browser should be. The changes weren’t just skin-deep, however. There’s some impressive engineering going on behind the scenes.

For example, Firefox Quantum is designed to leverage multicore processors in ways that its competitors just aren’t doing. It was not designed to make a huge difference in your day-to-day browsing, but Mozilla hopes this design will give Firefox Quantum an edge moving forward. By engineering for the future now, Firefox Quantum is in a better position to take advantage of quicker processors as they emerge.

Some Firefox strengths include privacy protections with SmartBlock anti-tracker support, improved password syncing across devices, enhanced readability, integrated breach alerts, and a Protections Dashboard that provides a summary of how Firefox protects your privacy behind the scenes. WebRender improves the graphics performance on Windows PCs with Intel and AMD CPUs.

Recent updates include easier download management, captions, and subtitle support on YouTube, Prime Video, and Netflix videos watched in picture-in-picture mode, HDR support in macOS, and the ability to edit PDFs with text, drawings, and signatures. Firefox can also recognize text from an image, which is copied to the clipboard when selected. Finally, Firefox Colorways provides new options for optimizing how Firefox looks on-screen.

Beneath those changes, Firefox remains a comfortable, familiar standby. It’s a capable browser with a deep catalog of extensions and user interface customization. While managing settings across platforms isn’t as seamless as Google Chrome , the mobile browser app lets you share bookmarks between devices when using a free Firefox account.

There’s a bit of a fringe benefit, too. Since it’s been around longer than Chrome, some older web apps — the likes of which you might encounter at your university or workplace — work better on Firefox than they do on Chrome. For that reason, it never hurts to keep it around.

Overall, Firefox is more privacy-centric than Chrome and comparably fast, but its feature set isn’t quite as expansive elsewhere. If you like the sound of this, download the Firefox browser today.

The most innovative web browser: Opera

Another venerable browser and popular alternative, the Opera browser shares much of Chrome’s DNA and deserves its place as one of the best web browsers. Like both Edge and Chrome, Opera is built on Google’s open-source Chromium engine and, as a result, they all have a very similar user experience. Both feature a hybrid URL/search bar, and both are relatively light and fast.

The differences appear when you look at Opera’s built-in features. Where Chrome relies on an extension ecosystem to provide functionality users might want, Opera has a few more features baked right into the browser itself. It introduced a predictive website preload ability, and an Instant Search feature isolates search results in their separate window while the current page fades into the background, letting users more easily focus on the research task at hand.

You can install extensions from the Opera Add-ons store , which are just like Chrome extensions. Similar to Google’s browser, you’ll find useful tools like Giphy, Amazon Assistant, Avast Online Security, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and more. If Chrome’s wide variety of extensions is important to you, then Opera becomes an intriguing alternative. It might just be one of the best browsers for quickly navigating web pages.

Opera also features a built-in “Stash” for saving pages to read later. There’s no need to sign up for a Pocket or Evernote account to save a page for later reading. Similarly, Opera features a speed-dial menu that puts all your most frequently visited pages in one place. Google Chrome also does this, but only on a blank new tab. Finally, Opera has a built-in unlimited VPN service, making it a more secure browser option.

The biggest changes came with Opera 60 and Reborn 3, a complete revamp that brought a new borderless design, Web 3 support, and a Crypto Wallet, allowing users to prepare for blockchain-based sites. With version 69, Opera became the first browser with a built-in Twitter tool, and the company has added others as well including Instagram and TikTok. Just click the icon on the toolbar, log in to your account, and tweet away right from within the slide-out menu.

Other recent advancements include Lucid Mode, which sharpens video playing on a variety of platforms, supports emojis instead of web links, and other enhancements. The Opera Sidebar adds new functionality much like Edge’s Sidebar, allowing quick access to various Opera features. And Opera Aria adds new generative AI capabilities built right into the browser.

You can see that we’re well into hair-splitting territory, which is why it’s important to remember that your choice of browser is, more than any other service or app you use each day, entirely dependent on your personal preferences — what feels most right for you. The Opera web browser has a unique look and feel, and it combines some of the best features of Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Alternative browsers

While the preceding browsers will meet most users’ needs, other alternatives exist for anyone looking for something different. This section is for those who have a more niche preference in web browsers  or want to try something new.

Apple Safari

If you use Apple devices exclusively, Safari is already your default browser. It’s also significantly faster than in the past, surpassing Chrome in its quickness. It’s integrated into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, and you’ll likely get better battery life thanks to Apple’s in-house optimizations and the underlying hardware.

Safari also focuses a great deal on privacy and security. If you want to minimize how you’re tracked and whether Big Brother is looking over your shoulder, then Safari is a good choice. If you also use an iPhone and/or an iPad, then using Safari on your Mac will make for the most seamless transition between platforms. Open websites on an iPad or iPhone are carried over to macOS.

Safari is not offered outside the Apple ecosystem.

Vivaldi Browser

The Vivaldi browser is truly unique. No two Vivaldi users will have the same setup. When you run it for the first time, you’re guided through a setup process that lays out your browser in a way that makes sense for you. You choose where your tabs and address bar go and whether you want browser tabs displayed at the top of the page or in a separate side panel. This is a browser built from the ground up to deliver a unique user experience, and for the most part, it succeeds. Vivaldi 2.0 enhanced the customization features and made them easier to access.

This browser excels at customization, and you can choose from a variety of tasteful themes that don’t feel dated or out of place on a modern PC, in addition to the aforementioned UI choices. It also has some standout privacy-enhancing features, like its team-up with DuckDuckGo to make the non-tracking search tool the default option when in privacy mode.

Finally, recent updates added more powerful tab management, enhancements like Web Panels that make for smarter browsing, and (as mentioned) even more powerful customization options. Other new updates include a built-in ad blocker, a built-in tracker blocker, a clock in the Status Bar, a new Notes Manager, and a Break Mode for pausing the internet while keeping the browser open.

Brave Browser

One of the most unusual browsers around is Brave — or, perhaps, it’s Brave’s business model that’s the strangest. Brave blocks all ads on all web pages by default, which makes it arguably the fastest browser around. Ads are a huge portion of how many websites make money — block these ads, and suddenly the most important web financial tool is eliminated.

That’s where the Brave Rewards program comes in. Users receive Basic Attention Tokens (BATs) when they view alternative ads that Brave places in the browsing stream. Users can pass along a portion of their tokens to publishers. As of January 2021, there were over 70,000 websites that supported BAT-based transactions through the Brave browser, including Wikipedia, The Guardian, WikiHow, MacRumors, and more.

What’s in it for users? Simply put, if you’re not waiting for ads to download along with website content, then your web experience will feel much faster. Brave performs no user tracking, making it ideal for private browsing as well.

Tor Browser

The Tor Browser is a version of Firefox that serves one very specific purpose: A simple entry point for The Onion Router, or Tor .

Tor is software combined with an open network aimed at making you invisible by routing your traffic through several anonymous servers. While it’s not foolproof, it’s very difficult for someone to identify you when you’re properly configured and using something like the Tor Browser to surf the web — especially if combined with a VPN .

There are many legitimate uses of the Tor Browser and the Tor network. It’s a good choice for people who live in countries with repressive governments, as well as journalists and activists. The dark web is also one of the destinations for people using Tor, which includes many nefarious and illegal sites.

In any event, if you want to remain completely anonymous while surfing the web, the Tor Browser and network are for you. If you want a more mainstream alternative, Opera includes a VPN component, but it’s far less private.

Avast Secure Browser

Avast Secure Browser first arrived as the Opera-based Avast Safezone Browser in 2016 as part of the Avast Antivirus paid bundle. It was revised and rebranded in 2018 as a free stand-alone product based on Chromium. Originally the “SafeZone” aspect kicked in when users visited websites to make purchases or manage money.

Avast Secure Browser provides several built-in tools to protect your data and privacy. These include an anti-phishing module, fingerprinting and online tracking prevention, an ad blocker, and a Webcam Guard tool to control which websites can access your camera. The Hack Check tool will determine if your info was leaked in a data breach.

Avast Secure Browser is a stand-alone download for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The desktop version doesn’t include an integrated VPN but instead directs users to download the company’s separate SecureLine VPN software. The listed Bank Mode — part of the Avast Free Antivirus client — flips on when users load a banking website.

Best web browser features — what to look for

Benchmark tests.

Notice we don’t include Safari in our main comparison. Apple’s Safari web browser is unavailable on Windows, Android, or Chrome OS, so we removed it from our primary list.

Most browsers are compatible with web standards and handle performance with relative ease. A casual user probably won’t notice a difference in the rendering speed between today’s modern browsers, as all six are much faster and leaner than those of a few years ago.

We ran the following benchmarks on a desktop with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid-state drive, and Windows 11. All browsers were clean installs of the most current production versions as of January 2023, and all were run at their default settings.

First, JetStream 2 is a JavaScript and WebAssembly benchmark. It tests how quickly a web browser can start and execute code, and how smoothly it runs. Higher numbers are better.

Notice how all three Chromium-based browsers outperform Firefox. In fact, there’s very little difference between them, while Firefox’s performance is quite poor by comparison.

The next test we ran was Speedometer 2.0 . It measures how responsive a browser is to web applications by repeatedly adding a large number of items to a to-do list. Higher numbers are better.

Here, Opera led the pack, with Chrome and Edge running nearly neck to neck. Firefox came in last here with a relatively low score.

Finally, we tested how much RAM each browser uses, both with no tabs open and then with 10 tabs open accessing the same popular sites. We made sure that each browser had no extensions running, and we let each browser settle in before looking at its memory use. For the test with 10 tabs open, we averaged memory use when all the tabs were opened and then five minutes later to account for any variability.

It’s not a scientific test, but it should be sound enough to give you an idea of which browsers are the most and least efficient in terms of taking up your RAM. We found Opera to use the least amount of RAM when first opened, barely ahead of Edge, while Chrome used the most. Edge used the least with all 10 tabs loaded by a significant margin, a third or less than the other browsers. Chrome used the most with all 10 tabs open, and Firefox and Opera weren’t far behind.

Security and privacy

The most valuable tool for secure and private browsing is user discretion, especially when you consider that every web browser has encountered security breaches in the past. In particular, Internet Explorer and Chrome’s reputations for protecting users’ security and privacy credentials are spotty at best.

Chrome, Safari, Vivaldi, Opera, and Firefox all rely on Google’s Safe Browsing API to detect potentially dangerous sites. Thanks to constant updates, Mozilla, Chrome, and Opera all make constant security improvements. Microsoft disabled this API in Edge.

All browsers offer a private session option, too. Private sessions prevent the storage of browsing history, temporary internet files, and cookies. Browser support for Do Not Track remains spotty.

Mozilla made some strides in differentiating itself from others with a real focus on privacy in recent years. It even debuted a Facebook Container  in 2018 to make it harder for the social network to harvest user information.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to use a VPN when browsing the web? 

You do not have to use a VPN when browsing the internet. However, a VPN can be a good tool to use as it protects your privacy and data by creating a secure and encrypted data tunnel between your browser and a VPN server. In turn, that server creates a secure and encrypted connection between it and the target website.

As a result, the website can’t identify you personally, nor can it see your true geological location or internet address. Not even your ISP knows where you’re surfing or the device you use with a VPN enabled. Some VPN services are free while others require a subscription. We have a list of the current best VPN services .

Which browser is most used in the world? 

Google Chrome leads the web browser market with a 64.68% share, according to Statcounter . Apple Safari follows with 18.29%, Edge at 4.23%, Mozilla Firefox at 3.01%%, and Opera at 2.25%. Internet Explorer is still in use with 0.81%, while Microsoft Edge “Legacy” is fading out at 0.32%.

What are the best ad blockers to use for your browser? 

We have a guide on the best ad blockers for Google Chrome , but here’s a short list:

• AdBlock and AdBlock Plus
• AdGuard (Chrome only)
• CyberSec by NordVPN
• Poper Blocker (Chrome only)
• Stands Fair AdBlocker (Chrome only)
• uBlock Origin (Chrome and Firefox only)

What is browser fingerprinting and how can you prevent it? 

Websites want to know everything about you: Your tastes, your habits, and where you like to surf. When you load a website, it quietly runs scripts in the background that collect information about you and your device. The operating system, the web browser, all installed extensions, your time zone — all of this information is strung together to create a “fingerprint,” which in turn can be used to trace you across the internet via cross-site tracking.

Avast provides a detailed explanation and outlines various forms of fingerprinting. For example, the “canvas” method forces the browser to draw an image or text in the background, without the user knowing, to determine the operating system, web browser, graphics card, installed drivers, and the current font style. Device fingerprinting determines all internal and external device components.

As your fingerprint is tracked across the internet, this “profile” can be sold to data brokers, who then resell the data to advertisers. It’s a more silent means of gathering information about you versus using cookies that require your consent. The problem is, browser fingerprinting is still perfectly legal.

The best way to prevent browser fingerprinting is by randomizing and generalizing data. Third-party software like Avast AntiTrack does this by inserting “fake” data when website scripts try to collect your information. However, this tool allows scripts to continue running in the background so the website doesn’t “break.”

Many browsers offer some type of anti-fingerprinting protection. These include Avast Secure Browser (see above), Brave Browser (randomization), Mozilla Firefox (blocks fingerprinting scripts), and Tor Browser (generalization).

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Mark has been a geek since MS-DOS gave way to Windows and the PalmPilot was a thing. He’s translated his love for technology into a marketing, consulting, and freelance writing career aimed at helping people use technology to enhance their lives. At Digital Trends, he reviews laptops and desktops, including the latest from HP, Dell, Lenovo, Apple, and more, and writes news and easy to understand how-to articles about the computing industry as a whole.

When he’s not writing, you’ll find him reading and watching science fiction, taking photos with his family, and obsessing over Indiana University basketball.

Laptop Reviews

Best Budget Laptops Best 2-in-1 Laptops Best Business Laptops Best Laptops Under $1,000

It’s all change at Dell this year with the Dell XPS 16 replacing the Dell XPS 17 and the Dell XPS 15 gradually seeing fewer updates. That means if you’re still keen to snag a Dell XPS 15 or 17, your chance to do so is running out. That’s why it’s great to see some excellent laptop deals for both models with up to $900 to be saved at the moment. If you’re looking for a new laptop, read on while we guide you through what each laptop has to offer. Dell XPS 17 -- $1,949, was $2,849

The Dell XPS 17 remains a good option for anyone seeking a powerful laptop that works well as a desktop replacement. It has a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13700H processor with a massive 32GB of memory so it’s ideal for all kinds of productivity-based tasks such as if you need to manage many spreadsheets at once or if you just prefer to have a lot of windows open at once. It also has 1TB of SSD storage while it can handle plenty of gaming too thanks to its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. Its display is a 17-inch full HD+ model with 1920 x 1200 resolution, anti-glare properties, and 500 nits of brightness so it looks great. Other quality of life improvements include plenty of USB-C ports, up to 14 hours of battery life, a great cooling system, and a form factor that means it squeezes a 17-inch display into a 15-inch form size. It also has a large edge-to-edge backlit keyboard, comfortable touchpad, and large keycaps so it feels good to work on as you’d expect from the makers of some of the best laptops.

You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to be able to get a decent gaming laptop, as there are budget-friendly options like the Dell G15 with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card. It's currently even cheaper at just $700, following a $200 discount on its original price of $900. We're not sure how much time is remaining on this offer though, so if you think this is the perfect gaming laptop for you, stop hesitating and proceed with the purchase immediately to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Dell G15 gaming laptop The Dell G15 is highlighted in our list of the best gaming laptops as the best budget gaming laptop under $1,000, as it provides dependable performance while staying affordable for most gamers. It's equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, which is perfect for budget gaming, and pairs it with the 13th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM. These specifications are more than enough to be able to play the best PC games, though you may have to dial down the settings for the more demanding titles.

