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Best Free Web Browser

Updated 13. September 2014 - 3:01 by Remah

Introduction
This category for non-mobile web browsers is divided into three sub-categories:

Lightweight
Browsers

OtherBrowsers

includes the general-

includes specialized

that provide the best

more than one web

MegaBrowsers
includes the most
popular generalpurpose and

heavyweight cross-

platform web browsers

purpose web browsers

browsers that use

performance with

engine (see below) or

and CPU consumption

privacy, or being child-

respect to memory

specialize in security,
friendly.

The selection of web browsers has become more bewildering due to the

proliferation of browsers and the increased frequency of browser updates. What

will make it easier to choose between them is knowing four things:
which are most popular

that browsers can be grouped according to the software (web engine) that
displays web content on your screen.

some have key features such as security and privacy enabled by default
that most users should not worry about performance comparisons

Your final choice will probably be decided by which one you prefer subjectively

rather than by objectively comparing feature by feature. It is relatively easy to

switch web browsers provided that you are not dependent upon unique

features or specific add-ons. I also suggest that you install more than one web
browser so you have a ready alternative if you strike any problems with your
preferred browser.

InaHurry?
Go straight to the Quick Selection Guide

Selectingabrowser

Themostpopularbrowsers

The most popular browsers globally are Google Chrome, Internet Explorer (IE),
Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Opera with about 95% of the online market share

and Chrome has half of that. StatCounter's graph of the top five desktop and

tablet web browsers for the last five years or so illustrates the decline of IE and
the rise of Chrome.

Chrome and Firefox tend to lead the pack technically for two main reasons:

strong application support and compatibility with many platforms (Windows,

Apple OS and iOS, Linux and other Unix-like operating systems including

Android). These browsers also have a range of variations built on the same
engines. For Google Chrome this can be quite confusing because the web

browser code which Chrome is based on is called Chromium. You will see that
there are several other browsers built from the Chromium code-base.

Themostpopularwebengines

Most web browsers create web pages by using software called a web engine.

Many of these web engines or layout and rendering engines, as they are also

named, are used by more than one browser. This software combines the markup content (HTML, XML, SVG, JPEG, PNG, etc.), the formatting (CSS, XSL,

etc.), and the scripting (JavaScript) to display it on your screen. Typically a

web engine uses a JavaScript engine to process JavaScript instructions. Taking

the WebKit engine as an example, it has two components: the WebCore layout
engine and the JavaSciptCore engine.

If you are having problems with the engines in your web browser then one way
to resolve this can be to choose another web browser that uses different
engines.

The four main web browser layout engines being actively developed are

displayed in Table 1 in order of age. I have omitted the fifth major web engine
in use, Presto which is used by older versions of Opera. You can also view a
more detailed time-line graphic.

Table1-Currentwebengines

Trident
(1997-now)

Gecko
(1998-now)

WebKit
(2003-now)

Blink
(2013-now)

Internet

MozillaFirefox

Chrome(to

Chrome(v.28+)

Chrome+IETab

Comodo

Maxthon

MicrosoftWindows
Explorer

MozillaFirefox+
IETab

Maxthon

Waterfox

IceDragon

AvantUltimate

SlimBrowser

AvantUltimate
AvantLite

Lunascape

Lunascape
PaleMoon

SeaMonkey
K-Meleon

Sleipnir(v.4+)
SeaMonkey + IE
Tab

K-Meleon + IE Tab

v.27)

ComodoDragon
Torch

Opera (v.15+)
2

Sleipnir(v.4.3+)

SlimBoat

AvantUltimate
Lunascape

Sleipnir(v.3.5+)
Konqueror (v.4+)
Epic

SRWare Iron
Midori

QtWeb

QupZilla
rekonq

xombrero
Show more...
Thenecessaryfeatures

Due to modern advances and competitiveness, all of the major web browsers
share similar, and what I would call, essential features. Examples of these

features are; tabbed browsing, privacy browsing, password manager, download

manager, searchable address bar, and cross application syncing. The individual
browsers may use different names for their respective features but the

functions are basically the same. The reviews will attempt to highlight the key
elements of each browser to help you decide which browser may be best for
you.

