Why we don’t even bother to try web browsers other than Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Although the popular one, Google Chrome itself a chromium based browser — an open-source project and the browser source code was released and maintained by the Chromium Project started by Google.
While choosing a web browser, most of us stuck with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. This isn’t our fault, because most people heard only these two names under the browser category. And we almost forget that these popular browsers are built on an open-source project. Firefox under Mozilla Mozilla open source project and Google Chrome under Chromium.
Unlike Mozilla, which comes with few Firefox derivatives, I think Chromium based browsers are the most evolved ones and come in different flavors. Because of the same reason, Chrome became the No.1 web browser — apart from its brand name “Google”. On the contrary, Google Chrome’s infamous excessive RAM consuming behavior is a major problem. Since Chrome is built on an open source project, anyone with Chromium Project source code can build a new browser like Google Chrome or a better one.
In this article, we are going to introduce five such Chromium based browsers with extra features and way much better than Google Chrome. If you think Google Chrome is invading your privacy and using a lot of RAM, then try any one of these Chromium based browsers.
Best Chromium Based Browsers
1. Vivaldi:
Vivaldi is a freeware, cross-platform web browser based on Chromium developed by Vivaldi Technologies. Vivaldi is the newest big player in the browser market with the stable version released in April 2016.
Vivaldi has a minimalistic user interface with basic icons and fonts, and a color scheme that changes based on the background and design of the web page being visited. The browser also allows users to customize the appearance of UI elements such as background color, overall theme, address bar and tab positioning, and start pages. And browser also supports Google Chrome browser extensions. And it is currently available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Other features includes — mouse and rocker gestures, tab stacking, tiling, cycling, hibernating and preview options, page actions including CSS debugger, content blocker, color filters, Side Panel to view bookmarks, notes, downloads and web pages, custom keyboard shortcuts and quick commands, save and load all tabs in a custom session, reading view mode and lots more.
2. Brave
Brave is an open-source Chromium based web browser that cares about user’s security and privacy by blocking ads and trackers. Unlike other browsers, “Private Mode” in Brave lets you use Tor right in a tab. Tor not only hides your history, it masks your location from the sites you visit by routing your browsing through several servers before it reaches your destination. These connections are encrypted to increase anonymity. Brave also offers
If you really like to experience a clutter-free web browsing with better privacy and security, then Brave is the perfect option for you as it supports both desktop and mobile platforms.
3. Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is a new member of the Chromium based browser family. The new Edge browser is based on the Chromium source code but with enhancements developed by Microsoft and was released on January 15, 2020.
The new Microsoft Edge browser comes with privacy and security features. Microsoft Edge is designed to detect and block trackers so that websites may not collect data about your browsing behavior. Microsoft Edge comes with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen built-in to protect you against phishing or malware websites, and from downloading potentially malicious files. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen is turned on by default in Microsoft Edge. Browser is also integrated with Office 365 to makes it easier than ever to collect, organize, share, and export web content to Word or Excel.
4. Epic Privacy Browser:
Epic is a privacy-centric Chromium-based anonymous web browser developed by Hidden Reflex. It is the first web browser from India.
The browser is powered with several pre-installed widgets such as social networking, chat clients and email facilities integrated into the browser. Epic is currently available for Windows and Mac OS X, with support for other operating systems expected.
Epic’s default configuration takes a proactive approach to ensuring that session data (such as cookies, history, and cache) are removed when the browser is exited. The browser also includes a proxy service that can be enabled at the user’s discretion and is automatically enabled when using a search engine. With these features, you don’t have to use any browser add-ons or VPN or change settings into the incognito mode to maintain your privacy.
Other features, such as preferring SSL connections and always sending a Do Not Track header, promote a heightened state of privacy in comparison to some other browsers. Also, supplementary services found in the Chromium browser that send data to external servers, such as address bar suggestion and installation tracking, are removed in Epic to reduce the scope of potential data leakage.
5. SlimBrowser:
SlimBrowser is a tabbed multiple-site Chromium based web browser from FlashPeak that uses the Microsoft Trident layout engine. Since V6.0, SlimBrowser has adopted a multi-process architecture to improve stability and eliminate performance restrictions associated with traditional single-process browsers.
It incorporates a large collection of features like built-in popup killer, skinned window frame, form filler, site group, quick-search, auto login, hidden sites, built-in commands and scripting, online translation, script error suppression, blacklist/whitelist filtering, and URL Alias.
6. Torch:
Torch — another Chromium based web browser and Internet suite developed by Torch Media. Torch is now compatible with all add-ons and extensions available in the Chrome store. It is available to Windows and Mac OS X platforms.