Intel has a lot riding on its next-gen Battlemage graphics architecture, and a very early benchmark shows some promising signs for performance. An Intel Lunar Lake CPU packing a low-power integrated Battlemage GPU was reportedly spotted in the SiSoftware benchmark database. It boasts not only higher performance than Intel's Meteor Lake chips, but also much better efficiency.

User @miktdt on X (formerly Twitter) spotted the result, which appears to come from an early qualification sample of the HP Spectre x360 14. The benchmark picked up that the laptop was using a Lunar Lake CPU, which is said to come with the Xe2-LPG architecture, a lower-power version of Battlemage.

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Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best for 2024?

Don't take your browser for granted we help you narrow your options by comparing the best web browsers on speed, privacy, and other important features..

Most people browse the web using Google Chrome without really thinking about their options. Gmail or YouTube or some other site once suggested they use Chrome, and perhaps they never questioned it. The truth is you do have options when it comes to your web browser, and you may find another that serves your needs better. Browsers offer varying levels of privacy, security , performance, and power efficiency. They differ even more when it comes to unique and helpful features beyond merely displaying websites.

Here we examine the top five browsers in the US, in order of popularity. That criterion rules out  Brave  and  Vivaldi , with usage rates hovering near or below 1%, even though they are both first-class browsers. If you're interested in those two, check out our article on the  best alternative web browsers . Or, if your utmost concern is security, see what makes the best private browsers different.

Below are short reviews of the top five browsers. After that, keep reading for more information about the browser landscape, additional details about our testing, and advice on what you should take into consideration when choosing a web browser.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome Web Browser

Most people need no introduction to the search behemoth's browser, Google Chrome. It’s attractively designed and quick at loading pages. Most website codes now target Chrome, so compatibility is seldom an issue. Chrome is available for all major platforms, and the mobile version offers syncing of bookmarks, passwords, and settings.

Chrome doesn't have many unique browsing features, however, and it's the only browser included here that you won't find in the desktop app stores for macOS and Windows. There’s no built-in VPN, no cryptocurrency locker, no note feature, and no screenshot tool. Google has announced a feeble gesture towards adding a reading mode; feeble because it will only be in a sidebar, with the full, noisy distracting page still displaying in the main central browser window. The lack of a true reading mode makes sense for a company that earns its keep through web ads since reading modes hide them. All the other browsers here have full-page reading modes.

Chrome allows multiple user profiles, meaning different users of the same computer can have their own browser settings, history, and favorites. The browser also finally caught up with others by adding a Share icon to the address bar that eases sending sites via social media or email.

A few years ago, Google controversially announced it would be removing the API function that allowed ad-blocker software to fully block ads. As of now, it seems ad blockers may be limited starting at some point in 2024. Some Chrome development, though, has centered around security and privacy, notably among them a plan to kill off tracking cookies in favor of Google's tracking mechanisms. The company's Privacy Sandbox initiative (in development) tries to cater to both  ad targeting and user privacy . Some worry both of these developments will only result in more consolidation of the company's grip on web advertising and user profiling.

Apple Safari

Apple Safari 5

The default Mac and iOS browser is a strong choice, though its interface has some nonstandard elements. Safari was a forerunner in several areas of browser features. For example, it was the first with a Reading mode, which cleared unnecessary clutter like ads and videos from web articles you want to read. That feature debuted in 2010 and has made its way into all other browsers except for Chrome.

Apple has brought up the topic of fingerprinting protection—preventing web trackers from identifying you by your system specs. Unfortunately, the EFF's Cover Your Tracks test site only shows partial protection from trackers in Safari, while several competitors get a result of Strong protection. Other benefits include Apple Pay support and a "Sign in with Apple" feature to replace Facebook and Google as web account authorizers.

In macOS Monterey, the browser gained a compact tab bar with floating tabs like Firefox's and Tab Groups that live in a convenient sidebar, and with Ventura , they become shareable and pinnable. Safari also supports Apple's proprietary Shared with You feature in its proprietary iMessage system. For iCloud+ subscribers, a Private Relay obscures your IP address, similar to a VPN.

If you use an iPhone and a Mac, Safari integration makes a lot of sense, since Apple’s Handoff feature lets you continue your browsing session between devices. Safari trails other browsers on support for emerging HTML features, but we haven’t run into or heard of any major site incompatibilities with it.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge Web Browser

The latest version of Microsoft Edge uses Chrome’s webpage-rendering code, Chromium, guaranteeing site compatibility and freeing up its developers to add unique features. You won’t run into the site incompatibilities users of the previous incarnation of Edge occasionally encountered, and the browser performs snappily. Edge now runs on Apple macOS and Windows 11 and earlier. Mobile versions for Android and iPhone let you sync history, favorites, and passwords.

Edge is a leader in performance, thrifty memory management, and disk usage. Startup Boost technology reduces the time it takes to open the browser, and sleeping tabs save memory on tabs you're not viewing. Edge's Efficiency mode can extend laptop battery life. The initial focuses for the browser were privacy, the customizable start page, and the intriguing Collections feature for web research. For enterprise customers who still rely on Internet Explorer to run legacy programs, Edge offers an IE Mode .

The Collections feature uses a sidebar onto which you can drag webpages and images, write notes, and then share the whole assemblage to Excel, OneNote, or Word. It's a great organization and planning tool . Edge's Immersive Reader mode not only offers distraction-free web reading, stripping out ads and nonessential eye candy, but it can also read webpage text aloud using lifelike Neural Voices. It's worth trying because it reads with sentence intonation, rather than simply word by word, as we’ve come to expect text-to-speech audio.

Other notable Edge options include built-in web sharing, tabs down the side rather than across the top, a built-in screenshot tool, automatic coupons for shopping sites, and timely themes to dress up your browser. Recent additions include a side panel that integrates the new Bing AI chat search , game controller haptic feedback, and a multitasking side toolbar that lets you access first- and third-party services for social networking, search, messaging, search, and productivity.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox Web Browser

Firefox, an open-source project from the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation, has long been a PCMag favorite. The browser has pioneered many web capabilities and the organization that develops it has been a strong advocate for online privacy. It’s also notable for its wealth of available extensions. The unique Multi-Account Containers extension lets you sequester multiple logins to the same site on different tabs. Without it, you'd have to open a private browsing window or another browser to sign out of all your web accounts and start a fresh session.

Mozilla’s browser is in the vanguard of supporting new HTML and CSS capabilities, and the company is working on open-source AR and speech synthesis standards. The organization now offers a full password management service called Lockwise, which can generate complex passwords, sync them between devices, and secure everything under a strong master password. That and the organization's VPN offering are paid extras.

The mobile Firefox apps offer excellent interfaces, and you can send a webpage tab from any device to any others that are logged into your syncing account. That’s right: You can be reading a webpage on your desktop PC, and have it instantly open on your iPhone or vice versa. It's a slick and useful feature.

If that’s not enough, Firefox has a Pocket button in the address bar, letting you save a page for later viewing anywhere with one click. The Reader View button declutters a webpage loaded with ads, promos, and videos, so you can peruse it with no distractions. PiP video supports closed captions and HDR and AV1 video formats. The browser is ultra customizable, letting you select and arrange buttons on the toolbar to taste, as well as select from a large number of Theme add-ons that change window border patterns and colors.

Recent additions include PDF editing and the Firefox View feature, basically a pinned tab of recent sites that syncs between the desktop and mobile versions of the browser.

Opera Web Browser

Perennially hovering around the 2% usage level, the Opera browser has long been a pioneer in the segment, inventing basic browser innovations like tabs, CSS, and the built-in search box. Opera can make a bigger privacy claim than the other browsers here—if you’re a believer in VPNs. It includes a built-in VPN (actually an encrypted proxy server) that protects and reroutes traffic from Opera to cloak your IP address. Opera uses the Chromium page-rendering engine, so you'll rarely run into site incompatibilities, and performance is fast. It's available for all major platforms, and the Opera Touch mobile browser is a beautifully designed app that connects (via quick QR scan) to your desktop.

Beyond the VPN, another unique feature in Opera is its built-in ad blocker, which also blocks crypto-mining scripts and trackers. Ad blocking also means less data consumed, especially of interest to those using metered connections or mobile plans with data caps.

More unique features in Opera include its Speed Dial start and New Tab page, as well as its quick-access sidebar of frequently needed services like WhatsApp or Spotify. My Flow lets you send webpages and notes between devices easily. The browser also includes a video pop-out window, a Pinboard feature similar to Edge's Collections, and a Workspaces feature that lets you create function-based tab views. Opera uniquely offers a cryptocurrency wallet as an option, which supports most popular tokens.

Opera offers a gaming version called Opera GX , and the company recently bought a gaming engine , moving into that specialty even further. The company also offers a futuristic secure Crypto Browser for navigating Web3 . And like Edge, Opera is adding AI ChatGPT capabilities to the browser , starting with a summarizer tool for text you highlight or even full sites.

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About Michael Muchmore

PC hardware is nice, but it’s not much use without innovative software. I’ve been reviewing software for PCMag since 2008, and I still get a kick out of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine , the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft win and misstep up to the latest Windows 11.

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Best Safari Alternatives for Mac, Windows, Android, and iPhone in 2024

Check out this entire list of the best Safari alternatives for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices that are worth trying and reliable. 

Safari is one of the best internet or web browsers of all time. This browser comes integrated with every iOS and macOS-based device. All in all the browser is the first choice of users of macOS and iOS, but they may be missing out on something.

There are certain drawbacks of using the Safari browser that makes everyone question its relevance. For example, Safari is not available for Windows or Android Devices. Moreover, some experts also claim that the browser is not as private as it seems. Apart from these, the browser does not support some of the most popular plugins or extensions like other browsers. The closed-source base of the software is also a mood-killer for some users. Lastly, another drawback of the browser is that it lacks some basic features required to run some websites, forcing the websites to fail.

All these problems have only one solution, try one of the best Safari alternatives.

This is what the entire thread of this article is focused on.

Here you will find the best alternative to Safari for you. With the help of at least one of the provided alternatives, you can surf the internet as required and gain a much better surfing experience than you would have with Safari.

Top 8 Best Safari Alternatives for iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac

The coming sections of this article will list and describe some of the best Safari alternatives for you. All the alternatives provided are compatible with Windows, iOS, macOS, and Android devices. Hence, you will not face any problems in downloading and using any alternative to Safari. First, go through the entire list of the tools including their descriptions, and then use any of these as suited.

1. Google Chrome

Compatibility: Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, and Chromebook.

Everyone knows about the Google Chrome browser. This is one of the best and fastest browsers for Windows , Mac, and various other operating systems and one of the most amazing Safari browsers. With the help of this browser, you can execute a lot of different tasks. For ease of the same, you will find a plethora of extensions of the Chrome Store helping with varied tasks.

Features of Google Chrome: The Best Safari Alternative

• The browser is available to you for free of any cost across all platforms or operating systems.
• The smart settings of the browser make it quite futuristic and reliable for all.
• Even beginners and professionals can easily get the most out of the browser with ease.
• The browser also offers ad-blocking features to you.

Download Google Chrome Now!

Also Read: Best Free Anonymous Browsers for Privacy

2. Opera Browser

The next name on this list of the best Safari alternatives for iPhone, Mac, and more is Opera Browser. Why can this browser be a viable alternative you ask? The answer is it’s lightweight. The browser is quite lightweight and does not take up much of your system’s resources to run. Moreover, it also comes in various editions like Opera Mini (even lighter), Opera GX (gaming browser), Opera Crypto Browser (Web3 browser), etc.

Features of Opera: The Best Safari Browser Alternative

• The app offers integrated messaging services for various social media platforms, making it easier to access.
• The app comes with an integrated ad-blocker for a better surfing experience.
• You will also get the advantage of an integrated and free VPN with the browser.
• The software allows you to run anything in the background by putting a floatable player on the side.

Download Opera Now!

3. Microsoft Edge

Compatibility: Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, and Chromebooks.

Microsoft Edge is a cutting-edge and advanced browser and one of the best Safari alternatives. The browser is quite well-known and really used by thousands online. The reason is the trust behind Microsoft and it comes integrated with the most widely used operating system, Windows.

Features of Microsoft Edge: Safari Alternative for Mac, iOS, and More

• The browser offers amazing browsing speed to you.
• If you want to play online games using the browser, then this is the best Safari alternative.
• The tool comes with integrated Defender features that protect you against online threats.
• The browser offers a vertical tab management system to you that makes it feasible for you to switch.
• You can download and use various extensions and plugins on the browser as well.

Download Microsoft Edge Now!

4. Brave Browser

Brave browser is indeed amongst the best Safari alternatives for Windows, Android, and other operating systems. This browser was created by a co-developer of Google Chrome but Brave offers even more and better features than Chrome. The ad-blocking features of the tool are quite strong and unbeatable.

Features of Brave Browser: Best Alternative to Safari

• The browser allows you to surf, earn, and use the credits on various sources.
• Compared to Chrome, Brave is over three times faster and smoother.
• The online privacy mode of the browser is quite amazing and strong.
• If you are using any other browser right now, Brave allows you to migrate the data from the device for better assistance.

Download Brave Browser Now!

Also Read: Best Browser for Android TV

The next name on this list of the best Safari alternatives is the Vivaldi browser. This is an amazing browser that’s relatively popular for its lightning-fast performance. The personalization features offered by Vivaldi are quite amazing and much more than any other browser.

Features of Vivaldi: The Best Safari Alternative

• The browser allows you to review your activity online and the total threats blocked by the software.
• You can block all third-party ads and pop-ups with the help of this browser.
• This is an amazing browser that allows you to customize the toolbar for effective usage.
• The browser offers you a plethora of themes to select from and also allows you to share the same with others.
• You can edit and map various shortcuts with the browser.

Download Vivaldi Now!

6. UR Browser

Compatibility: Windows and macOS

Another amazing addition to this list of the best Safari alternatives for Windows and macOS is the UR Browser. Apart from being ultra-fast, the browser is quite safe to use as well. The tool comes with an integrated virus scanner that protects your device from virus attacks originating from unreliable websites.

Features of UR Browser: Safari Alternative for Mac

• The app allows you to set privacy metrics and follows the same for your safety.
• You can surf a variety of themes and use them on your browser for amazing looks.
• The browser supports news and tabs on the homepage for easier and better navigation.
• The downloading speed offered by the software is quite amazing and unbreakable.

Download UR Browser Now!

7. Tor Browser

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux.

The last name on this list of the best and most reliable Safari alternatives is Tor Browser. If you already know about the Tor Project, then the Tor browser is a product of the same project. This is the most amazing browser that can block a series and variety of trackers and protects your device from threats.

Features of Tor Browser: Alternative to Safari

• The browser is multilingual and hence, supports a variety of languages. 30+ and still counting.
• No one can ever monitor your surfing history or patterns if you use this browser for security.
• The browser does not leave any digital fingerprints and hence retina your privacy to the best.
• The multi-layered encryption features of the browser can not be found in any other alternative or browser available online for you.

Download Tor Browser Now!

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android

Let us introduce you to Maxthon. It is among the best free Safari alternatives because it perfectly combines a notebook application, screenshot app, mail program, browser, and password manager. Moreover, it boasts the following features to justify its position on our list.

Features of Maxthon: A Feature-Rich Safari Alternative

• Syncs your browser settings across all your devices
• Lets you drag and drop images, text, and links from web pages to text, email messages, and chats
• Autofills the saved information when you fill out online forms
• Boasts parental controls
• Antifreeze technology prevents the browser from freezing when a webpage fails to load

Download Maxthon Now!