Wiki Comparison of Web Browsers compares web browsers in several

categories. For a web browser to be classified as Mega, it must compare to IE,

Chrome and Firefox in all similar categories.
Performance

There are two aspects of performance: compliance with web standards and
speed of processing. There are standard tests for benchmarking the

performance of your web browser. The best known are benchmarks like

html5test, acidtests and Octane but there are several others. They primarily

test the compliance of the browser's HTML layout and the processing speed of
the JavaScript engine.

You can use these tests yourself but be aware that they won't tell you how well
the browser suits the way that you work. That is why I recommend that you

select your browser based on the features that you use because there is not as
much difference between the performance of the main browsers. If you decide
to test browsers yourself then be aware that your particular combination of

hardware, software and browser configuration will affect performance. So your

results may be wildly different to other people's benchmark results.

If your hardware is very limited then you should refer to the lightweight web
browsers which require less resources.

MegaWebBrowsers
GoogleChrome is the pre-eminent browser of
this decade so far. It is generally the most

popular, the fastest, the most secure, and the

most standards-compliant. It is hard to see it

losing its dominance as competitors have failed

to gain any real advantage in the market and
Chrome continues to be a very good product

for users at all levels from novice to advanced.

As an integral part of Google's cloud syncing across multiple hardware

platforms, Google uses it to distribute its applications and services to the world.
Of course, if you use it, you lose your privacy and confidentiality because of
Google's business model which leverages your personal information for

commercial advantage. If you don't have a Google account and you don't ever
want one then I'd suggest that you consider another browser.

The core of Chrome is its web engine which forms the basis for many

alternative web browsers so you can get better privacy without sacrificing

many of the other benefits. The Blink rendering engine is developed as part of
the Chromium project and is accompanied by V8 a JavaScript Engine. The

WebKit engine from which Blink is derived continues to provide the base for the
mobile platforms where the Android and iOS versions are popular on tablets
and mobile phones.

After installation Chrome opens with two tabs. The first tab provides a login

screen in case you have a Google account which you can now create. Otherwise
click "skip for now" to proceed. The window will show the New Tab which will
provide links to other Google services like YouTube, Gmail and Google Docs.

The second tab is called Getting Started. Getting Started is a good resource for
learning more about Chrome's features. Simply click "learn more" on the
Welcome to Chrome page.

Chrome has a large selection of extensions (like apps on a smart phone) to

enhance the browsing experience. Chrome also has WebApps, programs that
run within the browser instead of installing on the computer. Google has
another feature called cloud print. Essentially if you have a printer that

supports cloud printing at home or work, add a cloud printer to Chrome's

advanced settings and you can print to the printer from Chrome. Have you
heard of ChromeVox? An excellent text to speech feature for the visually

impaired. ChromeVox is a Google extension that reads the text in any open
tab in Chrome.

Long ago there was an issue with viewing some websites because they would
only work correctly with Internet Explorer. Many corporate web developers
have traditionally used Internet Explorer compatibility as the standard for

developing their websites. That sort of problem is rapidly disappearing as more

and more websites move to comply with global public standards. That means

Chrome is increasingly a good choice for browsing commercial websites and a

'safe' choice for any user. I always have it installed and available on my
systems.

MozillaFirefox is developed by a global team

of volunteers under the umbrella of the non-

profit Mozilla Foundation. It is completely opensource and is very popular amongst open-

source proponents particularly Linux distro

users. Firefox uses the Gecko engine which is

also developed by Mozilla.

In 2011 Mozilla started a program called Rapid

Build which intended to release new versions of Firefox every 6 weeks. This

was in the main, a response to Chrome's rapid growth in market share and a

perceived need to match Chrome's frequent new releases. The move had many
critics and it has some significant downsides but it did meet Chrome's

challenge. Although it has not been enough to prevent some decline in market
share.

