10 alternative browsers to replace Firefox, Chrome, Edge and IE

Sometimes it seems that there are only four options for web browsers on Windows: Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer. You'll find some people running Opera too, but most of the time it's all about the first four.

Although the world of major browsers is small, there is a whole alternative universe around it. They are all fighting for your attention with unique features around new interface concepts, privacy, music, social media and more.

If you want to improve your web browsing experience, consider these ten options below, each with their respective fundamentals (on which tool they were built) and focuses (core objective).

Opera neon

  • Basics: intermittent rendering engine
  • Focus: rethinking the browser

Opera Neon debuted in early 2017 as an experiment on interface design and new browser features. Opera describes it as a proving ground "similar to how concept cars predict the future of automobiles." In fact, Opera launched a new version of its main browser in May, which included some Neon inspiration.

When you first open Neon, it is clear that this browser is not your typical case of tabs at the top. In fact, you don't even open new tabs in Neon the same way you do in other browsers. To open a website, simply start typing the URL or clicking on one of the "link bales".

Opera Neon, like official Opera, uses Chrome's Blink rendering engine.

Vivaldi

  • Basics: Chromium
  • Focus: advanced users

Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser that targets advanced users. From the moment you install it, the browser helps you customize how it looks to suit your needs, including color options, tab position, and home page image. It is a very simple browser at the moment, which details the current and old features of Opera (former Opera CEO has led the Vivaldi promotion).

Vivaldi comes with a speed dial feature for quick access to favorite websites, an integrated annotation application and a side panel for viewing a secondary web page. Vivaldi also has some features that any advanced user will appreciate, such as mouse gestures and keyboard shortcuts, saved tab sessions, tab stacks, user interface scaling, and adaptive interface colors.

There were early dreams of a built-in email client for Vivaldi, like several old browsers, including Opera. However, so far Vivaldi has only been able to provide its own webmail brand. And like Vivaldi built on Chromium, it is compatible with extensions from the Chrome Web Store.

Maxthon

  • Basics: Trident and WebKit
  • Focus: navigation across multiple devices and social networks

Maxthon's biggest feature is its cloud-based account called Passport, which synchronizes browsing data on your devices. This is a common feature among major players, but not so common in the world of alternative browsers. Passport also has a feature called Cloud Push that lets you share content with your friends via email or text message.

Maxthon comes with an RSS reader, notepad, password manager, a virtual mailbox service called UUMail and AdBlock Plus. There is also a “reader mode” for reading articles more easily without all the distractions of a typical website.

Maxthon is not a single engine browser, but Trident (Internet Explorer) and WebKit (Safari). Maxthon uses WebKit by default, but switches to Trident in real time for older pages that are friendlier to Internet Explorer.

Torch

  • Basics: Chromium
  • Focus: day M

Torch is a browser for media addicts with music and gaming capabilities. There is an integrated streaming service on YouTube called Torch Music. Torch Games offers one-click access to a selection of web-based games. Torch also has some useful drag-and-drop sharing features: drag the web content to the left and you have a sidebar for sharing content across networks. social media or drag the content to the right to search for it.

Torch is also the dream of pirates of the media, with an integrated tool to download audio and video from sites like YouTube and Vimeo, plus an integrated torrent client to make you know what, in it?

Epic Privacy Browser

  • Basics: Chromium
  • Focus: privacy

If you like Chrome but don't like to make all your information available to Google and other advertisers, Epic Privacy Browser may be for you.

The browser does not deviate much from its Chrome-based reasons, but it comes with a number of privacy-enhancing features, such as a built-in proxy, always-on private browsing, and internal third-party cookie and tracker blockers. . It also has an integrated video download tool that appears on video sites like YouTube.

Epic rejects Google Account integration. Therefore, do not use this browser if you want to sync bookmarks and open browser tabs with Google servers.

Pale moon

  • Basics: Goanna (Gecko Fork)
  • Focus: Firefox legacy

Do you miss the old Firefox? Not the old Firefox, but the current previous interface, with the menu button in the upper left corner? If so, it's worth taking a look at Pale Moon.

The browser was forked from the main Mozilla project with an initial release in 2009. That means they took the open source code from Firefox and started copying it separately from Mozilla. The result is a browser that is familiar to older Firefox users, although the two browsers are different now, especially under the cap. Pale Moon, for example, continues to support old school add-ons and NPAPI plugins – this last bit is not necessarily a good thing.

Comodo IceDragon

  • Underpinnings: Gecko
  • Focus: security

From security firm Comodo, IceDragon is another browser that promises improved security. IceDragon's security options include web page malware scanning, use of Comodo's Secure DNS service by default, and active blocking of known phishing and spyware sites.

As with Firefox, IceDragon also comes with the pre-installed Pocket add-on. IceDragon lets you drag a page's content right to share it on social networks, and left to use it as the basis of a web search.

It also added a tablet mode that lets you switch to larger interface elements when browsing the web on a Windows touchscreen device.

Ghost Browser

  • Basics: Chromium
  • Focus: productivity

Ghost Browser comes with an interesting idea. It was created with productivity in mind, allowing you to open separate browser sessions in the same window. That way you can have one set of tabs for your work accounts and one for your personal accounts. Each session has separate “cookie sets” so you can stay connected to multiple social media or email accounts at the same time on separate tabs. Each new session tab automatically receives a different color.

You can go a little deeper and organize websites by "projects" that hide their tabs for you. This way, you can create a social media project with all of your accounts open in different tabs and then switch to the party planning project with open tabs for email, list making tools, calendars, and so on. against.

Ghost Browser was developed based on the freemium model. That is, free, but resources are limited. If you want a more robust browser, you need to pay between $ 10 and $ 15 per month. Still, the free version is still very good. You are limited to three projects and three separate guide sessions per project. You can also open only one project at a time. Free users do not get an incognito mode or separate user profiles.

Like Ghost Browser built on Chromium, it works with the Chrome Web Store.

Midori

  • Basics: WebKit
  • Focus: do not overload device

Midori is a longstanding choice for low capacity Linux systems, but there is also a version of Windows for those who need a lightweight browser. Midori very simple, without important features and with an interface almost similar to Windows XP. On the plus side, responsive and very simple to use. There is also a portable version if you want to run it from a USB stick.

Avant Browser

  • Basics: Gecko, WebKit, Trident
  • Focus: fantastic by browsers

Avant Browser has a “three core rendering engine” using the Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari systems. It offers several cool features including a tool that helps you download videos from sites like YouTube. An “always on top” feature ensures that your tabs are never hidden behind other desktop applications like Outlook, Microsoft Word, and Photoshop.

The Avant interface is decidedly "Windows XP", but if you can get over it, there are all kinds of advanced user features to satisfy most browser lovers.