Also Read: Best Browser for Chromebook

Best Safari Alternatives/Alternative to Safari: Listed

So, now it’s time that we sum up this article. In the previous sections of this guide, we had a look at some of the most amazing browsers in 2024. All the alternatives shown above are quite well-versed and reliable. With the help of any of these browsers, you can easily replace Safari as your first choice of browser, overcome its drawbacks, and surf better and faster.

If you are facing a hard time deciding the best Safari alternatives for your device, we may be able to help you. Write your questions and present your requirements in the comments section below and we will get back to you with an accurate response(s). Do let us know which alternative to Safari tools you love the most.

If you loved this guide, subscribe to our newsletter right away. Provide your email address in the box below to get personalized updates related to new additions to this blog. Show your love and share this guide on Safari alternatives with your friends via social media platforms. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest , and Tumblr .

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Best Mac browser: pick the best Safari alternative for you

We pitch Apple's browser against the popular alternatives

The chances are as a Mac user you do most of your browsing in Safari . It is, after all, a great browser, and the one that comes integrated into OS X, ready and waiting in the Dock to be fired up with every new Mac. It was first developed as a stripped-down alternative to the slow and bloated browsers of a decade ago.

Believe it or not, Apple used to bundle internet Explorer with OS X as far as Mac OS X 10.2 but then gradually phased it out, and Safari became the system default browser with Mac OS X 10.3.

There are some good reasons for using Safari: it's lightweight, quick and has hooks deep into the operating system . It's pretty great at supporting new technologies like HTML5 and can take advantage of Apple's increasingly ambitious iCloud syncing features like iCloud tabs and soon, passwords too.

• OS X 10.9 Mavericks review

It has been developed over the years to support extensions and notifications and of course mobile Safari on iOS enjoys an impressively high global share of web traffic. So if all this is true, why would you consider an alternative?

Part of Safari's appeal is that it is simple and uncluttered, but this also means that it lacks some of the features that other browsers can offer. Power users in particular like to customise and supercharge their browsing experience, going far beyond simple browsing to get more features and work more quickly. Developers need to check that the sites they are building will work across a range of browsers and platforms, and sometimes, despite Apple's assurances to the contrary, certain sites just work better in a browser other than Safari.

Browsing for more choice

The good news is that in recent years most competing browsers have upped their game considerably, and relative newcomers such as Chrome and the more venerable Firefox offer real alternatives to Safari.

There are a huge number of extensions available for these browsers so you can install add-ons to do things like use proxies to view content that is otherwise unavailable in your country, or blog or tweet straight from whatever window you happen to have open. They can be heavily customised, give you advanced bookmark management, download management and RSS feeds.

Many non-Apple browsers now also let you sync data between your various devices using their own systems rather than iCloud. Third-party developers such as Mozilla and Google (which makes Chrome), don't have to stick to Apple's release schedules or strategy, so they are free to add features and change things that Apple might be more reluctant to do with Safari.

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Indeed, Apple doesn't really change Safari very frequently at all when it comes to adding features, preferring to fix security issues and tinker under the hood, like we will see in OS X Mavericks with the new power-saving technology that should reduce the CPU impact of browsing with multiple tabs. So if you're looking for stuff that Safari doesn't do, there's a good chance that Chrome, Firefox, Opera or an alternative iOS browser may well hold the answer.

Extensions are particularly useful but there's other stuff that each one does differently, plus some people just like the way a particular browser looks or feels. There's nothing to stop you using several browsers: perhaps you like to use one for work and one for leisure. Browsing using Safari on iOS is substantially more limited than it is on OS X but here still you can power things up by installing a third-party browser, some of which have really useful features not found in Safari, such as ad blocking, download and file management, data compression, Flash support, plugins and the ability to report as different browsers, which is handy for controlling the way sites are presented to you.

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Best 10 Internet Browsers For Mac | Safari Alternatives

Are you a Mac user and stuck with using Safari as a default browser?

Then you must pay attention to what I’m going to say next.

There are many Safari alternatives for the Mac users out there to browse the Internet.

Yes, you heard me right.

Apple has this philosophy of making tools that are one-off, but they also want their customers to be loyal to their products.

For that, Apple products like iPhone or Mac are loaded with the default apps.

For instance, the web browser given is Safari, and the e-mail browser is Mail.

But, there are times when we don’t want to use these default apps.

Like in the case of Safari, sometimes we’re not happy with the extension compatibility and want to switch to some other browser.

For that, there are hundreds of Web browsers those can be relied on. Some of them are for all the platforms while some are just tailor-made for the Macs.

Best 10 Internet browsers For Mac

We’ve picked some of the Browsers for Mac from the lot that you can check on and ditch Safari for a while if you want.

1. Google Chrome :

The top-notch browser for any platform is without any doubt Google Chrome.

Yes, I agree that Chrome was launched for Macs a bit late, but that wait was worth.

The best part of this browser is its minimalistic design and Speed.

It comes with a lot of features. And when I say this, I mean A LOT. It is by far the biggest competitor of Safari in the market.

I think Opera has been there since ages. But don’t let its age fool you.

As it is said that wisdom comes with age, Opera also has become wise regarding features.

Its ‘Mouse Gestures’ and ‘Speed dial’ and ‘Opera Turbo’ features make it different from the other browsers.

3. Mozilla Firefox :

Just like Opera, Firefox is also a veteran. It lets you visit the sites even if you don’t remember their URLs by only typing a keyword of the same.

It has a broad variety of add-ons, which are useful to increase productivity.

You can also bookmark the pages and titles live. Also, it can be said as a Privacy-inclined browser as it let you choose the information you want to share.

4. Camino :

The Mac-only browser Camino is also a great one with a much better user interface for Mac users than Chrome or Firefox.

It has many new features in its latest update like Annoyance Blocking, Malware protection, and Pop-up Blocking. It is much like Firefox, just with the more Apple-friendly edge.

The company no longer develops this browser further, but you can still download the last updated version.

5. Omni Web :

Better known as the Feature-rich browser, Omni Web comes with numerous features like Visual Tabs, adding websites to shortcuts, automatic rendering of web pages, etc.

You can also change the font of any website if it is not up to your liking.

The browser also handles the entire RSS feed which is a great feature.

6. Maxthon :

Apt for seamless browsing, Maxthon is a Multi- platform web browser for Mac users. With many cloud-assimilated features like syncing, sharing and managing files, Maxthon has been a very powerful browser.

If you are the one who wants the Chrome extensions but doesn’t want to use Chrome, then you should go for this one.

With a unique design, Torch is one of the best browsers for Mac OS X. Based on the Chromium project; it supports every extension of Google Chrome web store.

There are many themes available for the browser and is an important feature for experiment-loving peeps.

It also has features like Torch music, Video Download, Torrent support, etc.

8. Vivaldi :

A new challenger in the game, Vivaldi is out winning many hearts.

Though it uses the same HTML Rendering engine as that of Chrome, still it has covered all the features that are not in the list of other browsers’ characteristics.

It has a unique tab system, which is referred as “Stack.” It also creates notes about every site that you browse. These notes appear when you visit that site.

9. Stainless :

If you’re looking for the Multi- processing Designing of Chrome in some other browser, then you’ll like this browser named Stainless. Started out as a technology demo, now it is a full-fledged browser.

It features a dual-purpose search address bar, which makes searching and navigating very smooth.

10. SeaMonkey :

The newer version of the old-timer browser Netscape, SeaMonkey is an open- source project. It is an all-in-one Internet collection. It supports almost all the add-ons and extensions, which are compatible with Mozilla Firefox.

The con of the mentioned browser is that it doesn’t go with Voice interface, Mouse gestures or Retina Display. It is easy to install and access.

There you go. These are some of the best Internet browsers for the Mac users, which can be used as a substitute to Safari. Explore them and leave us comments sharing your experiences.

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Safari is a pretty good browser, but it falls shorts in several aspects. For instance, not all sites perform optimally, and it doesn’t feature the best tab management options. Thankfully, there are plenty of Safari alternatives for iPhone and iPad that are fast, secure, and feature-rich.

Moreover, with the ability to change the default browser in iOS 14, you can use your favorite one conveniently. Want to know what my choice is? Keep reading as I review some of the most popular iPhone browsers.

1. Google Chrome

I love Google Chrome so much that I did a detailed comparison with Safari to explain my reasons. Primarily, the stand-out feature is the seamless sync across devices, thanks to signing in with your Google account.

You can access recently opened pages, bookmarks, and favorites on any device that you’re signed into. For instance, I use Google Chrome across my iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android device, and Windows PC, and my data syncs across all to ease my workflow. This cross-platform support makes it the best for those who work on multiple devices.

Of course, there are loads of other attractive options such as efficient tab management and incognito mode for privacy.

• Impeccable cross-platform sync
• Great tab management features
• Built-in Google Voice Search to avoid manual typing
• Mighty Google Translate to convert web pages from one language to another.
• Data saver mode automatically compresses the web pages for faster loading
• Incognito mode which does not record history, cache, and cookies
• Tracks user data
• Hogs resources

2. Firefox and Firefox Focus

This one’s a close second to Chrome and boasts a similar clean UI. One of the most notable features is that it automatically blocks image(s) to reduce sites’ loading time. Of course, it’s pretty good at blocking ads and popups, too, for your safety.

For more privacy, you can go for the Firefox Focus browser, in which stealth mode is always on. It seamlessly blocks many common web trackers without needing to meddle with the settings.

• Private Browsing Mode makes sure that none of your online activities are being recorded.
• Enhanced Tracking Protection is known to block all harmful trackers, including crypto miners and fingerprints.
• Syncs passwords, bookmarks, and history across devices
• You need to create a Firefox account to allow data to sync
• No tracking protection in Private Browsing mode.

Firefox Focus

3. Microsoft Edge

Long gone are the days of Internet Explorer. Microsoft has created one of the best browsers in the form of Edge. It has a straightforward UI with many helpful features such as private tabs, swipe gestures, translate webpages, etc.

I especially appreciate the picture-in-picture functionality for video on most sites, including YouTube. I also love using the “Read aloud” feature that reads the text to you at the tap of a button.

Further, it comes with Adblock Plus built-in to block unwanted ads. The downside is that the default search engine is Bing, but you can easily change this to Google, Yahoo, etc.

• Minimal resource consumption
• Tracking Prevention to stop third-party trackers from accessing your browsing activity.
• Built-in Ad-Block Plus to stop intrusive ads
• InPrivate browsing Mode
• Immersive Reader Mode allows for a distraction-free experience.
• Password Manager to handle all your saved passwords
• You must have a Microsoft Account to make the most of the features.
• Sync is a bit slow
• Interface and navigation could be more responsive

4. Brave Browser

Here’s the best Safari alternative that puts privacy first. It blocks all ads by default that considerably decreases the page load time. Brave claims to be three times faster than Chrome while putting less strain on your device battery.

But, if ads are blocked, how do websites make revenue? Well, Brave supports publishers by compensating them at the end of each month, depending on your interaction with websites. Further, with HTTPS Everywhere, you can rest assured that you’re only visiting safe sites.

Moreover, you can also use TouchID/FaceID to unlock this browser. And there’s also an in-built Private VPN that allows you to hide your actual IP address and browse anonymously.

• Best security and privacy features
• Speedy browser
• In-built VPN
• Less resource consumption
• Data sync is a bit complicated to setup
• Payment methodology needs to be simplified for more developers and publishers to be on board.

Here’s another top browser for those concerned about privacy. It doesn’t log any of your activity, so you can freely browse without worrying about how your data will be used.

The interface takes inspiration from Google Chrome and is a breeze to navigate. Like Microsoft Edge, this browser’s highlight is how it lets you play YouTube and other videos in picture-in-picture mode. This is incredibly handy when you want to watch something while also carrying on with other tasks on your phone.

Moreover, Aloha claims to load webpages two times faster using hardware acceleration. Simultaneously, there is also a paid version of the browser called Aloha Premium that boasts even more advanced features such as an in-built VPN to browse anonymously and safeguard your privacy.

• Ad-free browsing experience
• In-built VR player allows you to enjoy VR videos
• Picture-in-picture / background play for videos
• Fast and secures
• Need to pay for full features

Price : Premium subscription starts at $2.99

6. Opera Browser

This iOS browser app has undergone a complete overhaul in recent times. One of the highlights of this is the Fast Action Button. This is inspired by Apple’s Control Center, and a single tap is enough to invoke quite a few functionalities such as refreshing the tab, closing it, or opening a new one.

Further, the ‘Flow’ feature allows you to link the device’s browser with its desktop version. You could then easily exchange the desired data from either end. It also comes with a built-in QR Code scanner, which blends well with its Flow feature.

Lastly, its ad and popup blocker ensures an immersive browsing experience.

• Ad-blocker and cryptocurrency mining protection
• Easy to use
• Fast Action Button for easy one-hand usage
• Lack of bookmark management
• No online data sync

7. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser

This is the leading name among the most secure web browsers for iPhone and iPad. It gives equal attention to both privacy and customizations. Moreover, what makes it stand out is that it has a built-in search engine that doesn’t hog or track your data the way Google does. It is consistently scaling up to offer a better browsing experience.

Further, a badge beside the address bar shows the privacy grade of each website you visit which helps you stay safe and instantly gauge the site’s reliability.

• Blocks all third-party trackers by default
• Private search engine compared to Google
• Enforce Encryption makes sure that you always land upon the HTTPS version of a site rather than the HTTP (if available).
• Privacy scores from A to F for each site
• TouchID/ FaceID lock
• Detailed customization settings are time-consuming
• The default search engine is DuckDuckGo and cannot be changed

8. Yandex Browser

Yandex browser is all about safe and secure browsing. It reduces data usage and speeds up page load time with its special Turbo mode.

Its uniqueness lies in its ability to change the look of tabs using preset background designs or photos from your device. Pretty neat when you’re bored of the plain look of other browsers.

The browser also offers you recommended content, including news, articles, and videos based on your interests. You can also access all your favorite websites and bookmarks on any of your devices with a Yandex account.

• Voice search in multiple languages, including Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian.
• Customized look and content to
• In-built ad blocker
• Fast and secure
• Some websites don’t display correctly
• Need to create a Yandex account for sync

This one’s more of a search engine than a full-fledged browser, but it’s the best choice if you care about the earth and sustainability.

For approximately every 45 searches you do, Ecosia plants a tree. Given how we are all constantly searching for things, this is an easy way to do something small for the planet.

For more information about their work and transparency, you can check out the Projects tab at the browser’s bottom. However, since Ecosia is primarily a search engine, it lacks many essential features such as tabs and privacy controls.

So, it would be preferable to use this within another browser at the URL ecosia.org.

• Uses search revenue to plant trees
• Save your favorite webpages
• Clean, beautiful look
• Search results not as accurate as Google
• Not a full-fledged browser

With so many options, you can find a Safari alternative that perfectly fits your unique needs. Which browser do you love using on your iPhone or iPad? Share your preference with me in the comments below.

• Best Safari Extensions for iPhone and iPad
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Mehak has a master’s degree in communication and over ten years of writing experience. Her passion for technology and Apple products led her to iGeeksBlog, where she specializes in writing product roundups and app recommendations for fellow Apple users. When not typing away on her MacBook Pro, she loves being lost in a book or out exploring the world.

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Why choosing an alternative web browser, 7 best alternative web browsers, conclusion: the best web browser for you, related articles, 7 best alternative web browsers [to chrome, safari & firefox].

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Updated on: February 23, 2024

When people talk about “ alternative internet browsers ” they commonly refer to any web browser that isn’t one of the “Major Browsers”, like Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

There are plenty of other web browsers available that offer functionalities and features that may appeal to you. Things such as enhanced privacy, multi-layer protection, greater customization, and browsing tools.

If you’re one of the majority of internet users relying only on Google Chrome, you may miss out on several valuable features. For instance, Chrome has no reading mode, which is available in many of the best alternative open-source web browsers to Chrome we’ve mentioned here.

