Discover the Best Browser for Ubuntu Linux — A Minimal Comparison

Have you ever attempted surfing the net on Ubuntu Linux? If so, then you definitely realize how essential it is to have the proper browser that meets all of your needs. Luckily, there are numerous Linux internet browsers available, each with its specific set of capabilities and advantages, whether or not you are looking for speed, security, or customization alternatives.

In this post, we’ll take a more in-depth look at the top browsers for Ubuntu Linux. So whether you are a seasoned Ubuntu user or just starting out, you can find what suits you in our list of best browser for Ubuntu.

What to Look for When Choosing an Ubuntu Browser?

For choosing an efficient and easy-to-use Ubuntu browser, you should take a set of features into account. Let’s take a look at them:

Privacy and Data Collection Policies

Your browser is the magic box that has the answer to all of your questions. But does it get something in return? Yes, data. Your browser collects all sorts of data, from your location to your browsing history and your hardware model. This type of data collection isn’t supposed to be horrifying and concerning on most browsers. However, if you’re cautious about every piece of your information and the integrity of your data, you should choose a browser that has regulated data collection policies.

Browser Customization

Add-ons make a browser feel like home. And these days, there’s an add-on for literally everything you want, be it page translation, ad-blocker, or grammar check. But different browsers support different types of add-ons. So, the browser you choose can limit the type of features you can use.

Efficiency

It’s likely that a browser will consume a lot of system resources when you have multiple tabs open. But it would be highly inefficient for a browser to occupy most of the system resources. The alternative to that is a lightweight browser that doesn’t consume all of your processing power and RAM. A lightweight browser for Linux also has efficient battery usage.

Synchronization

If you use multiple devices, your browsing data, passwords, preferences, and settings should be synced on all of your devices. Fortunately, this is a given feature in all of the popular web browsers. However, it’s important to keep it in mind since this single feature can increase security. It’s safer when all of your personal information is stored in one place rather than being handed out to different browsers. Right?

Speed

When you search a term or open a web page, your browser’s job is to read the website’s code, process the information, load images, etc. A dense browser won’t be able to do all that promptly, resulting in a laggy internet experience. Even if you’ve got yourself an expensive and speedy internet package, the slow performance of your browser will still irritate you.

The Most Popular Web Browsers for Ubuntu — A Thorough Comparison

Now that you know what factors have a heavy weight on a browser’s performance, let’s find the best browser for Ubuntu. Here’s a list of six popular Ubuntu browsers with full reviews and installation processes.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is an easy-to-use browser for Linux that perfectly addresses whatever you want in a browser. With the largest set of add-ons among all browsers, it’s fair to say that Chrome is highly customizable. It’s fast and efficient and offers top-notch security and privacy measures. Although the security and privacy features of google chrome are enough for most users, some may find these features not private enough. Google collects tons of data from your activities on a daily basis. And though the main purpose of this data collection is personalized ads, it may sound threatening to a lot of users. Google Chrome also consumes a lot of memory. With only 10 tabs open, Chrome uses 1000 MBs of RAM.

If you want to install Google Chrome on your Ubuntu system, follow these three steps:

Step 1: Type this command in your terminal to download google chrome:

wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Step 2: Type this command to install Chrome:
Note: You’ll be asked to type your password.

sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb 

Step 3: Now, you can find your new browser in your apps or activities section.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is a trustworthy and reliable browser. Compared to the previous candidate, Google Chrome, Firefox collects less data and has more respect for users’ privacy. It has a large library of add-ons for customization plus lots of other useful features like dark theme and PDF viewer. The only major drawback of Firefox is its high RAM usage. With 10 tabs open, Firefox takes up about 960 MBs of RAM. although this number is not as high as Chrome, it’s still a lot.

To download and install Firefox on your Ubuntu system, follow these steps:

Step 1: Upgrade your system.

Sudo apt upgrade 

Step 2: Install Firefox.

sudo apt install firefox

Step 3: Launch Firefox.

firefox

You can also search in the Ubuntu software manager to get Firefox directly from the Snap store.

We previously published an in-depth comparison of Chrome and Firefox. Please take a look for detailed information.

Microsoft Edge

Edge is probably the one with the most mixed reviews. But if we want to be fair, edge is even as good as the most popular options like Google Chrome. It’s fast, highly customizable, and doesn’t gobble up your system’s resources the way Chrome does. Actually, Edge has the most efficient RAM usage. With 10 open tabs, Edge consumes only 790 MBs of RAM. Although Edge is a Microsoft product, you can install it on Ubuntu and Fedora-based distros, and it’ll integrate seamlessly with your OS.

To install Microsoft Edge on Ubuntu, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge download page and Download Edge for Linux.

Step 2: After clicking on the link, save the file, and let the download process begin. And finally, open the Microsoft Edge installer from your file manager and install Edge.

Brave

If in your list of factors, privacy has the most priority for choosing the best browser for Ubuntu, you should definitely consider switching to Brave. Brave is the next generation of browsers with its privacy-focused features and integration with the Crypto world. Brave doesn’t keep track of your Internet activity and doesn’t show you personalized ads. Using Brave is also a great option for those who have a lot of open tabs. Because Brave only loads the essential items on a web page, resulting in faster load times.