Firefox has had several defining features which are generally adopted by other
browsers too: being able to pin a tab using the Pinned Tab feature to

permanently keep a tab open on the tab bar for e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and

other sites; Switch-to-Tab attempts to let you know when you already have a
website open on a tab - as you type in the Omnibar (address bar) Firefox will
check to see if you have that site open; the restore tab feature allows you to
reopen tabs that you accidentally close or unexpectedly need after you have
closed them. Firefox is also well-known for its add-ons which allow it to be

customized with additional features provided by third-party developers. This is

one of the main reasons for its popularity, but again Chrome and other
browsers have large libraries of add-ons and extensions too.

Firefox does not have its own search engine unlike Internet Explorer and

Chrome which default to their own search engines, Bing and Google Search.

Instead Firefox provides a mechanism for users to choose their search engine

on the fly. Not only can you choose from the big three search engines, you can
also search Amazon, Twitter, eBay and Wikipedia. Additional search engines

are available as add-ons. This feature is so useful that it is now widely used by
other browsers.

Personally, I use Firefox browsers like Pale Moon and Waterfox more than any
others although I hardly install any add-ons except internet safety checks. I
generally have a lot of tabs open permanently on systems without a lot of
memory so I appreciate Firefox's smaller footprint on my system.
MicrosoftInternetExplorer(IE) is the

oldest of the mega browsers it was first

released with Windows 95 in, you guessed it,

1995 and it has traditionally been the most

popular because it is bundled with Windows.It

is currently built on the Trident engine which is

used by several other browsers

For several years, thankfully long past, IE fell

far behind the other browsers and lost some market share as a result. That

decline has continued initially due to gains by Firefox but more lately by the
dominance of Chrome. At the same time as IE's influence declines its more

recent releases have provided major improvements that keep it competitive

with the other browsers in some specific areas. Even so IE would be considered
to be in third place in comparison to Chrome and Firefox.

Many think the only reason IE is still competing in the browser wars is because
its so widely distributed. The latest version however has demonstrated that IE
is more stable, more secure and much faster then earlier versions. The

interface is clean, Chrome like, with minimal menus, a clean simple appearance
and inconspicuous icons for quick access to favorites, settings and the home
page. Press the ALT key to reveal the neatly hidden traditional menus. If

you're a traditionalist, use Alt to access the menu and select View | Toolbars,
where you can turn on the hidden traditional toolbar appearance.

IE needs improvements in comparison with Chrome. Tab sandboxing, the

ability to control crashes by isolating them to the tab instead of crashing the
entire browser. IE lags behind Chrome and Firefox in the add-on/extension

realm but significant improvements have been made. For example, using the
tracking protection add-on will help prevent third parties from gleaning

information about your browsing habits. IE does offer some useful utilities, like

the performance dialog for add-ons. If the browser speed is being impacted by
add-ons, a message pops up. Open the the Choose Add-ons window to see
what is slowing the browser and make changes. Security is strong with

Tracking Protection and SmartScreen Filter. If you read some of the recent free
PDF reports on browser security at NSS Labs you will see that IE is strong in

this area particularly providing security against socially engineered malware.

My wife uses IE as do many people working in large organizations or those at

home who don't realize that they can change. IE's seems to suit her very well
as she never asks me for help with it. The only change that I have made is to
install some Internet safety checks so she is not blindly accessing risky websites.

Maxthon was released in 2003 as MyIE. In

2010 Maxthon started the move to being a

multi-platform browser first with Android and

later with Apple OS X and iOS versions.

Maxthon is multi-engine defaulting to WebKit

(called Ultra) and using Trident (called Retro)

as needed. There is a setting to always use

Ultra but Retro modem, which is very slow and

limited, can still be engaged on any web page by clicking on the lightning icon
to the right of the address.