So, if you’re unhappy with your current browser or just want to explore the options, here is a list of the best alternative web browsers for you.

Alternative web browsers can provide you with more robust privacy protection, emphasize performance for your particular usage, or just provide you with the features that adjust better to your daily usage.

Numerous modified versions of the mainstream browsers are deployed as alternative browsers for Ubuntu, Windows, and Mac.

Are you using Ubuntu? Then you should be reading about the best web browsers for Ubuntu .

Several of these alternatives can be behind in terms of modifications and the implementation of web standards as they are often fully accessible projects or passion projects.

While switching from a popular browser may not sound alluring, alternative browsers offer their own perks.

1. Opera Web Browser

Price : Free OS : Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, macOS Best For : Eliminating unwanted ads and protecting your online privacy

The Opera web browser is one of the oldest and best alternative internet web browsers that perform efficiently on Linux, Windows, and macOS operating systems.

It also works well on Android and iOS. This evergreen browser has a good reputation for being fast and reliable and has many features.

Thanks to its 100% free VPN, you will enjoy reduced tracking and enhanced privacy while browsing the internet. Also, the built-in messengers enable you to stay connected with your family, friends, and coworkers right from the browser.

Opera can be a great alternative to Chrome as it’s quite similar in many ways too, such as Tabbed browsing, private tabs, password management, sync between devices, and many more.

Basic Features :

• Built-in Ad Blocker to reduce/eliminate unwanted ads
• Built-in 100% Free VPN for enhanced privacy
• Built-in Turbo feature for fast internet speed
• Opera has light hardware and is quick and easy to operate.
• Thanks to its browser tools, this web browser keeps your personal info safe and secure.
• Enjoy effective and optimal data synchronization potentials with this web browser platform.
• Locating the extensions in Opera is a bit challenging.
• Compatibility with older websites may not always be possible.

2. Brave – One of The Best Alternative Web Browsers

Price : Free OS : Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, macOS Best For : Enhanced protection and privacy

When it comes to alternative web browsers to Google Chrome (and others), Brave stands out as one of the most prominent candidates. This browser claims itself to be three times faster than Chrome, which is true to some extent.

Furthermore, it offers enhanced energy efficiency and better privacy and protection. You can download it on your iOS and Android mobiles or simply use it on a device with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

• Refines Page Function to get rid of irrelevant information.
• Free video calls, independent search, offline playlists, and more
• “Private Tabs with Tor” for enhanced private browsing experience
• Brave is one of the most reliable alternative web browsers that protects users from malicious content, trackers, and online ads.
• It is the one-stop destination for incognito windows, ad-blocking, private independent search, and VPNs.
• This web browser is well-optimized to consume less power, hence saving your battery life and ensuring faster-loading speed.
• Although Brave is one of the fastest web browsers, it doesn’t feature some plug-ins, extensions, and add-ons.
• Brave tends to take up a lot of storage space on your device, which can result in slowing down the device altogether.

3. Microsoft Edge

Price : Free OS : Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, macOS Best For : Windows users who need a faster and safer browsing experience

Microsoft Edge is one of the most competitive alternative web browsers for Windows and other operating systems.

This web browser is integrated with enhanced protection and high-end security functions.

Like Chrome browser, Edge is also based on the same open-source Chromium project.

Discover what are the best Chromium-based web browsers .

Although it is Windows 10’s default system browser, it is not available in most older versions of Windows OS. This fast web browser showcases only a few obligatory components on its interface.

• Seamlessly import data from Safari, Firefox, and Chrome
• Enhanced control over the privacy
• Immersive Reader to only see the text content
• Like Chrome, edge also offers sleek minimalism and faster speed while ensuring a future full of apps, add-ons, and plugins.
• Thanks to its low memory consumption, you can enjoy quicker page loading, faster surfing, and a seamless user experience.
• It features a “distraction-free reading mode” to let you cut or eliminate irrelevant content, download pages, and read them at your convenience.
• Like Chrome, Microsoft Edge also needs relatively better system resources as it has minimal published hardware requirements.
• Unlike Chrome, Edge has a shortfall of many plug-ins and extensions. It is disappointing to those who think of using it as their daily driver.

4. Tor Project

Price : Free OS : Windows, macOS, Linux, Android Best For : Anonymity on the interwebs

Tor is abbreviated for The Onion Router and is one of the best open-source alternative web browsers. It holds a strong reputation for allowing users to browse the internet anonymously. Also, it’s well-known for being the only web browser that allows access to the dark web.

If you use a Mac, check out the best web browsers for Mac and, if you care about performance, discover what are the fastest web browsers for Mac .

No matter if you lack interest in the dark web, this network still ensures great anonymity with its multiple layers of encryption.

This anonymity offered by the browser is ideal for people who want safety while using an alternative browser to surf the internet.

• Cross-platform availability
• Advanced and top-notch data encryption
• The anonymity of websites and servers
• This browser hides your IP address and other private data while browsing the internet.
• This network lets you open websites that are all encrypted and secured.
• You are free to post anything while hiding your identity and enjoy doing democratic activities efficiently.
• This network lets you access blocked and deep web websites.
• It involves redirecting via at least three nodes, making the web browsing slower than usual.
• The startup time is much higher than other web browsers like Firefox or Chrome.
• This network doesn’t allow you to upload or download large files.

5. Avast – Web Browser

Price : Free OS : Windows, iOS, and Android Best For : Home users seeking enhanced cybersecurity

Avast is a prevalent web browser when it comes to cybersecurity.

This network features anti-malware and anti-virus solutions to protect your device from any malicious activity. Plus, the availability of the Avast secure browser on Windows and other OS makes it more popular than ever.

This web browser, that can be great alternative to Chrome , provides its users a private, safe, and secure browsing experience to afford privacy with ease. The browser can enhance your browsing experience by completely eliminating or reducing spammy, creepy ads.

• Automatic blocking of malicious downloads.
• Download manager for downloading high-quality YouTube videos
• The Avast browser has a password manager that ensures generating strong passwords and saves you from having to type a password every time you log in to some password-protected tab or profile.
• You can access geo-blocked websites while hiding your ID address with its integrated VPN technology.
• Due to its dedicated modes, it is beneficial for easy access to banking and shopping portals.
• This web browser is not available on the Mac app store.
• You may have to subscribe to a premium membership to access some of its security features.

If you want to save some storage space, here are some of the best browsers that uses the least RAM .

6. Polarity Browser

Price : Free OS : Windows, Android Best For : blocking ads and getting tracking protection.

Polarity is an amazing alternative dual-engine web browser powered by Trident and Chromium. It ensures low CPU and low RAM usage to focus on system efficiency. It is designed to be optimized for Windows and Android operating systems devices.

It lets you explore the web with a simple, intuitive UI, which is highly customizable with apps, themes, and extensions from the UserStyles, OpenUserJS, GreasyFork, and Polarity Store. Also, it features built-in privacy and adblocker tools like header masking and VPN support.

• Strong web filter that alerts and protects users
• Built-in ad blocker to filter out 90% of ads
• Built-in theming system for customization
• Compared to Chrome, Polarity takes 10x less memory to ensure fast and lightweight performance.
• You can browse the internet with multiple profiles and separate cookies, cache, and history thanks to parallel sessions.
• The customizable UI of the browser lets you customize window color, text color, tab color, and more.
• Although the browser is incredibly fast and lightweight, it crashes sometimes.
• One impractical thing about Polarity is you’ll need to use the built-in deinstallation tool to uninstall this browser.

Did you know you can collaborate while browsing the web? Check out all about shared browsing and co-browsing

7. Mozilla Firefox

Price : Free OS : Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS Best For : Power users and privacy protection

Mozilla Firefox is an open-source, free web browser launched six years before Google Chrome. This web browser is being translated into over 90 languages, and it works effectively with Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Recently, Firefox has added plenty of other features to make its network more secure and protected for its users. For instance, Firefox now automatically blocks and prevents third-party cookies and tracking to safeguard your data from social trackers.

• Less RAM consumption and lightweight design
• Intuitive navigation for easy access
• Alleviates autoplay on embedded videos
• Retrieves web pages with embedded memory
• This web browser ensures enhanced protection for all your Internet browsing activities.
• Thanks to its tracking protection, websites won’t follow you around the internet.
• It provides enhanced network security, multiple add-ons for personalized browsing, and a more straightforward user interface.
• This browser comes with a slow startup time, which can be annoying.
• Unlike Chrome, its add-ons aren’t easy to access and navigate.

No matter why you want to switch from Chrome to a better alternative web browser, you can rest assured that there are plenty of better alternatives out there for free.

When considering an alternative web browser for your needs, contemplate all the features offered by each one of them.

The fact that these browsers are free to download and use makes it ideal and smart to test each one before committing to any particular.

Different browsers ensure different user experiences, so know what’s best for your needs and choose accordingly.

• Top Web3 Browsers 2023
• 22 Top Web Browsers for Linux
• 5+ Best Web Browsers for Windows 11
• Top 5 Chromebook Web Browsers 2022

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I’m Alvaro, a full-stack web developer and a full-time entrepreneur. Creator of fullpage.js . You can follow me at Twitter .

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Safari alternatives: 11 smart iOS browser options

While all ios browsers use the same core rendering engine as safari, many of them offer additional functions useful in business. here are a handful of safari alternatives to test drive..

Chances are your corporate IT policy dictates which browser you use on your laptop or desktop. On your iPhone, though, you may be free to choose a more exotic browser. We’ve rounded up a dozen Safari alternatives for iOS that may suit you better.

Ever since the release of iOS 14 in 2020, Apple has allowed users to select a default browser (the one that opens when you tap on a link in an email or an app) other than Safari. Many alternate browsers will even ask if you want to set them as your default the first time you launch them, though you might want to test drive them for a bit before committing to one.

It’s worth noting, however, that Apple requires developers to use the same WebKit rendering engine as Safari to display web pages on screen, so iOS web browsers are really all just WebKit in a different wrapper. That said, some alternative browsers offer quite different interfaces and/or more expansive feature sets. For instance, one entrant on this list includes a VPN that can be used to secure connections and port your requests through a different location or country.

Check out these options to see if one or more might have a place in your business browsing. Unless otherwise noted, these browsers are free.

Aloha Browser

Aloha is a feature-laden mobile browser that packs a whole lot of Polynesian personality. Beyond the Hawaiian-themed start screen, Aloha offers privacy features including ad blocking; private tabs; a crypto wallet; an internal file manager for downloads, media, and documents; syncing across devices; and a VPN. A premium subscription ($6 per month or $50 per year) enables advanced VPN capabilities like automatic startup/reconnect and encrypting all traffic from your iPhone, instead of just the Aloha browser itself.

The Aloha browser pairs a laid-back Hawaiian look with serious privacy controls.

Google Chrome might be the most popular mobile browser overall, but that’s mostly due to Android’s dominance in the global smartphone market. On iPhones, it comes in as a distant second to Apple’s own Safari.

If you use the Chrome desktop browser, you can sync bookmarks and recently visited sites via your Google account, replicating Safari’s Handoff feature. There’s also one-touch access to Google Translate, voice search using Google Assistant rather than Siri, and a handy QR-code scanner above the virtual keyboard. Chrome’s Incognito mode doesn’t send cookies or store browser history.

Like many alternative iOS browsers, Chrome invites you to make it your default browser.

Dolphin Mobile Browser

The Dolphin browser has one of the longest feature lists of any of the mobile browsers. You can tell Dolphin where you want to go by tapping on one of its speed-dial buttons; selecting a destination from the bookmarks, history, or open tabs it has synchronized with your PC; or typing its address. You can also use touch gestures to select favorite destinations — perhaps tracing a C for Computerworld.com — and you can even control the browser by shaking your phone or speaking to it. On top of all that, you also get ad and tracking blocking and a useful drawer (tap the Dolphin icon) that makes it easy to access the bevy of features Dolphin Browser has to offer. 

The Dolphin browser offers a plethora of features.

DuckDuckGo Private Browser

It’s not just a search engine. In addition to giving the world a way to search the web free from tracking, monitoring, and monetizing your searches, DuckDuckGo offers its own browser . As you might guess, the big focus is on privacy, and it allows you surf the web without being tracked or leaving a trail from your phone.

A Fire button is prominently displayed in the toolbar below web pages; tapping it closes all tabs and clears all browsing data (and does it with your choice of four different animations). You can also “fireproof” sites, marking them as able to set cookies for things like logins, shopping carts, and so forth — but third-party trackers will still be blocked.

DuckDuckGo offers both privacy-focused search and privacy-focused browsing.

Microsoft Edge will sync favorites and passwords between all your devices logged into Microsoft’s cloud servers. Using its “Send to devices” command, you can send a tab from your phone to your other connected devices, and the Collections feature lets you gather and organize web content for later reference. Edge also offers voice search, tracking prevention, an ad blocker, InPrivate tabs that won’t store browsing data, and the ability use both personal and business Microsoft accounts.

If you sign into your Microsoft account, the Edge browser syncs favorites, passwords, Collections, and more between your devices.

Using Mozilla Firefox on the iPhone is a smart choice if you’re already using Firefox on other devices, since it will sync bookmarks, passwords and other information between them all to keep you up to speed. Its customizable home page includes shortcuts, recently visited sites, and more. Firefox on iOS also features the same anti-ad tracking technology found on the desktop and sports large visual tabs for fast retrieval.

Firefox offers a customizable home page and a rich set of features.

Firefox Focus

In addition to the mainstream Firefox web browser, Mozilla also offers a streamlined, distraction-free option called Firefox Focus . If you’re easily distracted, have ADHD, or just want a little help staying on task, it’s worth checking out as an alternative or addition to Apple’s Focus modes that are built into iOS. Firefox Focus blocks ads and trackers by default, and you can erase your browsing history, passwords, and cookies with a single tap on its ever-present trashcan icon.

The minimalist interface of Firefox Focus reduces distractions.

Onion Browser

Tor is a distributed system for anonymizing internet traffic. Developed by the Tor Project, the original (desktop) Tor Browser uses the Tor network to keep your identity and online activity secret — important protection for journalists, activists, whistleblowers, and people who live under repressive regimes that limit internet freedom. If you’re very serious about privacy, using a Tor browser provides far more protection than other options. Note, however, that routing traffic through Tor slows down your browsing, and many websites won’t work properly. For most users, a Tor browser isn’t necessary.

Several third-party developers have ported Tor to iOS. None are directly affiliated with the Tor Project, and the project notes that the WebKit engine underlying all iOS browsers prevents them from having privacy protections as extensive as its own Tor Browser. That said, the project recommends the Onion Browser , which uses Tor routing to ensure that your ISP can’t see what you’re browsing and websites can’t see your IP address.

If you’re an experienced Tor user, you’ll be able to configure the browser’s advanced settings. Otherwise, the Onion Browser makes configuration simple with three security-level presets (Gold, Silver, and Bronze).

The Onion Browser has an array of advanced security settings but also offers simple presets for varying levels of protection.

Orion Browser

At first glance, Orion seems like a very basic browser with the typical feature set. Look at the browser’s settings, however, and there’s a bit more to discover, including different modes to help you focus, streamline your data use, and even conserve battery life.

Orion also blocks ads and trackers. In addition to syncing content between multiple devices, you can protect private browsing tabs or the entire browser using Face/Touch ID or your phone’s passcode.

The Orion browser offers focus, data-saving, and low-power modes.

The name says it all. Search All is designed to search for almost anything, almost anywhere, all at once. You can select from more than 50 different sites to search across several categories including search engines, online stores, video sites, image repositories, wiki-based knowledge sites, some social networks, and even comics libraries and get results from each of them in separate tabs.