Features include — built-in BitTorrent client, media grabber, a free social music discovery service that organizes music videos available on YouTube in a user-friendly interface, ability to customize the look and feel of users’ Facebook pages using pre-set themes and also have an embedded player to stream torrents downloaded before the download is completed.
7. Comodo Dragon:
Comodo Dragon is a freeware web browser based on Chromium and is produced by Comodo Group. Now only available for Windows.
Sporting a similar interface to Google Chrome, Dragon does not implement Chrome’s user tracking and some other potentially privacy-compromising features and provides additional security measures, such as indicating the authenticity and relative strength of a website’s SSL certificate.
Instead of Google Updater, Comodo Dragon features its own built-in updater. If Dragon is uninstalled, users are given the option of keeping Dragon’s cache and cookie files or deleting them.
So what do you think? Sometimes not choosing the best one could save a lot, so, instead of choosing Google Chrome, try any of these Chromium based web browsers — similar Chrome experience but a way more secure and private than Chrome.
Also, don’t forget to suggest other Chromium based browsers that could be a part of this list.
vivaldi is great but unfortunately does not have the sync feature.
It does now.
Now sync feature is started.
Been using Iron for years; latest iteration opens w/ a black screen/window, & stays that way.Bye, Iron.
My main browser is Waterfox.
Brave Browser (Windows desktop),
Opera Browser (Android).
Yandex browser and Cent browser very good
Iridium browser and SRWare Iron browser. They are also on Chromium based.
Opera should’ve been mentioned. It is an amazing browser.
Opera built in adblocker doesnt reach Brave one even close – Brave browser adblock and security its that good ! Opera can be cripled more quickly so u have to renew browser more often – doesnt happen on Brave browser. Opera has the main search engine Google one and u cant de-google Opera, u can change new tab in opera its fixed ! Built in VPN isnt good any more and is useless as per day use. Opera browser despite the use of portable one is locking user to user account – means – if user accont profile getting crippled under windows (due update) u may loose all your account login information stored password for domains/web pages (that actualy happen to me, i recomend all users of Opera browser to backup all your login information) and i thought i use portable web browser not to loose my valuable information ! I was wrong ! Developers doesnt care – if they do – such incidents doesn happen ever !
Brave have drawbacks too – browser update doesnt work properly and on portable variant newer works. None of Chrome based browser (Firefox too) doesnt have save web page as PDF implemented/integrated function as Opera does ! In this one Opera outperforms every other browser and that’s the main reason why i use Opera browser ! Firefox browser as the only browser allow to sign up in the same web page/domain with more that one account simultaniosly – no other chrome based web browser does allow that/or does that properly ! Many browser developers use google chrome browser as the core/frame for their builds (not good as google implent/not implement functions and spying on user – google chrome isnt secure browser despite google claims – problems – browser reveals way too many info to the web, geolocation api, fingerprinting and other nasty stuff that no one is telling user).
To sum up – still u have to use more that one browser due missing functions, funkcionalities in each other and everything depends on your needs.
At the end the one and only big security/privacy threat not solved ever in all off browsers is to allow to reweal stored browsing history to extensions that may have nothing to do with it.
If the browser developers are serious with protecting privacy in their build’s there is huge work to do, as no browser is 100% privacy secure – keep that in mind.
The Torch browser seems to want you to download Avast Free Antivirus rather than Torch.
Opera Browser is Chinese. Yandex is Russian. Hard pass on both.
Opera browser isn’t developed in China by Chinese, nor is Chinese Browser. Company that develops Opera browser was bought from some China Company who doesn’t have their company headquarters in China also. U can check that out. Sure Opera Company policy might have change due taking over by another company but still if EU based (and it is) then EU law applies in full. Internet maybe global but Company’s Headquarters are always static.
“Opera Browser is Chinese”
Hum… Yeah, right…
The new Opera browser installed as portable has fixed issues mentioned above.Still uses google chrome engine and uses new “backdoor” for serving google ads, but luckily u can fix that with additional add blocker and some fingerprinting anti-measures. If u take some extra tweaking for privacy this is truly portable browser now storing history, your credential and extension installs in sub folders. The only thing i don’t like is u cant de-google it, but u can use all other search engines instead as better alternative. Use on daily basis for almost all browsing needs. Even better would be if browser were contained in some sort of secure space. That is possible on some Linux distros by default not so in win so that is a drawback. Seems that Edge on other systems than win is great browser (have not tried out yet) but under windows MS has way to many traction due user privacy breach.