To download and install Brave on your Ubuntu system, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install the required dependencies for Brave.

sudo apt install apt-transport-https curl

Step 2: Import GPG keys with this command:

sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg

Step 3: Create a browser repository.

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg arch=amd64] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main"|sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list

Step 4: Update packages and then install Brave.

sudo apt update 

sudo apt install brave-browser

Tor

Tor is a browser made by the Tor project that allows users to access content on the Tor network without any intermediary software. If you want to be anonymous on the Internet and leave no footprints of yourself. Tor is the best option. Tor encrypts every piece of your IP address. It’s fair to say that Tor is the ultimate level of privacy. But this enhanced privacy comes with a cost since Tor trades almost all other important features for privacy and security. For example, performance and speed are both unstable on Tor. Another major concern about using Tor is that some website owners block Tor users from accessing their websites.

You can visit the Snap store to get the Tor browser launcher for Ubuntu.

Opera

As one of the oldest browsers, Opera is a veteran in the browsing and internet exploring field. The featureful design of Opera eliminates your need for lots of extra add-ons. It also offers multiple versions for mobile, a Chromebook version, and a gaming version alongside the standard desktop version. Opera is a resource-friendly browser that doesn’t take up much RAM. However, being owned by a Chinese company, not all users can trust Opera with their data.

If you want to have Opera installed on your Ubuntu system, follow these:

Step 1: Adding Opera public GPG key

wget -O- https://deb.opera.com/archive.key | sudo gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/opera.gpg

Step 2: Adding Opera repository

echo deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/opera.gpg] https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/ stable non-free | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.list

Step 3: Installing Opera stable

sudo apt install opera-stable

Finding the fastest browser for Ubuntu is tough since speed and performance rely on several factors and conditions. However, the list above is a summary of the best Ubuntu web browsers regarding speed, performance, and security.

Linux-Specific Browsers; What Do They Have to Offer?

Although general options for a good browser do an adequate job, Linux-specific browsers are worth exploring. There are some great browsers that are specifically designed for Ubuntu environments. Let’s take a look at them to find the best browser for Linux:

Epiphany (GNOME Web)

Epiphany, also known as GNOME Web, is the default web browser for the GNOME desktop environment. GNOME is the default desktop environment for Ubuntu. Epiphany operates seamlessly on GNOME and provides a fun and efficient browsing experience. It has a simple user interface and focuses on essential features. And on top of all that, Epiphany has minimal RAM usage since it prioritizes resource efficiency.

Writing the following command in the Ubuntu terminal will install Epiphany on your system:

sudo apt install epiphany-browser

Falkon

Falkon is an open-source software that was developed to work on the KDE Plasma desktop environment, Windows, and GNOME. However, right now, the only version of Windows that it covers is Windows 7. Falkon is perfect for a fast and lightweight browsing experience and integrates smoothly with different Linux distros, especially Ubuntu. Falkon supports various privacy features and is highly customizable, making it a great choice for privacy-conscious Ubuntu users.

To install Falkon on your Ubuntu system, use this command:

sudo apt install falkon

Eolie

Eolie is a GNOME open-source browser that’s one of the most efficient and lightweight options out there. Eolie offers a modern and minimalist user interface with a built-in ad block feature, providing a clutter-free and simplistic browsing experience.

To install Eolie on Ubuntu, use the following command:

sudo apt install eolie

That was it with most commonly used Linux web browsers to help you out in choosing the best browser for Ubuntu.

Conclusion

Using a browser that suits your taste and your needs is crucial to having a satisfactory and smooth experience. A reliable browser should also be secure and highly performant, ensuring the confidentiality of your data and a speedy experience. This post reviewed the most popular browsers both general and Linux-specific to help you make an informed decision about the best Linux browser.

FAQ

What is the most lightweight browser for Ubuntu?

Yes, there are lots of lightweight browsers available for Ubuntu that are efficient and don’t take up all the system resources. A good example of a lightweight browser is Microsoft Edge. Other options that are specific to Ubuntu are Midori, Epiphany (GNOME Web), and Qutebrowser. The priority of these browsers is resource efficiency.

What is the safest browser for Ubuntu?

There isn’t a concise response to this question, but Brave is widely acknowledged as a secure web browser for general usecases.

How do I stay safe when browsing the web on Ubuntu?

To ensure your online security, especially when browsing, make sure that your browser is updated with the most security patches. For further enhancement of your security, you can use browsers that prioritize security over other features like Brave and Firefox.

Can I customize my browser on Ubuntu?

Customization is a feature that’s more related to the browser than the operating system or distro. If the browser of your choice offers add-ons and customizable features, then yes, you can have a personalized and customized browsing experience according to your taste and your needs.

Can I use multiple browsers on Ubuntu?

Yes, using multiple browsers on Ubuntu is possible since Ubuntu allows the installation of different browsers. Using multiple browsers enables you to have separate environments for different tasks. You can also test website compatibility on different platforms.