While it may not be a go-to browser for everyday use for most people, the ability to instantly search for anything across so many services is incredibly useful when you’re researching a fact, trying to find a specific video clip, comparing prices, or need a specific picture for a project.

Tap into the power of searching multiple sites simultaneously with Search All.

SPIN Safe Browser

The primary focus of the SPIN Safe Browser is safe browsing (hence the name). In addition to privacy controls, it includes content filtering that can hide questionable images and content as you browse. This makes it a good choice if you have kids or want to avoid looking at certain things on a device that you use for work.

What makes SPIN unique on this list is that the developer is focused on the education and enterprise market. It offers a $20 version of the browser that you can customize via an AppConfig-compatible mobile device management (MDM) platform, such as Jamf or Hexnode. This means that IT departments can deploy the browser and have a full set of controls for managing it throughout a school or company.

The SPIN Safe Browser offers standard features but also blocks NSFW content and can be managed via MDM software.

This article was originally published in October 2017 and most recently updated in May 2023.

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15 Impressive Alternative Browsers

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It’s 2015 and your choice of browser has proven to be as important as your choice of operating system. Dedicated apps may be competing against browsers on mobile devices, but that is hardly the case in the desktop environment. On the contrary, each year more desktop browsers appear, and some of them can change the way you browse the Internet for the better.

Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera dominate the world’s desktop browser market. Whichever statistics you check ( NetMarketshare , StatCounter’s GlobalStats or W3Counter ), you’ll notice that they often contradict each other in declaring which browser is leading the race. However, no matter which method is used to determine usage share, all sources agree that those five browsers do not own 100% of the world’s desktop browser usage. They may be the most popular, but they are not the only options available for accessing the Internet. So, what about the remaining share?

Meet the alternative browsers — an unofficial term for all browsers other than the Big Five. These browsers, in most cases, follow the lead of Opera, which is based on the open-source Chromium project (as is Google Chrome). Anyone can take the Chromium code and build their own browser from it, adding and removing whatever functionality they wish. A similar case is Firefox, which is also an open-source project.

Keep in mind how often the Chromium engine is updated. Chromium, like any other software, has bugs. The developers behind it strive to eliminate those bugs, introduce performance fixes and minimize security threats. This is why Google Chrome has a six-week update cycle. It’s also why other Chromium-based browsers should follow suit. Most browsers try to keep up with Chromium releases, but some fall behind by six or seven versions, which is damaging to the user’s online security and browser stability.

So, since alternative browsers are basically tweaked copies of bigger browsers, does that mean they are bad tools for productive web browsing? Absolutely not! Alternative browsers aim to deliver improved performance and extra features to enhance the user’s online experience. They are a quick way to get a tool with all of the functionality a user needs right after installation.

Below are 15 desktop browsers that are worth considering if you’re tired of the browser war champions. This list isn’t comprehensive — several hundred browsers are available online — but these are the ones that regularly receive updates and provide a new web surfing experience.

We won’t delve into the development aspects behind each browser. Instead, you’ll find a quick overview of the most interesting features and of functionality that isn’t available in the popular browsers by default or even with add-ons. We’ll also mention the rendering engine used in each browser to give you an idea of how you will experience the web in them: Blink (on which Chrome is based), Trident (Internet Explorer), Gecko (Firefox) and WebKit (Safari). Let’s start with those that have the most features and move towards more single-purpose browsers.

The Browsers

• Operating system(s): Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Java
• Rendering engine(s): Blink
• Key feature(s): most cross-platform, distinctive UI

UC Browser is one of the most cross-platform browsers — you can even make it work on an old Symbian device. This isn’t the only reason to check it out. The well-rounded design and smooth animation of all elements make UC Browser feel fresh and modern. An up-to-date Chromium engine contributes to browser’s security. To begin, you choose how a new tab will look: a bubble-like speed-dial UI or a more traditional layout. UC Browser offers a cloud account for all of your settings, bookmarks and extensions from the Chrome Web Store, a decent alternative to the whole Google ecosystem.

Downloading files is another notable aspect of UC Browser. The downloads manager isn’t advanced (you can’t download torrents or online video), but it’s rather unique. It is the only browser that sorts downloads by category , helping you navigate gigabytes of files. The browser can even download files to the dedicated UC Cloud Storage. Although its capacity is small, 2 GB, this is a useful feature for mobile devices because you don’t have to wait for downloads to finish.

UC Browser doesn’t focus only on security, file downloads and social networks. This browser aims to appeal to a wide audience, without dictating how it is to be used. Most Chromium browsers can be considered an improved version of Chrome somewhat, whereas UC Browser is more of a new Chrome.

• Operating system(s): Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows Phone
• Rendering engine(s): Trident, Blink
• Key feature(s): cross-platform, own ecosystem

Maxthon is a popular Chinese browser available for desktop and mobile platforms. It incorporates two rendering engines and packs an abundance of features , including split-screen view, a built-in proxy manager, ad-blocking and moderate acceleration of downloads. By logging in with Maxthon Passport (analogous to a Google Account), all of your settings, tabs, extensions and passwords are synced across multiple devices.

Maxthon’s UI is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it’s a fresh interface for managing tabs, extensions and all of the added functionality. However, most of the extra features are available via yet another sidebar, which might be an annoyance for some users. The RSS reader, downloads manager, note-taking app and games are not the most necessary extensions, but they can be uninstalled. Maxthon has its own extensions service, but you’re not likely to find a lot of your favorite Chrome or Firefox plugins.

Despite all of the rough edges, Maxthon is a powerful yet resource-light browser. You can monitor resource consumption in a customizable toolbar at the bottom of the window, which is a nice touch. For cross-platform use, Maxthon is certainly a great option. It’s smooth and fast, but filled with features and extensions that not everyone might want. This leads us to an interesting alternative.

• Operating system(s): Windows
• Key feature(s): minimalist, fast

MxNitro is a different take on Maxthon. With speed the focus , this browser is like a stripped-down version of Maxthon, with almost nothing except basic functionality. MxNitro is minimalist, lightweight and speedy. It’s fast to install and ready for browsing immediately — no need to tinker with the settings because none are available.

There are no extensions, no cloud syncing and no downloads manager . The sole purpose of MxNitro is to enable you to browse the web with no clutter, distraction or resource drain. It’s not perfect yet. The developers are improving the browser, promising to make it available on other platforms and to integrate ad-blocking. The biggest problem with MxNitro is the absence of a convenient bookmarks manager or speed dial. There is a quick launch menu with some predefined websites, but users can’t customize it. MxNitro might be the perfect solution for people on old PCs or with low demands.

• Key feature: multimedia-oriented

Torch aims to be a powerful media-consumption center, rather than a straightforward browser. It is Chromium-based, heavily restyled, with some added functionality. The new tab page boasts a customizable, minimalist yet stylish design, while the toolbar sports shortcuts to all media features available in the browser. The Torch Music app is a shortcut to the web app of the same name, a music-streaming service with many popular artists and albums. However, all of the music comes from YouTube; hence, the rather low sound quality. Torch Games is a Flash games collection that helps you kill time at work. The Facelift tool (a Facebook theme changer) and the share button make it a convenient tool for social-networking fans.

Torch’s downloads manager delivers files somewhat faster than Chrome, but it often has bugs and crashes. Torch can also download torrents and magnet links, which are handled not in the downloads manager but in a separate tab. The feature to play videos in the browser while they are being downloaded, while not yet completed, is an interesting alternative to watching videos online. Videos can be downloaded from streaming services such as YouTube, Vimeo, Daily Motion, etc.

Torch has several mild annoyances, though. It tends to display popups to explain features, and it asks you to spread the word about it in social networks. If you don’t need some of the features, there’s no easy way to remove them, and the developers don’t seem to hurry to update the Chromium engine, which can result in security vulnerabilities. Despite all this, Torch is a great experience for movie, music and social-network lovers.

• Operating system(s): Windows, Mac
• Key feature(s): fast downloads, timely updates

At the time of writing, Citrio does the best job of making timely Chromium updates , helping with security, bug fixes and implementation of new features. The browser is a lot like Chrome, but it looks simpler and performs better. Citrio is a simple yet powerful browser for file downloads and media consumption.

The downloads manager is used for normal downloads, torrents and magnet links alike, without particularly differentiating between them, and it is comfortable to use. The speed boost and the ability to resume downloads in case of a failed connection make Citrio a great tool for downloading large files.

In addition to its useful downloads manager, Citrio comes with a bunch of extensions. While the YouTube downloader and the video player for downloads in progress will be well received by some users, the news reader and social sharer are very basic. There are better alternatives in the Chrome Web Store. And if you don’t like a particular extension, it can be easily removed. Overall, Citrio is a nice downloads-oriented Chrome alternative that won’t confuse new users.

Baidu Browser

• Operating system(s): Windows, Android, Windows Phone
• Key feature(s): video downloader, social media integration

Baidu browser is a Chinese offering oriented around social media and downloads. It supports Chrome extensions, and Facebook and WhatsApp extensions are preinstalled (but can be deleted). Baidu is based on Chromium but has separate URL and search boxes, reminiscent of Firefox. Browser skins can be swapped, and the speed-dial panel with preinstalled bookmarks can be customized.

Baidu has an integrated BitTorrent client, with an option to limit the downloads thread so that it doesn’t interfere with other downloads or the buffering of online videos. There is also a capture tool and an online video downloader, which is the most convenient function of Baidu. This is a rare example of a browser that lets you choose the quality of video to download and has a separate button for downloading MP3 audio. Online video can also be given a separate window, allowing users watch it without having to keep a tab open for YouTube.

Unlike UC Browser, Baidu isn’t much different from Chrome , although it tries to be. Its fast startup time, advanced YouTube functionality and downloading tricks make it useful for media consumption.

• Operating system(s): Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, Windows Phone
• Key feature(s): pleasant fonts, tab grouping

Sleipnir is a Japanese web browser based on the Blink engine; hence, Chrome users will find it familiar. The browser strongly resembles Safari, bringing not only the Mac OS X design, but also standard Mac fonts. Sleipnir renders fonts similarly to the Mac, appearing rounder and thicker. The merit of the effect is highly subjective, but reading text in Sleipnir is a pleasant experience that is difficult to ignore.

However, fonts aren’t all Sleipnir has to offer. Instead of providing favicons and tab names, Sleipnir displays thumbnails of opened pages , making navigation somewhat easier. The thumbnails are a nice touch when five or six tabs are opened, but more can get cumbersome. This is where Sleipnir’s groups kick in: Tabs can be sorted by topic for easier navigation; for example, keeping personal websites separate from work-related ones.

Because Sleipnir is available on multiple platforms, you can use Fenrir Pass (analogous to a Google Account) to sync tabs, groups and passwords and to send pages to your smartphone. The browser supports mouse and touchpad gestures, as well as Chrome extensions. Performance and speed are good, but Sleipnir has a steep learning curve because of its unusual design and workflow. If you’re willing to try it out, the experience may be very rewarding.

• Operating system(s): Windows, Mac OS X
• Key feature: security and privacy

Epic is the only privacy-oriented browser on this list. That’s mainly due to the more regular updates of the Chromium engine compared to other popular browsers in this field (for example, WhiteHat Aviator and Comodo Dragon ). It’s usually several versions behind Chrome, but that’s better than the alternatives. Epic is designed for a secure browsing experience out of the box. You could argue that users can add a bunch of extensions to Chrome and get the same effect, but not every user knows how to do that or knows what exactly needs to be blocked.

Epic is basically Chrome with no strings attached to Google : No data gets sent or collected, trackers are blocked, AdBlock comes preinstalled, and a convenient one-click proxy switcher will hide your IP address. Users also have a measure of control over what to block. When you click the umbrella icon, Epic visualizes what services are tracking you and shows toggles for add-ons, data encryption, ad-blocking and notifications.

• Operating system(s): Windows, Android, iOS
• Rendering engine(s): Trident, Gecko, WebKit
• Key feature: multiple rendering engines

Lunascape is a simple cross-platform web browser that takes advantage of its three rendering engines . This feature is backed up by a cascading view of web pages. With it, you can display one or several websites in the browser without having to open a separate window.

The highlighted search lets you search a selected term from multiple sources. Lunascape also has a ticker that displays new headlines from selected sources in the toolbar. This functionality can be expanded with a number of Internet Explorer and Firefox add-ons, as well as by some Lunascape exclusives.

While the browser doesn’t look modern, performance and resource consumption are good. Lunascape’s trump card — the ability to open a website with any rendering engine — will be useful for compatibility .

GreenBrowser

• Rendering engine(s): Trident
• Key feature: enhanced Internet Explorer experience

GreenBrowser is based on Internet Explorer. There’s nothing fancy about it: The experience is pretty basic, the design reminiscent of Internet Explorer 8, and there is almost no advance functionality or plugins to compete with Chrome’s. However, GreenBrowser still gets updates, performance is good, pages load quickly, and the user has everything they need for simple web browsing .

Nevertheless, GreenBrowser integrates many useful features : ad-blocking, speed-dial, drag-and-drop options, mouse gestures and a “boss” button to quickly hide the browser. A nice touch is the clock in the browser’s bottom taskbar, which makes full-screen mode a little more convenient. This is how Internet Explorer should have looked and functioned years ago. If MxNitro is a little raw for you, try GreenBrowser.

SlimBrowser

• Key feature(s): lightweight, fast

SlimBrowser is an improved version of Internet Explorer . The lightweight installer delivers a full-featured and fast browser with a customizable taskbar. Built in is a YouTube downloader, a weather forecast widget, ad-blocking, Facebook support, a form filler, a popup blocker and a lot of other nice details.

SlimBrowser has a downloads manager, although not as powerful as the ones in Chromium-based alternatives. It might be not much, but for the fans of Internet Explorer, SlimBrowser probably works better than it. And, as advertised, it launches and loads pages much faster .

PirateBrowser

• Rendering engine(s): Gecko
• Key feature: integrated Tor client

PirateBrowser is a project developed by the Pirate Bay team and whose main purpose is to overcome governmental restrictions on certain websites . It basically consists of Firefox, Portable Edition + Vidalia + the FoxyProxy add-on. Vidalia is a user-friendly GUI for the Tor anonymity network , which reroutes your Internet traffic. Once you launch PirateBrowser (which doesn’t require installation), Vidalia automatically connects you to the Tor network, launching Firefox thereafter.

FoxyProxy switches the user’s Internet connection across multiple URL proxy servers. PirateBrowser won’t give you absolute anonymity on the Internet, but it’s a great starter kit for circumventing online censorship.

• Rendering engine(s): Blink, Trident
• Key feature: built-in file manager

At a first glance, Tungsten seems like nothing special. It’s a minimalist Blink and Trident browser with typical performance. It supports Chrome extensions, and its design is similar to Internet Explorer 10’s. The interesting part is that Tungsten is not only for the web, but also a browser for your local files and apps .

Software such as Clover creates a tabbed browsing experience for Windows Explorer. Tungsten turns this idea upside down. The browser opens Windows Explorer inside a tab , so you can navigate your folders, open files and launch programs. While not revolutionary, it’s nice to find a feature that comes close to the ChromeOS concept of doing everything in the browser .

In Development

• Operating system(s): Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
• Key feature(s): highly customizable, tab stacking

Developed by a team of ex-Opera developers, Vivaldi is being created to repeat the initial success of Opera and satisfy fans of the original browser. So far, we’ve gotten four technical previews of the browser but not a full release. It’s too early to judge, but Vivaldi already shows some interesting features.

The design is flat and minimalist and stands out from the crowd. The color palette changes according to the current website’s predominant colors. Speed-dial is most certainly present, so there’s no need for that add-on. Page action is new: You can control a page’s colors and fonts, apply filters and distort it as much as you like. It’s more of a gimmick, but the feature could find useful applications.