Why Maxthon? This browser is light and fast with a lot of features that don't
bloat the browser's performance. Many features that are add-ons or

extensions with the other browsers are developed as part of the browser, so

they are better integrated. Maxthon also has some distinctive features like the
split screen view. With this feature two tabs can be viewed side by side. The
interface has semi transparent skins that blends the edges of the interface so

they aren't distracting making the web page being viewed the star of attention.
Maxthon's claim to fame is cloud syncing between devices. Create a free

account with Maxthon and take advantage of it's many features to share data

between a computer and cell phone or tablet. The tabs viewed on the PC can
be viewed on a cell phone or tablet. Files can be downloaded to the cloud to
share between devices. The Cloud Push feature will send a web page to

another device. Using the share with friends a web page can be pushed to
others via e-mail.

Other built in features include Resource Sniffer which downloads video, music

and pictures from the web page. Like downloading YouTube videos? You don't
need a third party utility with Maxthon, you can do it from the browser with

Resource Sniffer. Maxthon has many features, but one of my favorites is Night
Mode. The browser will change to colors that are more suitable for night

viewing. Choose the default or customize from a palate of colors. Night Mode
also has an automated feature that lets you set the time of day or night you
want modes to automatically switch.

Whether you use the cloud to share information between devices or simply
want a browser packed full of usable features that won't slow the browser
performance, Maxthon is worth checking out.

Opera, was released in 1996 and for a few

years was the most popular mobile browser.

Opera has been credited with originating many

features, like their Speed Dial, that other web

browsers have adopted under a different name.

In more recent times they have been adopting
features from other browsers, adding Firefox's

Pinned Tabs and the multi-search engine select

feature but without a separate search bar. Simply type a search term and the
address bar expands by dropping down with suggestions. At the lower right

edge of the drop down list are the optional search engines Google, Yahoo, Bing,
Amazon and Wiki.

Opera started out using their own engine called Presto until version 15 when

they began using Google's Blink to provide the browser with more power and

options. In the long term it is a smart move to build on Blink because there is

so much innovation coming. But in the short term I cannot recommend Opera
because it currently lacks so much.

I had not used any of the Blink-based versions of Opera so it was a

considerable surprise to find that latest version 24 has stripped the features

right back and lost many useful and, in my case, essential functions: no ability
to import bookmarks, no bookmark manager, more limited support of HTML5
standards including character entity support, no print preview and no page

setup, difficulty changing search engine, plug-in problems, and many other

smaller issues. Apparently, many Opera users are sticking with an older version
until the features they rely on are restored.

I agree with previous editor who said, "I feel Opera is a refreshing browser.
It's fast and efficient, providing tools to optimize a true web "browsing"

experience. Using the Speed Dial and Stash features provides a different yet
unique prospective. After the initial installation Opera opens with two tabs,
Speed Dial and Welcome to Opera. The welcome does not provide any

guidance as such. It's more of a road map to the essential icons and features
of the browser. For additional detail click the "help is here" hyperlink."

Of all the browsers, Opera is the one that I have found easiest to use in the

past and even today with the current failings. That is a subjective assessment
but it does make a difference when you feel comfortable using a browser.

That's why I am looking forward to a new release of Opera that resolves the
issues that prevent me using it.

RelatedProductsandLinks

Best Free HTML Editor

Best Free Download Manager

Best Free Browser Protection Utility

Best Free Browser Scrubber

Best Free Bookmark Cleaner

Best Free Add-ins for Internet Explorer

Best Internet Safety Check Freeware
Best Free Parental Filter

Best Free Web Site Ripper

Best Free RSS Reader-Aggregator

Best Free Download/Upload Meter

Best Free Search Toolbar
Best Free Popup Stopper

Best Free Website Link Checker

Best Free Web Form Filler/Password Manager

QuickSelectionGuide

GoogleChrome
5StarRating:

Gizmo'sFreewareawardasthebestproductinits
class!
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer

