Speed and privacy are two of the biggest considerations that will guide you when you're choosing a browser; some demand more of your system resources while others are relatively lightweight, and some offer full suites of security tools to protect your identity online, while others allow cookies and ads to run unhindered.
1. Mozilla Firefox
The best browser for power users and privacy protection
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
REASON TO USE
+Incredibly flexible+Cross-platform sync+Good privacy protection
REASONS TO AVOID
-A bit slower than rivals
Firefox has long been the Swiss Army Knife of the internet and our favourite browser. Version 72 is particularly good: it can alert you if your email address is included in a known data breach, it blocks those annoying allow-notifications popups, it blocks “fingerprinting” browser tracking and it brings its picture in picture video mode to the Mac version.
2. Microsoft Edge
A genuinely great browser from the former browser bad guys
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux coming soon
REASONS TO USE
+Very, very fast+Crystal clear privacy tools+Can save sites as apps
REASONS TO AVOID
-Windows really wants it to be the default
Microsoft is on the side of the angels now and its Edge browser has been rebuilt with Chromium at its heart. It’s Windows’ default browser and there are also versions for iOS, Android and Mac.
Edge looks like Chrome and works like Chrome, but we like it more than Chrome: it’s noticeably faster on our Mac and the customization options are superb.
3. Google Chrome
It’s the world’s favourite browser, but it can be a memory-muncher
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
REASONS TO USE
+Speedy performance+Very expandable+Cross-platform
REASONS TO AVOID
-Can be resource-hungry
Chrome 79 is by no means a bad browser. Quite the contrary: it’s a brilliant browser with a superb library of add-ons, cross-platform support and sync, excellent autofill features and some great tools for web developers. It can warn you if your email’s been compromised, it has secure DNS lookup for compatible providers (Google’s own Public DNS is one of them) and it blocks lots of dangerous mixed content such as scripts and images on otherwise secure connections.
4. Opera
A classy browser that’s particularly good for collecting content
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
REASONS TO USE
+Built-in proxy+Great security features+Really nice interface
REASONS TO AVOID
-No more Opera Turbo
Opera sets out its stall the moment you first run it: its splash screen enables you to turn on its built-in ad blocker, use its built-in VPN, turn on its Crypto Wallet for cryptocurrency, enable in-browser messaging from the sidebar and move between light or dark modes.
5. Vivaldi
Build your own browser with unique docking and tab-stacking
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android (beta)
REASONS TO USE
+Incredibly customizable+Creative interface features+Supports Chrome extensions
REASONS TO AVOID
-Bad for procrastinators
Vivaldi is the brainchild of former Opera developers, and like Opera it does things differently from the big-name browsers. In this case, very differently. Vivaldi is all about customization, and you can tweak pretty much everything from the way navigation works to how the user interface looks.
7. Brave
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
REASONS TO USE
+fast, private and secure
REASONS TO AVOID
-Bad for new user
One of the most unusual browsers around is Brave — or, perhaps, its 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.