Just like in Opera, you can stack tabs into groups . Because of this, tab previews make a lot more sense than in other browsers. Notes can be left on any page , and future versions promise a Vivaldi mail service. Once Vivaldi leaves beta (or the technical preview stage), we can expect a powerful competitor in the browsers war.

Project Maelstrom

• Key feature: P2P web browsing

Project Maelstrom is “the world’s first torrent-based browser.” Maelstrom receives web content from peer networks instead of the servers that host the website. This is done for the purpose of distributing web content and making it independent of the hosting servers. In case a server goes down (whether because of malfunction or government restriction), the content will still be available because many people have it and are willing to share.

Maelstrom is Chromium-based and is Chrome in every other respect — functionality, navigation, extensions, etc. You’re not limited to P2P-distributed websites; you also get access via HTTP and HTTPS. The problem with Maelstrom is that few websites support this technology . When you first access a P2P website (a list is available on the browser’s home page), you’ll download its pages using a magnet link. Hence, the process takes more time than usual. Maelstrom is an interesting idea and, because it’s still in beta, needs more time to get polished and popularized.

The combination of new features and familiar workflow makes alternative browsers a convenient way to transform your web-surfing experience. Most people will be well off choosing an alternative browser based on their current favorite. That way, they’ll be able to get the most out of new features without having to adapt to a new environment.

The best part is that you don’t need to make a full switch . You can select a browser that boosts performance or introduces functionality that your main browser lacks and use it for that purpose only. Eventually, you might even forget that you’re not using Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer. Also, not everyone needs the full power of Chrome or the customization of Firefox. Less is more, and sometimes all you need is a fast and reliable way to access a search engine.

This is what alternative browsers give users who are willing to try something new: the possibility to bend the Internet to their needs and preferences.

Further Reading

• Dear Web User: Please Upgrade Your Browser
• What’s The Deal With The Samsung Internet Browser?
• Review Of Cross-Browser Testing Tools
• Testing Mobile: Emulators, Simulators And Remote Debugging

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7 Best Safari Alternatives for Your Mac

Safari is a minimalist browser with built-in privacy features to enable users to surf the Internet at blazing fast speeds without worrying about how their data is used. It is designed for Apple devices so its look and feel are uniforms across the platforms. That notwithstanding, some Mac users prefer to work with other browsers and there are a handful of excellent alternatives.

Although some will argue that Safari is the best browser for macOS because it was built for it, others prefer to use a different option. In today’s article, I present you with a collection of web browsers that can replace Safari’s functionality in your workflow. Criteria include but aren’t restricted to its UI/UX, built-in/extra features, and performance with regards to battery and memory consumption.

Mozilla Firefox is a free and open-source web browser designed with simplicity, beauty, speed, security, and customizability in mind. Combined with its Internet surfing and data protection features, it offers users a family of products to facilitate their workflow. These apps include Monitor, Send, Lockwise, and Pocket.

Brave is a fast and secure browser developed based on Google Chrome. Its main outstanding features include a beautiful clutter-free UI, a built-in ad blocker, optimized data and battery experience, and tracking and security protection.

Brave exists to give users back their power by taking control of how their data is collected. Users can also opt into its privacy-respecting ads to earn rewards and it is completely free.

Opera is a beautiful, security-conscious, privacy-respectful, and always-evolving web browser. It has the most unique features built into any web browser and even forks of Google chrome cannot say that inspiration is not drawn from Opera.

It boasts some of the nicest animations and shortcuts for activities and apps. Examples include a pop-out for streaming online content undisturbed even when switching between tabs, Instagram in the sidebar, an automatic currency and time-zone converter, a VPN, etc.

Microsoft Edge is a new recently revamped web browser designed for efficient browsing, world-class performance, privacy & data protection, and better productivity. The Redmond Giants have learnt a lot over the years from Google Chrome and Firefox and have commendably figured out how to make Edge a “best of both worlds” for some.

5. Google Chrome

The most popular browser is the blazing fast Google Chrome browser designed to be customizable, fast and reliable. It has had an excellent performance and feature record for so long that it has virtually become the standard for web browsers.

All the forks of Chrome e.g. Brave and Vivaldi enjoy the features that it has and just go a step further to include features you’ll typically need extensions for by default. If you want the original, user-friendly browser then Chrome is inescapable.

Vivaldi is a modern browser intended for all users but targeted at technically-inclined users, given that it was started to please web surfers dissatisfied with Opera’s switch from the Presto layout engine to a Chromium-based one.

Among its many features includes a built-in ad-blocker, download manager, tracking and data collection protection, enhanced performance to minimize energy consumption, etc.

7. Waterfox

Waterfox is a high-performance Mozilla-based indie web browser built to provide 64-bit users with speed. Its flag features include limited data collection, no telemetry, NPAPI plugins, bootstrapped add-ons, and themes.

All these browsers feature a beautiful user interface, sufficient customizability, synchronization across devices, relative performance speed, and memory friendliness. I can already hear someone scoffing at Google Chrome being battery and memory friendly. That’s a topic for another day. The fact is that Google Chrome is amazingly efficient and no list of reliable web browsers will be complete without it.

Which browsers do you use on your Mac setup?  What do you like about your favourite browser? Share your thoughts with us in the discussion section below. And remember that you can format your comments in HTML.

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Neuer iPhone-Browser: Diese 10 besten Safari-Alternativen empfiehlt Apple

Auf dem iPhone oder iPad ist Safari vorinstalliert und tief ins System integriert, andere Hersteller haben es da schwer. Monopole sind aber schlecht fürs Geschäft, und auf Druck der EU ist ab iOS 17.4 Safari deshalb nicht mehr automatisch der vorausgewählte Standardbrowser.

Beim ersten Start sieht der Nutzer jetzt einmalig eine Liste von insgesamt zehn verschiedenen Browsern und darf einen davon auswählen. Die Liste wird von Apple jährlich aktualisiert, es handelt sich um die zehn meist geladenen Webbrowser des jeweiligen Landes.

Jeder der Browser muss mindestens 5.000 Nutzer in allen EU-Stores aufweisen, bietet ein Hersteller mehrere Browser an, wird der erfolgreichste aufgelistet.

Das Angebot ist sehr vielfältig, hat aber eine Gemeinsamkeit: Als sogenannte Browser-Engine kommt Webkit zum Einsatz, wie bis kürzlich von Apple gefordert wurde. Dies ist auf Wunsch der EU zwar nicht mehr notwendig, hier gibt es aber auch bis Redaktionsschluss noch keine echten Alternativen.

Ein weiterer Effekt: Da die Apps die gleiche Engine nutzen, erwies sich ein Vergleich der Performance als überflüssig – die Leistung ist nämlich so gut wie identisch. Es sind wohl auch deshalb Zusatzfunktionen wie VPN und KI, mit denen sich die Safari-Alternativen von Apples Browser abheben.

Die besten VPN-Apps für Macs und iPhones

Wir haben uns diese zehn Angebote für Deutschland einmal näher angesehen – in alphabetischer Reihenfolge:

Diese Liste sehen Sie unter iOS 17.4 – aber nur ein einziges Mal.

Bei der Liste der jeweiligen Länder gibt es übrigens wenig regionale Unterschiede, für nahezu jedes europäisches Land ist die Auswahl fast identisch. Zu den wenigen Ausnahmen gehören die in Finnland beliebte App Vivaldi, Qwant in Frankreich, Access in Schweden oder auch Web@Work in Luxemburg – warum auch immer.

Aloha 

Aloha Browser hier herunterladen

Ein sehr beliebter Browser ist Aloha von Aloha Mobile, der mit einem kostenlosen VPN-Dienst punktet. Er unterstützt allerdings nur einen lokalen Server ohne Standortwahl in der Free-Version. Wollen Sie das VPN auch mit anderen Apps nutzen und den Standort frei wählen, kostet dies eine Monatsgebühr (bei Redaktionsschluss 10 Euro pro Monat).

Beim ersten App-Start können Sie außerdem auf Wunsch gleich den Werbeblocker Adblock Plus aktivieren. Der Browser bietet auch einen privaten Modus und auch ein Medien-Player ist direkt integriert.

Ein KI-Chat ist ebenfalls mit im Paket. Wohl nicht zufällig hat der Browser-Hersteller den Firmensitz in Zypern, der Hersteller verspricht nämlich besonders viel Privatsphäre und die kleine Mittelmeerinsel gilt bei staatlichen Kontrollen als sehr zurückhaltend.

Brave 

Brave Browser hier herunterladen

Einer der funktionsreichen Browser ist Brave. Eine Stärke der App ist der integrierte Werbeblocker. Anzeigen und Banner werden im Browser automatisch unterdrückt, für einzelne Seiten können Sie dies aber auch erlauben – zum Beispiel für macwelt.de.

Wie bei vielen Browsern mittlerweile üblich sehen Sie als Startseite eine News-Übersicht. Mit dem KI-Assistenten Leo ist zudem künstliche Intelligenz integriert. Die Funktion Wallet hilft zusätzlich bei der Verwaltung Ihrer Kryptowährungen.

Für einen Aufpreis von 100 Euro können Sie einen VPN-Dienst dazu buchen. Eine weitere Zuzahlung schaltet weitere Features für Leo frei. Ungewöhnlicher ist eine weitere Funktion: Der Browser bietet nämlich verschlüsselte Video-Chats für seine Anwender – als Alternative zu iChat.

Google Chrome hier herunterladen

Neben Safari ist Chrome wohl einer der interessantesten Alternativ-Browsern, da Sie mit der iOS-Version besonders gut auf Google-Dienste zugreifen können. Nützlich ist ebenso Google-Lens, die Suchfunktion auf Basis der Kamera. Ideal ist Chrome vor allem dann, wenn Sie Chrome auch am Desktop nutzen.

Verwenden Sie am Desktop oder unter Android Google Chrome, werden automatisch Lesezeichen und andere Daten synchronisiert. Gut gefällt uns die Leseliste, die ebenfalls mit anderen Plattformen abgeglichen wird. Sie können dann etwa am Desktop Artikel sammeln und später am iPad oder iPhone lesen.

Im Vergleich zu den anderen Browsern wirkt Chrome auf uns fast schon etwas funktionsarm. Anders als auf dem Desktop stehen schließlich auch keine Erweiterungen zur Verfügung und Assistenz-Funktionen bietet Google lieber über die App Google Assistant an.

DuckDuckGo hier herunterladen

DuckDuckGo ( hier im Macwelt-Test ) ist vor allem als Suchmaschinen-Alternative zu Google bekannt, die Sie auch als Google-Alternative in Safari auswählen können. Der Hersteller verspricht besonders guten Datenschutz und (im Unterschied zu Google) die Suchanfragen seiner Nutzer nicht zu erfassen und auszuwerten.

Schon seit geraumer Zeit hat der Entwickler aber auch einen Browser im Angebot. Die App bietet einen Privat-Modus und kann besonders komfortabel Surf-Spuren löschen – ein eigener Lösch-Button ist in die untere Funktionsleiste integriert und schließt alle offenen Tabs.

Er zeigt beim Löschen der Daten sogar eine Flammen-Animation – etwas verspielt, aber komfortabel. Bestimmte Seiten können Sie von diesem Löschvorgang ausnehmen.

Ungewöhnlich: Lesezeichen, Verlauf und Passwörter können Sie zwischen Geräten direkt austauschen – ohne Nutzerkonto. Die Daten werden per WLAN direkt übertragen. 

Ecosia hier herunterladen

Die Besonderheit von Ecosia ist, dass der Hersteller verspricht, klimaneutral zu arbeiten. Das hat bei einem Browser seine Berechtigung, schließlich wird durch Suchmaschinen und Webdienste sehr viel Energie in Datenzentren verbraucht.

80 Prozent der Einnahmen werden deshalb für den Anbau von Bäumen verwendet, das Unternehmen nutzt außerdem Solaranlagen. Für das Surfen bietet der Browser alles Erforderliche, ein Adblocker ist integriert und Funktionen wie Downloads, Favoriten, Leseliste und privates Browsen werden unterstützt.

Wie bei immer mehr Browsern üblich ist auch ein KI-Chat integriert.

Microsoft Edge hier herunterladen

Auch Microsofts eigener Browser Edge ist für iPhones verfügbar. Eine interessante Besonderheit des Explorer-Nachfolgers ist die Unterstützung von Microsofts Copilot, der als eigene App zu haben ist.

Die KI-Funktion können Sie über einen eigenen Button aufrufen. Sie landen dann automatisch in einer Chat-Oberfläche und können kostenlos auf GPT 3.5 zugreifen – die Vollversion Copilot selbst kostet ohne Einschränkungen stolze 22 Euro pro Monat.

Bei den Antworten überzeugt die gute Zusammenarbeit von KI und Suchmaschine. Gut gefällt uns beim Browser die Startoberfläche. Hier bietet der Browser eine gute Kombination aus News-Übersicht, Wetter und Lesezeichen. Ideal ist aber auch dieser Browser wohl vor allem für Nutzer der Desktopversion von Edge. Die Suchmaschine Bing ist aber nach unserer Meinung Google immer noch unterlegen.

Firefox 

Firefox hier herunterladen

Der beliebte Open Source-Browser Firefox darf in der Übersicht nicht fehlen. Für ihn gilt, was wir auch für Edge und Chrome anführen: Interessant ist die App nach unserer Meinung primär für die Nutzer der Desktop-Version, so haben Sie direkten Zugriff auf Ihre Lesezeichen und können Ihre Passwörter abgleichen.

Wie bei Chrome müssen Sie leider ebenfalls auf die vielen Erweiterungen der Desktop-Version verzichten, eine Einschränkung durch Apple. Aktuell steht übrigens noch keine eigene Browser-Engine zur Verfügung. Ab iOS 17.4 sind dank der EU zwar andere Browser-Engines erlaubt, aber nur in Europa. Vorerst scheut Mozilla den Aufwand, separate Versionen für die EU und den Rest der Welt zu entwickeln, etwa auf Basis der Engine Gecko.

Onion Browser 

Onion Browser hier herunterladen

Ein Browser, der besonders gut gegen staatliche Zugriffe geschützt ist, ist der Onion Browser. Die iOS-Version kann leider erst sinnvoll genutzt werden, nachdem Sie die zusätzliche App Orbot installiert haben – im Prinzip ein VPN-Dienst.

Wundern Sie sich aber nicht, wenn das Surfen mit diesem Browser äußerst langsam ist, die Server sind leider sehr lahm. Gedacht ist das Projekt vorwiegend für Oppositionelle, die etwa die in ihrem Land geblockte New York Times oder Seiten wie BBC lesen wollen, nicht für Netflix-Fans.

Wir sind deshalb doch etwas überrascht, es in dieser Liste zu finden – für Nicht-Oppositionelle ist der Browser einfach viel zu langsam.

Opera hier herunterladen

Der Browser Opera aus Norwegen war einmal stärkster Konkurrenz von Safari, Firefox und Chrome, scheint aber in den letzten Jahren doch etwas außer Mode geraten zu sein.

Auf dem iPhone kann er mit seinem integrierten VPN-Dienst punkten und unterstützt die Synchronisierung mit Desktop- und Android-Versionen. Auch hier ist bereits ein KI-Assistent integriert. Krypto, Wallet und Werbeblocker bietet der ausgereifte Browser ebenfalls.

Safari haben wir als elftes Programm mit aufgenommen. Die App kann in diesem Testfeld mit der besten Integration ins Betriebssystem punkten. Dank einer faktisch immer noch bestehenden Pflicht Webkit zu benutzen, ist Safaris Browser auch in der Performance nicht zu schlagen. Im Vergleich zu den anderen Vertretern fällt das Fehlen eines KI-Assistenten aber langsam negativ auf.