Supports multiple operating systems, frequent & silent updates, built-in

flash and pdf viewer, large selection of extensions, cloud printing, now has
a 64-bit Windows version

Getting slower, newer version has some backward software compatibility

https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/
https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/
37.0

875 KB online installer

Open source freeware

32 and 64 bit versions

available

A portable version of this product is available but not from the developer.
Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8; Linux; Mac OS X
Tested version 37.0.2062.103
Download Windows 64-bit Chrome

MozillaFirefox
5StarRating:

Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer

Simplified interface, competitively fast, broad cross platform support, very

secure, sync & panoramas, thousands of add-ons, excellent website
compatibility, large developer community

Doesn't play well with Adobe Flash Player.

http://www.mozilla.org/

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
32.0

33.6 MB offline; 238 KB online

Open source freeware

32 bit but 64 bit

compatible

A portable version of this product is available from the developer.

Windows XP SP2, 2003 SP1, Vista, 7, 8; Mac OS X 10.6+; GNU/Linux

Offline installers
The Portable edition is downloaded from Portable Apps: 31 MB download,
77 MB installed.
64-bit editions are unsupported test versions so instead try Mozilla
Waterfox.

InternetExplorer
5StarRating:

Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer

Amazing speed, minimalistic interface, pinned sites, improved web

standard compliance, download manager with malware protection, tracking

protection, H/W acceleration, good OS integration

Tab handling not as good as others, limited extension support, not as cloud
friendly, no cross platform syncing, Windows only.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/download-ie
11.0

28.3 MB offline; 2.0 MB online

Unrestricted freeware

32 and 64 bit

versions available

There is no portable version of this product available.

Windows 7, 2008, 8

Tested version 11.0.9600.17239

Offline installers area available: IE 11 28.3MB 32-bit; 53.3MB 64-bit

Windows XP and Vista users have to use outdated versions of Internet

Explorer:

Windows Vista users can install Internet Explorer 9: 17.3 MB

Windows XP users cannot install Internet Explorer 8 from Microsoft: 16.1
MB

Opera

5StarRating:
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer

Fast, feature rich, cross platform support, tab stacking, web standard

compliant, built in mail & torrent client, extension & themes support, visual
tabs & mouse gestures, Opera turbo, account syncing

Limited Extension gallery, key features layered in extensive menus

http://www.opera.com/

http://www.opera.com/download/
24.0

26.6 MB

Unrestricted freeware

32 and 64 bit versions available

A portable version of this product is available from the developer.

Windows XP or later; OS X 10.6 or later; Linux e.g. Ubuntu 14.04 or later

Tested version 24.0.1558.53

Maxthon

5StarRating:
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer

Small footprint, fast, true cloud sync across devices, split screen view,

custom skins, cloud push, cloud download, resource sniffer, dual engine
(but only useful for compatibility).

Inadequate tab functions. The core is still lagging some technologies of

bigger browsers.

http://www.maxthon.com/

http://www.maxthon.com/
4.1.3.2000

1.74 MB online; 37.4 MB offline installer

bit versions available

32

and 64

Unrestricted freeware

A portable version of this product is available but not from the developer.
Windows 7, 8, OSX

Editor
This software review is maintained by volunteer editor Remah. Registered

members can contact the editor with any comments or questions they might
have by clicking here.

You are welcome to join the discussion in our web and networking forum
Back to the top of the article

MegaBrowsers

Lightweight
Browsers

OtherBrowsers

Average:
Your rating: None Average: 4.3 (166 votes)

Articletype: PC Freeware, Internet, Email & Messaging

Printer-friendlyversion

COMMENTS
by chris.p on 20. March 2015 - 19:51 (121507)

Thanks Remah, found a replacement for Opera - ruined by the latest

update.

Tried a couple, eventually settled on Comodo Ice Dragon (found on

another page here). It really is a very good browser.
Thanks again! :)

by crombierob on 21. March 2015 - 6:52 (121517)

Yes it is very good.

