Not all browsers need to be chrome
In the world of all these fantastic browsers, don’t let your web browsing get stale. There’s a whole world to explore. Don’t settle for the first browser you know, try them all and make your pick. They offer multiple features which you are yet to discover.
During the ‘First Browser War’ (1995–2001), Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was pitted against Netscape’s Navigator, which resulted in the demise of Navigator. As the war continued it led to the decline of Internet Explorer’s market share and other browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera gaining popularity. By April 2019, Chrome acquired 60% of the total market usage and 70% of the total desktop usage. It is the most used browser, currently.
Google Chrome is the most used browser in the world. It launched on Windows in 2008 and later became available on Macs, Linux and mobile phones. It is available on multiple devices, hence, switching between devices is seamless as the history is retained across platforms. You just need to sign in with your Google account. It loads Google’s services faster than other browsers. You also get a library of extensions to download and customise it. However, their Incognito mode doesn’t completely hide your activity from the sites and there are some privacy concerns which needs to be addressed. All in all, it is comprehensive and serves your needs. Plus, there is a lot to explore beyond Chrome. Chrome is a set standard which other browsers are trying to overpower. History suggests whenever there is market competition, consumers usually reap the benefits. Learn more browsers and what they have to offer, here’s our curated list of browsers ranging from best to worst, Read on!
Brave
If you are looking for a browser which offers you security and privacy, Brave might be the one for you. By default, this internet browser blocks advertising, cookies, phishing, and malware, and provides you with advanced options for enabling HTTPS Everywhere and preventing browser fingerprinting. It will give your online privacy worries rest and also loads your web pages faster.
The most interesting feature about this browser is Basic Attention Token (BAT), which is basically its own cryptocurrency which you can also earn by enabling brave-run ads. You can use these tokens to financially support website owners and creators for their content online. It offers you a beginner-friendly way to enter into cryptocurrency.
Pros:
- Robust privacy and security features
- Supports creators with its own cryptocurrency
Cons:
- 404, cons not found
Documents by Readdle
It is basically designed for Apple users and caters to their needs. In addition to a web browser functionality, it works as a PDF reader, a Zip file unzipper, File Manager, a media player, an ebook reader, and your go-to for all of your various cloud storage accounts. It allows you to download files on your device which other browsers may block, you can even save YouTube videos in your camera roll. Premium members can select the browser agent to surf and tell the browser which version of Chrome, Firefox, etc. you are using so that you don’t need to switch between apps manually.
Pros:
- Downloads files which are not allowed on ios
- Manages local and cloud files
- Supports PDF and Zip
Cons:
- User-interface is not very customer friendly
- All services are not free
Aloha: Mobile Browser
Aloha is the best browser for mobiles as it offers premium features. It has a built-in VPN service along with its own incognito mode. It is A1 in terms of security and privacy. The browser also compresses traffic, therefore, uses less data as compared to other browsers. The app is designed well and comes with a lot of themes to choose from. Aloha also has in-built ad blocker which blocks banner ads and pop-up ads across all websites and supports VR videos. Seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? There’s a minor hiccup as well. A couple of VPN settings are not activated and there are ads for Aloha Premium. It can all be dealt with by signing up for $24.99 or roughly Rs 1700–1750, annually.
Pros:
- It comes with integrated VPN
- Less traffic as compared to any other browser
- It supports VR videos
Cons:
- Browser ads to upgrade to Premium, which is paid
- VPN can’t be used in other apps, it is Premium enabled
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge happens when Internet Explorer gets a makeover. It is faster. Better. And ready to kill its preceding reputation. It comes with built-in Cortana and makes it easier to take screenshots of pages. It saves your bookmarks and history on the cloud and supports Windows Timeline. The browser, however, freezes on a page with too many ads and is a little slow to load embedded videos. You might also need a powerful computer to work with many tabs.
Pros:
- It comes with built-in Cortana integration
- Bookmarks and browsing history are synced in real-time across devices
- It supports Windows Timeline
Cons:
- It can freeze on pages with too many ads
- Loads videos comparatively slowly
- Freezes if too many tabs are open
Honorary Mentions
Vivaldi is based on the chromium-technology and created by some of the owners of Opera, in 2016. It is a perfect browser for multi-tasking as you can pin your webpages on the toolbar while you surf the web. It allows you to play YouTube videos or access your social media sites while you are doing other things. For privacy concerns, DuckDuckGo has an interesting approach. It doesn’t upload your search history to the servers and you can delete your history by clicking on the flame icon in the main menu. That’s not it, it also has security ratings for the websites. They are rated from D to A on their encryption levels and the number of trackers detected. Tapping on this rating will open a fullscreen report card which features an impressive amount of information on how they reached the score.
For Apple devices, Safari enables all the Apple services and integrates it to the browser and the shift is seamless among all devices. Opera’s USB feature is worth mentioning here. You can install it on your USB drive and directly launch it from the drive itself. It eliminates the need of installing one more program while you are on the go.
While you are digesting all this information, we are here with our unbiased pick. For desktop browsers, Brave focuses on safety and security more than any other browser. It is even faster than any other browsers because it actively blocks ads and tracking scripts on web pages. You can stay clear of malware, phishing, prevent browser fingerprinting, etc. at the same time you can support content creators with your BAT tokens. This browser is everything you can expect from a browser. And much more.
On the other hand, for iOS Documents by Readdle takes the crown as it provides features which are restricted by iOS itself. It is an ebook reader, file manager, unzipper, etc. all in one. It makes your iPhone much more user-based and opens you to the world of downloading and sharing content. For Android devices, Aloha can be your go-to as it comes with an in-built VPN and uses less traffic than other browsers. It provides enhanced security and privacy protection which makes it our best pick. Try these and leave your comments. Keep coming back for more such blogs and follow our channel, Decode.