Yandex Browser hier herunterladen

Der Browser von Yandex bietet neben Google auch die gleichnamige russische Suchmaschine als Auswahlmöglichkeit. Yandex ist vor allem bei russischen Staatsbürgern beliebt, hier hatte das Unternehmen lange Jahre eine Monopolstellung.

Der Einfluss des russischen Staates auf die Inhalte gilt allerdings als sehr stark. Dass der Browser zu den zehn beliebtesten Browsern in Deutschland gehört, überrascht uns etwas.

You.com hier herunterladen

KI-Technologie ist die wichtigste Funktion des Browsers von You.com, ein Unternehmen, das als einer der KI-Pioniere gilt. Wahlweise über die integrierte Google-Suchmaschine oder den eigenen KI-Chatbot können Sie Suchanfragen starten, aber auch Texte erstellen, Inhalte zusammenfassen und Bilder erstellen.

Gut funktioniert das Zusammenfassen von Webinhalten bei Recherchen, auch Quellen und weiterführende Informationen werden aufgelistet. Hinter dem Projekt stehen mit Richard Socher und Bryan McCann zwei prominente Ex-Mitglieder von Salesforce. Der Browser mach einen ausgereiften Eindruck, hat sich aber zuletzt wenig weiterentwickelt.

Autor: Stephan Wiesend , Autor

Stephan Wiesend schreibt seit 2001 für IDG Artikel zu den Themen Mac-OS, iOS, Software, Hardware und Praxis. Seit 2003 arbeitet er als freier Autor in München und hat bereits mehrere Bücher zum Thema Apps veröffentlicht.

Aktuelle Beiträge von Stephan Wiesend:

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5 New Mobile Browser Alternatives to Chrome and Safari

Look beyond Chrome and Safari. There are other mobile browsers out there that can completely change your gateway to the internet.

Your smartphone comes loaded with a browser and you probably use that without ever changing it. But that might mean you are missing out on a much better web experience if you never tried other browser apps.

For a lot of people, Google Chrome is the default mobile browser. The latest Chrome 66 update has introduced a new UI and changed the media player. You can do a lot more with Chrome on Android than you think, and the iOS version is an excellent alternative to Safari .

But look beyond Chrome. There are other mobile browsers out there that can completely change your gateway to the internet.

1. Smooz (Android, iOS): One-Handed Browsing With Gestures

Usually, browsing on your smartphone requires two hands. You hold your phone in one, and you swipe with the other. Most browsers don't enable a good one-handed experience where your thumb does all the work. Most browsers aren't Smooz either.

Smooz uses smart gestures for the most common tasks in a browser. For example, tap and hold a link to open it in a new tab. Swipe to switch from one tab to the next. Pin tabs with a custom gesture so you don't accidentally close it or browse away from it. It's quite intuitive, and you'll love the experience.

Of course, you'll need to type with one hand too. For that, use Gboard keyboard on Android with its one-handed mode, or learn how to type with one hand on the iPhone .

Download: Smooz for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Cake (Android, iOS): Better Search Experience With Quick Loading

Cake reckons that the current mobile browser is a miniaturized version of the desktop browser. So, the team set out to build a browser made for the smartphone. It focuses more on helping you find and browse things easily.

Cake is unique in offering to change how search works on the browser (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or any other). Instead of the usual search results page, it opens the first organic search result automatically. Swipe right to go to the next page, already opened. Behind the scenes, Cake takes care of pre-loading the fastest sites so that it's a smooth, fluid experience.

The browser also offers deep customization. You can use different search engines for different purposes, like Google for web search, Giphy for images, YouTube for videos, and so on. Plus it has ad-blocking, popup-blocking, and many of the other features in the best modern mobile browsers .

Download: Cake for Android | iOS (Free)

3. Internet by Amazon (Android): Light, Fast Browser With News Feed

Android users who run out of space and need faster lightweight apps , there's a new browser for you. And it's made by Amazon, of all people.

It's called internet and takes less than 5MB of storage space. It is quick to launch as well and behaves like most common browsers. There is even a "private mode" which some other light browsers lack. And Amazon has included something to make it feel more like Google's Chrome: a news feed.

Open the app and you are greeted with a page that is exactly like Chrome on mobile, with your most frequently visited sites followed by recent news about topics you are interested in.

Amazon also claims this is a private browser, but it's unclear how or why that is. The app still asks for permission to your photos/media/files, your memory storage, and full network access. Granted, it's not as intrusive as Chrome, but take the "private" tag with a pinch of salt as Amazon has some issues with privacy .

The browser is currently available only in India, but you can download and install the APK by sideloading it.

Download: Internet for Android [Broken URL Removed] (Free)

4. Samsung Internet Browser (Android): A Weird but Interesting Choice

Generally, our advice has been to replace Samsung apps with better alternatives . But in this one case, you should consider replacing your regular browser with the Samsung internet browser instead.

Samsung internet is a Chromium-based browser, so most features are what you'd get in Google Chrome. But use it once and you'll immediately notice the speed difference. Samsung internet feels much faster. It is also better at a lot of the things that you might find limiting in Chrome, like the download manager. And in a surprise move, the Samsung internet browser actually uses much less battery than Chrome too.

Finally, Samsung has done something that Chrome still hasn't: extensions. There isn't a huge number of extensions yet, but the ones that are there prove useful.

Download: Samsung Internet for Android (Free)

5. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser (Android, iOS): Privacy First, Browsing Second

This is a time when everyone is worried about how much we are being tracked online. DuckDuckGo has made a name for itself as a privacy-focused search engine . Now it has new browsers to protect you while surfing the web.

By default, the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser will ensure you are on an encrypted connection with the site, and it blocks common malicious trackers as well. Each website gets a privacy grade according to this, so you know if you're on a site that can compromise your data. At any point, you can tap the "Fire" logo to clear all your browsing data.

Apart from that, it's a simple web browser that offers everything that big browsers like Chrome have. If you want to know more, read about how DuckDuckGo's new apps keep you safe .

Download: DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser for Android | iOS (Free)

Know How Browsers Compromise Privacy

If you use the browser that came with your phone, it's important to know that this is probably compromising your privacy. The company that sold you the phone, or the one that made the browser, or both will be tracking you across the sites you visit.

To know just how much of a risk this is, read how your browser compromises your privacy .

• Versicherungen
• Internet Speed-Test
• Produkttests
• Softwarearchiv
• Letzte Updates
• Nirsoft-Übersetzungen

Browser-Alternativen zu Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge & Co: sicherer und schneller?

Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari von Apple und der Internet Explorer sowie dessen Nachfolger Edge und Edge Chromium von Microsoft - jeder kennt die Standard-Browser. Es sind die beliebtesten und meistgenutzten Browser für Windows und Mac. Aber sind es auch die besten Browser bezüglich Sicherheit und Geschwindigkeit? Ihre Verbreitung genießen sie, weil sie mit vielen Software-Paketen mitgeliefert werden. So ist auf dem MacBook Safari vorinstalliert, während Microsoft seinen Browser Edge mit Windows mitliefert. Wer nicht mit den Browsern der großen Anbieter surfen möchte, findet in unseren Ratgeber die besten Browser-Alternativen zu Firefox, Chrome, Safari und Edge.

• Es gibt viele Gründe nach Browser-Alternativen zu suchen: Sicherheitsaspekte, Datenschutz und Privatsphäre sowie Surfgeschwindigkeit gehören zu den meisten Motiven, den Browser zu wechseln. Denn die auch kleinere Browser-Anbieter können starke Programme entwickeln.
• Wir geben Ihnen Tipps, welcher Browser für Sie am besten geeignet ist , wenn Sie von Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox Mozilla oder dem OS X Safari zu einer besseren Alternative wechseln möchten.
• Wenn die alternativen Browser Ihnen nicht gefallen und Sie sich lediglich mehr Anonymität im Internet wünschen, sollten Sie Ihren Lieblingsbrowser einfach mit einem schnellen VPN-Anbieter nutzen.

1.1. Alternative zum Browserwechsel: Klassischen Browser mit VPN verwenden

1.2. die beliebtesten browser: rankings weltweit, 2.3. vivaldi, 2.4. seamonkey, 2.5. midori, 2.6. tor-browser, 3. fazit: für jeden user gibt es eine alternative, 1. warum es sich lohnt, alternative browser von kleinen anbietern zu benutzen.

Erst ein Browser eröffnet uns den Weg ins Internet. Dabei öffnen sich aber auch Lücken und Hintertüren für Hacker.

Wer im Internet surfen möchte, benötigt einen Webbrowser. Dieser ermöglicht erst die unbeschwerte Darstellung von Webseiten und Inhalten. Der Browser interpretiert HTML, führt Skripte aus und tauscht Daten mit Servern aus aller Welt aus. Welchen Browser Sie dafür benutzen, ist grundsätzlich erst einmal egal, denn ihren Zweck erfüllen sie alle.

Sie sollten sich aber bewusst machen, dass Sie mir Ihrem Browser beim Surfern auch immer Spuren hinterlassen . Eventuell bieten Sie auch Angriffsflächen und Sicherheitslücken für Betrüger . Kriminelle Hacker konzentrieren sich dabei überwiegend auf die Browser der großen Anbieter, weil sie dadurch eine viel größere Zahl an Opfern treffen können.

Daraus folgt: Wer besonderen Wert auf Faktoren wie Sicherheit, Datenschutz oder Schnelligkeit legt, ist manchmal mit einer Alternative zu den großen Marktführern besser beraten. Denn wer ein Nischen-Programm benutzt, gehört auch seltener zum Beuteschema von Kriminellen . Und weil die grundsätzlichen Funktionen eines Browsers so gut wie jedes Alternativ-Programm beherrscht, ist es nicht zwingend notwendig, Safari, Chrome oder Firefox zu benutzen oder mit nur mit Microsoft Edge zu surfen.

Eine Vielzahl an kostenlosen Alternativ-Browsern steht zum Download im Internet bereit. Wir stellen davon einige leistungsstarke und sichere Browser vor, die sich hervorragend als Alternativen zu Firefox und Co. eignen. Wenn Sie jedoch unbedingt bei Ihrem Browser bleiben möchten und dennoch Bedenken wegen der Sicherheit Ihrer Privatsphäre haben, schauen Sie sich unsere Tipps zur Nutzung von VPN ( Virtual Private Network ) an.

Es gibt übrigens auch VPN-Addons für Browser. Wie gut und sinnvoll solche Add-ons sind, haben wir hier im Browser VPN-Test untersucht. Unser Fazit: Add-ons eignen sich nur bedingt für anonymes Surfen. Ihre Funktionen sind vielfach eingeschränkt. Wer schnell und sicher surfen möchte, sollte lieber auf einen richtigen VPN-Service setzen und beispielsweise ein schnelles VPN für Windows 10 installieren.

Der weltweit meistgenutzte Browser ist Google Chrome, und zwar deutlich (über 60%) vor Safari (unter 20%), Firefox und Edge (je unter 5%). Zum einen liegt das an seinem schlichten und nutzerfreundlichen Design, zum anderen auch an der häufigen mobilen Nutzung auf Smartphones und Tablets, da Google Chrome standardmäßig auf Android-Geräten vorinstalliert ist und nur wenige User sich die Mühe machen, um nach einem alternativen Browser zu Chrome zu suchen. Dabei gibt es auch für Android sehr gute Browser-Alternativen zu Chrome.

An zweiter Stelle der Beliebtheitsliste ist Safari zu nennen, der aufgrund der Beliebtheit von Apple-Geräten wie etwa das iPhone, iPad oder MacBook viel benutzt wird. Auch Apple-Nutzer suchen in der Regel selten nach einer Alternative zu Safari, da der Browser sehr gut in iOS und OS X integriert ist.

Darauf folgt in der Beliebtheitsskala der einstige Liebling unter den Internet-Nutzern: Mozilla Firefox. Er trumpft vor allem mit zahlreichen Add-ons auf und basiert auf den Quellcode des Netscape Communicators, der seinerseits eine Weiterentwicklung des Mosaic Browsers war.

Durch seine rasante Entwicklung konnte sich Firefox schnell als Alternative zum Internet Explorer von Microsoft entwickeln und die langjährige Dominanz des mit Windows mitgelieferten Internet Explorers beenden. Letzterer wurde mittlerweile jedoch von Microsoft Edge abgelöst, der den fünften Platz unter den beliebtesten Browsern belegt (nach Samsung Internet, dem Browser von Samsung).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhwofMiloM0

2. Alternative Browser

Die gängigen Browser bieten für die normalen Internetanwendungen selbstverständlich alles, was man für unbeschwertes Surfen benötigt. Sie sind alle für unterschiedliche Betriebssysteme verfügbar und kommen auch als Apps für die mobile Nutzung.

Allerdings gibt es im Bereich der Sicherheit immer wieder Kritik , besonders bei Chrome und Safari. Und auch was die Schnelligkeit, Funktionen und Bedienbarkeit angeht, gibt es oftmals noch Verbesserungspotenzial. Vor allem beim Internet Explorer wird die Geschwindigkeit häufig bemängelt.

Alternative Browser versuchen sich in diesen Bereichen besser zu platzieren. Zwar lassen sich auch die meisten der üblichen Browser aufrüsten und absichern, aber viel einfacher ist es schließlich, wenn alles von vornherein bereits bestens eingerichtet ist. Welche Besonderheiten die kostenlosen alternativen Browser bieten, haben wir für Sie zusammengestellt:

Eingestellt : Die Entwicklung des CLIQZ-Browsers wurde zwischenzeitlich eingestellt .

Cliqz besticht vor allem durch Sicherheit und eine schnelle integrierte Suchmaschine. Der Browser basiert auf Firefox-Technik, was am Erscheinungsbild auch direkt erkennbar ist. Eine Suchanfrage wird ohne externe Suchmaschine direkt im Browser durchgeführt. Hierfür brauchen Sie wie bei Chrome lediglich den Suchbegriff in die Adressleiste einzugeben.

Beim Thema Sicherheit arbeitet Cliqz mit Anti-Tracking, um die Privatsphäre der Nutzer zu schützen. Zudem ist ein Werbeblocker integriert und der Browser warnt vor potenziell gefährlichen Seiten und steuert automatisch bevorzugt auf geschützte https-Seiten.

Ein Nachteil von Cliqz ist jedoch, dass nicht alle Firefox-Add-ons installiert werden können. Add-ons, die nicht dem Sicherheits- und Privatsphäreanspruch von Cliqz gerecht werden, werden vom Hersteller blockiert. Ansonsten ist Cliqz eine sehr gute Alternative zu Firefox.

• schneller Browser
• integrierte Suchmaschine
• Schutz vor gefährlichen Seiten
• Werbeblocker und Anti-Tracking
• weniger Auswahl bei Add-ons

Die Benutzeroberfläche lässt sich auf die persönlichen Bedürfnisse anpassen. Es stehen zahlreiche Add-ons zur Verfügung, darunter auch Messenger wie WhatsApp, Facebook oder Telegram. Lesezeichen lassen sich ganz einfach in Ordnern auf der Startseite oder unterhalb der Adressleiste sammeln.

Einst basierte der Browser auf einer eigenen Engine, die auf Schnelligkeit ausgelegt war. Mittlerweile benutzt Opera die gleiche Engine wie Chrome und ist von der Schnelligkeit gleichauf mit dem Google-Browser. Daher empfehlen wir den Opera Browser als beste Alternative zu Chrome.

• schlanke Benutzeroberfläche, personalisierbar
• hohe Sicherheit dank Datenschutz (VPN) und Filter gegen Malware
• integrierter Werbeblocker
• zahlreiche Add-ons
• surfen mit eingeschalteter VPN relativ langsam

Der Browser Vivaldi lässt sich zudem mit Add-ons für Chrome erweitern und so perfekt ausstatten. Durch die Chromium Engine funktioniert der Browser schnell und zuverlässig. In Sachen Sicherheit und Datenschutz ist Vivaldi daher allerdings zunächst nur mäßig eingestellt . Dies kann aber in den Einstellungen und Add-ons deutlich verbessert werden (unter anderem wird auch die alternative Suchmaschine qwandt.com unterstützt). Wer sich die Mühe nicht machen möchte, aber gleichzeitig Wert auf Privatsphäre legt, ist daher mit einem anderen alternativen Browser besser beraten.