It is FF, but usually a couple of versions behind.

They have trimmed it slightly, and you can enable their extra security
(ensure web site that you try to go to, are safe).

Also you can have (multiple) portable versions, by simply ticking a

checkbox on the 'installer' screen.

I have many for different categories of browsing.

The one proviso is, I never have two of them running at the same
time (just in case they interfere with each others settings)
Rob

PS For all those Chrome lovers out there, I wish I could find a cure for
you.

If you have a weak/old PC, you can occasionally find your computer
running so slow, you will think it has a virus. But you will find it is
Google's updater running in the background.

For those that love Chrome, and wish to avoid Google's disregard for
Windows conventions, you can Get Comodo Dragon (No 'Ice'), and
'Install' it as portable.

I have done that, and it runs fine (but I still hate Chrome).

by chris.p on 21. March 2015 - 11:33 (121521)

I tried to install IceDragon as portable by checking the box, only

for the interest value since you don't normally get that option.

The info says it installs the user profile in the program folder, as
against the usual place in user data probably.

The install failed (W7/32) so I went back and installed again

without checking the portable option, and it was fine.

Tried SWiron version of Chrome a while back but it wouldn't

install for me.

No doubt all these issues can be fixed but as far as I'm concerned
- these days anyway - it needs to do what it says on the box or I
move on. No time or energy to play, or fix bad coding, now...

by crombierob on 22. March 2015 - 4:10 (121531)

That failure would likely be MS fault, NOT Comodo

MS decided to be the 'Nanny' in W7, and limit our powers in

many locations.

Create a Folder C:\PGMS

And create a sub folder called IceDragon

Tick the checkbox and browse to that location.

I would bet my left family jewel that it will 'Install' there.

Don't run it at the completion of the 'Install'

Go to the folder, and drill down the sub folders that have

appeared, and copy the files etc from the lowest level to the
top level, and delete the left over empty sub folders.
Then run it.

Let me know if I will have to sing in a higher key,

Rob

by chris.p on 22. March 2015 - 9:50 (121532)

That's a great method, Rob, I'll make a note of it for when

I need it on a USB stick. Soon probably.

A portable browser that uses its own DNS IPs seems

useful in some circumstances.
Thanks.

by pjw100255 on 22. February 2015 - 23:01 (121193)

I'm not quite as computer-savvy as most of you here, but I could really
use some help in figuring out all these different browsers.

I recently had some trouble with Silverlight playing Netflix through

Firefox. Digital Rights Management errors keep coming up and I tried

uninstalling/reinstalling Silverlight, which didn't work, and the

troubleshooting articles I found didn't help either as there are some

features missing on my system that are necessary to do the fix. Sooo, I

called Netflix and they suggested downloading Chrome as the browser to

use for Netflix. I was reluctant because I don't like anything to do with

Google, but if this was the only way to get Netflix to play, then I had to.
Something really weird keeps happening when I open Chrome. I get an
initial tab for Astromenda. I don't know what that is (search engine?),

and I don't want it. While I was on the phone with Netflix, I found that in
my list of programs and I deleted it, but it still keeps coming up when I

open Chrome. What is this thing and how do I get rid of it?? It seems to
be a default in Chrome.

Also, in streaming videos through Netflix (through Chrome), the audio

and video is crappy. It crackles, skips, stutters. It's very annoying, to say
the least. Sometimes it freezes completely and I need to click the pause

and start button again. I really miss watching Netflix through Firefox - it
was easy and played well (most of the time).