• individualisierbare Designs und Optionen
• Übersichtlichkeit
• sehr benutzerfreundlich
• Datenschutz zu Beginn nicht optimal
• nichts für unerfahrene PC-Nutzer

Im Bereich Datenschutz und Sicherheit hat SeaMonkey ebenfalls einiges zu bieten: Ein lernfähiger Spam-Filter, Popup-Blocker, automatisches Löschen von Surfspuren. Dazu können Sie festlegen, wie eine Webseite mit Grafiken und Cookies umgehen soll und so die Surfgeschwindigkeit verbessern.

• integriertes Mail-Programm
• automatisches Löschen von Cookies und Daten
• persönliche Einstellungen zu Cookies und Grafiken
• nicht jeder braucht die zusätzlichen Funktionen
• veraltetes Design

Der Schwerpunkt von Midori liegt ganz klar auf der Schnelligkeit. Hierbei handelt es sich um einen kleinen Browser, der mit wenig Ressourcen auskommt und so auch für ältere Computer und Notebooks hervorragend geeignet ist. Für Menschen, die einfach und flott durch das Internet surfen möchten, ist diese Browser-Alternative bestens geeignet.

Die Oberfläche des Browsers ist sehr einfach gehalten. Zudem werden Tabs und Erweiterungen unterstützt und die Anpassung an eigene Bedürfnisse ist ebenfalls möglich. In Sachen Sicherheit und Datenschutz hält Midori jedoch keine besonderen Funktionen bereit. Allerdings sind ein Adblocker und die Verwaltung von Cookies enthalten. Wir empfehlen Midori nur als Browser-Alternative für erfahrene Nutzer, die ihr System gut gesichert haben.

• schnelles Surfvergnügen
• schlankes Design
• benötigt wenige Ressourcen
• kein Fokus auf Datenschutz und Sicherheit

Auch der Tor-Browser basiert auf einer modifizierten Version von Mozilla Firefox. Die einfache Handhabung ermöglicht auch unerfahrenen Internet-Nutzern einen einfachen Einstieg in das anonyme Tor-Netzwerk. Einzig die Geschwindigkeit bleibt hier häufig auf der Strecke. Das ist der Preis, den Sie zahlen müssen für den geschützten Datenaustausch.

• anonymes Surfen
• viele einstellbare Sicherheitseinstellungen
• leicht zu bedienen
• langsame Surfgeschwindigkeit

Die absolut beste Alternative, mit der jeder Anwender glücklich wird, gibt es nicht. Für welche Browser-Alternative Sie sich am besten entscheiden, hängt maßgeblich davon ab, worauf Sie beim Surfen Wert legen:

• Opera ist mit seiner großen Fanbase ein Allround-Talent, der es mit den großen Browsern von Google, Apple und Microsoft durchaus aufnehmen kann.
• Wem jedoch die Privatsphäre besonders wichtig ist, der sollte dem Tor-Browser als sichere Alternative zu Firefox und Chrome eine Chance geben .
• Individualisten können sich mit dem Browser Vivaldi austoben und ganz nach ihren Wünschen anpassen. Auch die Browser SeaMonkey und Cliqz sind sehr gut für Internetnutzer geeignet, die eine unkomplizierte Browser-Alternative suchen, um sich von den großen Firmen unabhängig zu machen und ihre Privatsphäre besser zu schützen.
• Wer weiterhin beim Firefox, Chrome oder Safari bleiben möchte, sollte die gleichzeitige Nutzung von VPN testen . Häufig wird dadurch zwar das Surfen etwas langsamer, doch dafür erhöht sich die Sicherheit.

60 Bewertungen

9 antworten auf “browser-alternativen zu chrome, firefox, safari, edge & co: sicherer und schneller”, tmowizard 02.02.2022 um 16:20.

Warum beharren eigentlich immer alle fälschlicher Weise darauf, daß der Firefox der Nachfolger von Netscape ist?

Richtig ist eigentlich:

Netscape Navigator –> Netscape Communicator –> Mozilla Application Suite (MAS) –> SeaMonkey

Firefox, Thunderbird, das Add-on ChatZilla und der HTML-Editor NVU/KompoZer sind die Einzelkomponenten der MAS, wobei der NVU/KompoZer aus den Composer der Suite entstand.

Im Prinzip lebt mit SeaMonkey also der alte Netscape Communicator weiter, nur jetzt eben relativ aktuell (naja …) auf Basis von Firefox und Thunderbird.

Das Problem von SeaMonkey ist, daß die Suite auf Spenden angewiesen ist und zu wenig „Mitarbeiter“ hat. Die machen das ja freiwillig nebenbei und ich würde mal sagen, daß die Leute da trotz immer wieder auftauchender erheblicher Probleme einfach weitermachen ein wirklich dickes Lob verdienen!

Ich habe damals mit den alten Navigator angefangen und bin einfach bei der Suite geblieben, aktuell also SeaMonkey 2.53.10.2…

Großer Vorteil der Suite: Hier gibt es noch immer „richtige“ Add-ons“ und keine völlig eingeschränkten „WebExtensions“. Da ich hier für mich immer wieder mal einen Vergleich ziehe und das soweit möglich auch online teste kann ich mit gutem Gewissen folgendes sagen:

SeaMonkey ist sicherer als so manch anderer Browser wie z. B. Chrome/Chromium oder Firefox, die „richtigen“ Add-ons haben hierfür einfach die besseren Möglichkeiten.

Mozilla (und auch Google) bauen in ihre Browser „Dinge“ ein, welche sicheres Browsing stören. Mit WebExtensions lassen sich diese zum Teil gewaltigen Lücken gar nicht schließen, das müßen dann die Betriebssystem übernehmen… Das kann nur schiefgehen!

Lücken in SeaMonkey schließt das Team selbst, sollte die Suite überhaupt von einer Lücken in Firefox betroffen sein. Das ist oftmals nicht der Fall, da SeaMonkey die Möglichkeit dazu im Gegensatz zu Firefox erst gar nicht anbietet.

Lange Rede kurzer Sinn, mein Fazit zum Thema:

Wenn man sich nirgends anmelden muß ist das Tor Browser Bundle (TBB) die richtige Wahl, für den Rest nimmt man aus Sicherheitsgründen den SeaMonkey! 😉

Viel Grüße nun aus Augsburg

Mike, TmoWizard

PCDMicha 29.01.2022 um 14:26

Sie haben natürlich Recht, wie wir es bereits in unserem Browser-Vergleich richtig geschrieben haben. Die betreffende Passage wurde nun editiert.

wolfhos 27.01.2022 um 10:06

Hallo Wintotal-Redaktion,

die Aussage “ Er (Firefox) … wurde ursprünglich als Alternative zum Internet Explorer von Microsoft entwickelt, um Windows-Usern eine Wahl für einen Wechsel zu bieten“, ist völliger Quatsch. Mozilla/Firefox ist aus Netscape hervorgegangen und dieser aus Mosaic, einem der ältesten Browser überhaupt. Der IE hat sich dann mit Verspätung in den Weg gedrängt. Bitte korrigieren.

Sultan 30.09.2021 um 04:54

Ich benutze den Brave browser Der meines empfinden schneller and sicherer ist als die standard browser.

Gian Carlo 26.01.2021 um 14:38

Klasse, vielen Danke für den Artikel 🙂 Ich werde gleich mal Opera und Vivaldi eine Chance geben. Vielleicht mögt ihr auch mal den Torch Browser testen?

PCDMicha 06.12.2020 um 16:07

Unser Fehler. Wir beheben das.

t31 06.12.2020 um 14:17

Der Artikel ist von 14.10.2020. Wie kann es dann sein, das der bereits am 30.04.20 eingestellte CLIQZ-Browser erwähnt wird, der nicht mehr heruntergeladen werden kann?

PCDMicha 01.11.2020 um 11:45

Danke. Wir haben die Einleitung geändert. Natürlich gibt es noch den IE, ergänzend zu Edge bzw. Edge Chromium.

Claus Reibenstein 31.10.2020 um 14:58

Schon der erste Satz ist falsch: Der Internet Explorer von Microsoft heißt jetzt nicht Edge, sondern immer noch Internet Explorer. Edge ist ein ganz anderer Browser (basierend auf Chromium). Die beiden haben miteinander nichts zu tun.

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AAPL Company

Iphone web browser choice gets one thing right, two things wrong, say developers.

Being prompted to make an iPhone web browser choice in Europe has seen an uptick in the use of third-party apps , but not everyone is happy about it.

The EU itself is investigating whether Apple’s implementation of the antitrust requirement goes far enough, and developers of third-party browsers say the process gets one thing right, and two things wrong …

iPhone web browser choice

While iPhone owners have been theoretically able to choose their preferred web browser since iOS 14, it wasn’t much of a choice, for a couple of reasons.

First, most people didn’t even know they could choose an alternative browser. The default is Safari, and you’d have to proactively install a third-party one and then manually set it as your default.

Second, Apple insisted that all browsers had to use its own WebKit API. That ensured that competing browsers couldn’t do anything to impact security of privacy, but it also meant that they couldn’t offer faster speeds, or features not available in Safari.

The EU required Apple to drop the WebKit requirement, and also to proactively present users with a choice of browser when they first use their device. These changes were introduced in iOS 17.4 , and only apply within EU countries.

Apple gets one thing right

Developers of third-party web browsers have seen an increase in usage following the implementation of the changes, and they say Apple did play fair in one important respect: browsers are listed in random order, and Safari doesn’t get any special position or prominence in the list.

But two things remain unfair, they say

Wired spoke to a number of developers of alternative iPhone web browsers, and found that they had two criticisms.

First, iPhone owners are not asked to make their choice during the initial iPhone setup process. Instead, they are only presented with the choice when they first open the Safari app. This means that Safari has already presented itself as the default.

“It starts from you clicking Safari,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO and cofounder of Vivaldi. “Which, I think all of us agree, that’s the wrong spot.” Tetzchner said he prefers Google’s implementation of its new browser choice screen that guides Android users to select a default while setting up their phone.

Second, users are given zero information about each browser – just a list of names, many of which will be unfamiliar to non-techy users. That reinforces the idea that they should select Safari unless they already know a reason to make a different choice.

“Giving people information about the choice, and also information about what they’re choosing is really, really important,” says Kush Amlani, a global competition and regulatory counsel at Mozilla, which makes the Firefox browser.

A fairer option would be to give each developer a few words to pitch their browser. DuckDuckGo, for example, might have something like “Uses our privacy-first search engine, which doesn’t track you or filter your results.”

We’ll need to wait for the EU’s conclusion to determine what changes might be needed to comply with the law.

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Reece Rogers

Why Apple’s iPhone Browser-Choice Option Sucks

You just bought a new iPhone in Europe and finished setting it up. You’re excited to start planning a much-needed vacation, so you tap on the Safari browser to search for upcoming flights. Oh, you suddenly see a pop-up asking you to choose a default browser. You quickly scan the list of options, only recognizing one or two, then decide to keep Safari and move on with your hunt for travel deals.

With the iOS 17.4 update , Apple now includes a default browser selection pop-up screen for European iPhone users. It’s part of the company’s response to the Digital Markets Act , which EU lawmakers enacted earlier this year to encourage competition on the internet. (The browser choice screen is not currently rolling out to iPhones in the United States.) While browser choice screens are, in theory, meant to level the playing field in markets dominated by a handful of gatekeepers , their effectiveness is determined by the quality of the user experience.

Many of the competitors appearing on Apple’s browser choice screen are dissatisfied with how it’s been implemented in European markets. Brendan Eich, CEO and cofounder of Brave , compared powerful companies that control the defaults on smartphones to street magicians who fan out cards to pick from but hustle you by forcing a specific card to the top of the deck.

An Apple spokesperson requested to speak off the record about browser choice screens. When WIRED declined and asked for an on-the-record comment, all further requests for an interview went unanswered.

Whenever someone updates their software to iOS 17.4 in Europe, they may see the browser choice pop-up the first time they tap on the Safari browser. After a short introductory screen about the default browser choice, a list of 12 browser options are displayed in a random order. The browsers that appear on the list vary slightly by country. Safari is automatically included, and the 11 other picks are browsers with the most iPhone downloads in a particular country that also adhere to Apple’s configuration requirements for defaults.

“It starts from you clicking Safari,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO and cofounder of Vivaldi . “Which, I think all of us agree, that’s the wrong spot.” Tetzchner said he prefers Google’s implementation of its new browser choice screen that guides Android users to select a default while setting up their phone.

Google actually has some experience implementing a choice screen to appease European regulators. When it was forced to add a search engine default selector to Android in 2019, many of the developers behind alternative options initially criticized the design and denounced Google’s practice of selling slots on the screen through auctions. The company responded by rolling out an updated pop-up without slot auctions in 2021. Google did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this story.

The slow speed of enforcement from European regulation means any changes mandated by lawmakers only arrive after a drawn-out process. “Google had implicit permission to implement a bad version of it and run out the clock. In the process, it makes the entire remedy of a choice screen look bad,” says Kamyl Bazbaz, a vice president of public affairs for DuckDuckGo . “If you can only judge the effectiveness of a thing based on a bad version of it, you're gonna think it sucks.”

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A few representatives from smaller browser companies also expressed that they wanted more information included with Apple’s choice process, like definitions of what a browser is for less tech-savvy users and descriptions of the different browsers’ specialties. “Giving people information about the choice, and also information about what they're choosing is really, really important,” says Kush Amlani, a global competition and regulatory counsel at Mozilla , which makes the Firefox browser.

Sophie Dembinski, a head of public policy and climate action at Ecosia , mentioned how Apple’s pop-up appears for all iPhone users even if they’ve already gone into their phone’s settings and set an alternative browser as their default. In comparison, Google’s browser choice screen for Android users won’t show up if you’ve already gone through the steps of setting a preference for a third-party option.

While many developers are unhappy with Apple’s implementation, not every company with a browser on the choice screen expressed frustration. “We believe that Apple's approach to presenting the browser choice screen is fair and acceptable,” says Andrew Moroz Frost, the Aloha Browser founder. He pointed out the randomized order of the browsers shown on the pop-up as one example of Apple designing it in a fair manner.

Richard Socher, the founder and CEO of You.com , seemed more encouraged by there being a browser choice screen that includes the search-focused startup rather than frustrated by Apple’s implementation. “I think it’s great that there’s not the default already preselected,” he says. Socher highlighted the randomized order as a positive sign as well.

Is this choice screen a true turning point for alternative browsers to grow their user base? “We’re expecting to have a clear picture on user uplift within months, not weeks,” says Dembinski. While some browsers reported initial upticks in downloads , it still seems too soon to make sweeping generalizations about the long-term efficacy of Apple’s choice screen.

“We would like to encourage platform providers to also level out the playing field for app developers around the world, not just in the EU,” says Jan Standal, a vice president of product marketing at Opera . Some of the companies WIRED spoke with remain hopeful that the precedent of browser choice screens set by the DMA will inspire international software changes.

Shortly after Apple’s choice screen launched, the European Commision announced that the screen would be part of its wider investigation into how Apple, Google, and Meta might be breaking these updated regulations: “The Commission is concerned that Apple's measures, including the design of the web browser choice screen, may be preventing users from truly exercising their choice of services within the Apple ecosystem, in contravention of Article 6(3) of the DMA.” In keeping with its slow-moving tradition, this investigation may take up to a year to complete.

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