Are any of the other browsers any better with regard to playing Netflix,
and are not reliant on Silverlight? My operating system is XP, so MS
doesn't support that anymore, so I can't ask them why Silverlight

suddenly doesn't work for me anymore. Anyway, any help/insight you all
could share with me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Phyllis

by Remah on 22. February 2015 - 23:53 (121195)

The article comments are not the place to deal with your various

issues. You should post them in our support forums for Internet and
web browser issues.

by pjw100255 on 23. February 2015 - 2:07 (121196)

Oops, sorry about that. I didn't realize that. Will check that out
when I get a chance. Thanks for letting me know.

by spiderpig168 on 29. January 2015 - 21:21 (120834)

There is another great alternative out there called Polarity Browser. It is

light on resources and very fast.

by Panzer on 28. January 2015 - 9:54 (120806)

Airfox:

http://airfox.sourceforge.net/

by chris.p on 20. March 2015 - 17:09 (121501)

Airfox: fast, clean, very basic browser.
Used on Win7 32-bit:

Cannot remember window size or placement (could be a deal-breaker

for some).

Hard to use - keyboard shortcuts *do not work at all* on Win7/32.

Everything - and I mean everything - must be done through the

Settings button at top right (3 stacked bars). There is no other menu

of any kind anywhere.

First job is to set Bookmarks - set about:blank as homepage, open

tab, set about:blank as a bookmark.

Remove the Start.me page and Airfox Start Page from Bookmarks as

they just cause the browser to lock up and freeze for minutes on end.
Has no plugin facility.

Looks as if there is only one dev - this usually means the project will
die at some stage.

OK if you need an ultra skinny browser to check something with. The

only modern facility it has is tabs. Reminds me of Netscape in 1998,
with tabs. Would be nice to have some kind of a menu, somewhere,
given that k/b shortcuts don't work.

by Panzer on 7. January 2015 - 8:45 (120434)

Otter browser beta 4 is out:

"... Most important changes since beta 3:

- added support for mouse gestures;

- added initial support for customizing toolbars;

- allow to load plugins on demand;
- more actions (over 150 in total);

- added Go to Page dialog (F2);

- allow to customize menu button (JSON file);

- lots of other fixes and improvements ...":
http://otter-browser.org/

by chris.p on 20. March 2015 - 17:12 (121502)

Went to Sourceforge to download. No download available, just

binaries for devs etc. Not a real browser as yet.

Looking forward to trying it once it's a stable release.

by oneengguy on 21. December 2014 - 13:30 (120177)

Hello Remah,

I would like to recommend for your review an additional browser that I

have found simply spectacular in all of its (comprehensive) offerings:
SlimJet. I have tried and tweaked and relied on all browsers that are

listed on Gizmo's Site for so many years (best software review site on the
net, by the way :-) and I am now relying on SlimJet as my work-horse
browsing tool (W7 DELL XPS 1645 laptop). A very strong

recommendation. Also: I am relying on the remarkable extension

"ublock" to assist me with my browsing.

by Panzer on 3. December 2014 - 9:59 (119948)

Vimprobable is a lean stand-alone web browser optimised for full

keyboard control (inspired by Vimperator):

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vimprobable/

by Remah on 6. September 2014 - 5:15 (118413)

Hi all. I have just taken over as editor of the three web browser articles
so expect an update soon.
Remah

by Remah on 13. September 2014 - 3:04 (118555)

The updated article was released a little bit early - my own mistake.
So I'll be making further changes over the next week.

by Paxmilitaris on 20. November 2014 - 1:02 (119738)

I don't know about torrents, but mail is now separate from the
browser in Opera, right?

by spaarks on 28. October 2014 - 19:22 (119375)

Good work.

Browsers seem to be getting increasingly problematical - firefox

with flash and and nagging to synchronise, chrome with it's
continual nagging to use chrome feature. Only IE supports
active-x.

by CASD on 7. September 2014 - 4:17 (118430)

It's good to have a new monitor on this.. I love trying new browsers
and I've tried a lot...

So far Opera even being chrome connected now works and feels like
the old opera..

In fact I think it works better then most of the webkit browsers out
there.. Low ram uses on my win 8.1 8gb, Athon 2 Acer computer.
always staying around 25% ram usage or less

Even one of my other favorites Qupzilla can't compare..in fact it

freezes up and so does Midori

Slim jet ..another one that crashes and is a slug on my system.

Keep the new ideas coming and I'll gladly try them :)

by Aninnymous on 20. August 2014 - 17:38 (118094)

It would be useful to inform us all about the cluster of each "mega"

browser 'clones'. Perhaps each list could be included after the discussion
of the particular browser with a brief description of the main advantage
of the alternate.

FireFox has WaterFox, PaleMoon, Sea Monkey, etc.

Chrome has Comodo Dragon, SRWare Iron, RockMelt, Chromium, etc.

And so on.

It's hard to keep track of all the useful alternatives out there now.

by crombierob on 30. July 2014 - 7:30 (117665)

I tried Maxthon

There are some people in the world that don't mind all their open tabs,
being discarded (like used co.....s ) when the browser closes.

Personally I would vote them out of the gene pool, but I must learn to be
tolerant.

Users have written to Maxthon complaining that they discard all open
Tabs, and Maxthon has replied (many times) that the solution they
provide is just as good.

Their solution is they give you a single Tab with a list of your previously
open Tabs.

You then have to tell Maxthon to re-open them (like it should have done
in the first place)

I tolerated that for a few sessions, and the last time I opened Maxthon

and requested a re-opening of all Tabs (like it should have) it discarded

all but a couple.

On reflection, perhaps I am meant to study that flippin list, and

tick/untick some lines.

Instead - I will never use Maxthon again.

by damien76 on 1. September 2014 - 18:30 (118333)

I use Maxthon portable but whenever I print in PDF I cannot edit it or

just plain copy or highlight anything. This is the same as of Google
Chrome. Dragon, Ice Dragon, Firefox, Iron are not like that.

by MidnightCowboy on 30. July 2014 - 7:51 (117666)

I sympathize with your feelings. I encounter similar stuff frequently

with Linux systems and apps. A bit of searching usually brings up a
solution in one forum or another. My attitude though, is for the
solution to exist there is obviously a problem, so why isn't the
solution already built into the product? MC - Site Manager.

by dave316 on 30. July 2014 - 7:06 (117664)

Sleipnir has a portable version for download. It's with the .zip extension.

by crombierob on 27. July 2014 - 4:54 (117601)

I have a question, which perhaps should be on everyone's lips (everyone

using XP)

Which browser is so much based on IE, that web pages designed to only
run on IE, will run on that browser ?

The reason that question should be on many lips is, the cessation of XP
security updates, means hackers are targeting IE.

For users out there that need the ability to open web pages designed for
IE, which browser will allow that SAFELY ?
Rob

by Zeaxan on 26. July 2014 - 22:19 (117597)

Has anyone heard any good reviews for 360 Browser from the makers of
360safe antivirus? I know the antivirus is one of the best free available

with great detection rates, but I'm curious about their web browser. Its
suppose to be similar to IE only safer.

Link: http://www.360safe.com/browser.html

In case anyone wants to check it out. Thanks!

by crombierob on 27. July 2014 - 6:07 (117602)

I am trying your 360 browser.

I assume that Webkit means Chrome ?

It in nearly all respects looks to be Chrome based (even the irritating

minimalistic approach that is spreading like a disease)

I decided to check it out in case it was the answer to the question I

posted above (Safe IE based alternative)

I can only find one hint that IE mode is possible, in the Settings,
where it says -

Browsing Engine - Pick the right engine for me

If I am correct, and hackers are now targeting IE, does that mean that exploits they discover for IE, will also exploit 360 Secure
Browser, when it is in IE mode ?
Thanks,
Rob

by George.J on 27. July 2014 - 4:45 (117600)

It runs on Webkit and IE engines, but the interface looks like that of
Opera to me :D

by sicknero on 22. July 2014 - 12:15 (117484)

Hi Victor, I just wanted to mention that Maxthon have been offering a

portable version of their browser for quite a long time now.

v 4.4.1.2000 here - http://forum.maxthon.com/thread-11649-1-1.html

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