I’ve tried almost every browser and these are my top 4 (spoiler: none are Chrome)

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Web browsers are one of the most essential pieces of software we use every day, yet we often take them for granted. Most users accept whatever defaults ship with their devices – and that’s a mistake. There are many better options available that improve upon the default in a myriad of ways.

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Over the decades, I have tried almost every browser ever to hit the market, from the most basic, terminal-based to the most complex and bloated browsers. Within that spectrum, there are some browsers that have risen so far above the rest that there is no comparison between bad, mediocre, and good.

For me, there are four good browsers that I would not hesitate to use.

1. Opera

for years, Opera Has been my favorite browser on Linux (more on that in a bit), and has been for a long time. I originally migrated from my previous default browser (Firefox) due to its poor tab management. Opera includes a feature called Workspaces, which makes managing tabs not only easy but efficient as well.

Instead of keeping 30-60 tabs open in the same window (which can lead to confusion), I categorize my tabs into categories like work, social, and shopping. I can then dump all the related tabs into each workspace and work with a much less cluttered UI. And it doesn’t hurt that Opera’s new theme engine is absolutely fantastic.

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Although Opera doesn’t have the same level of security as other browsers on this list, it does offer features like forced HTTPS, protection from malicious sites, secure DNS, and V8 security. Opera also performs very well. Apart from simple, minimalist browsers, Opera can compete with any modern alternative in the area of ​​performance. Plus, with the inclusion of Aria AI and Opera VPN, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option.

I will mention that Opera is still my favorite browser on MacOS.

If you’re looking for excellent performance, some of the best tab management on the market, and a built-in AI tool then use Opera. Opera can be installed for free on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and iPadOS.

2. Zen Browser

Focus on both opera and arc; There’s a new fork in town, and this time it’s focused on Firefox. Zen Browser became my default Linux web browser last year due to improvements made to Firefox. The biggest of those improvements is tab management. developers of zen browser Inspired by Opera, Workspaces were added to make tab management much easier. Additionally, they have made it possible to theme the browser without installing third-party extensions.

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Basically, you can get the Opera look with Arc’s tab management. Zen Browser rose to the top of the list very quickly, and I could easily see this browser becoming my default. Zen Browser also includes mods, which are community-developed tweaks that you can install to change the behavior or appearance, allowing you to truly create Zen Browser. of one’s own,

If you want Firefox to have better tab management and more options for themes, use Zen Browser. Zen Browser can be installed (for free) on Linux, MacOS, and Windows.

3. Tor Browser

When I need serious security, there’s only one browser I consider, and that’s tor browserIt not only automatically anonymizes your traffic, but also encrypts it, Tor accomplishes this using a decentralized network called the Tor Network, There is no browser on the market that can match Tor’s security and privacy,

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Although the Tor browser may be light in terms of features and appear a bit outdated, when I need to feel confident that I am actually using a secure browser, it is the only option I consider. I admit that I Only I use Tor Browser when I need extreme security, but I’m always glad it’s there when I need it. The only caveat to using the Tor browser is that its performance suffers in favor of security. But when the highest security is required, a slow browser is a price I’m willing to pay.

Use Tor Browser when you need the most powerful browser security on the market. Tor browser can be installed (for free) on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.

4. Firedragon

ball of fire New to the web browser scene and was originally based on LibreWolf. Ultimately, it switched to being based on Florep (which in turn is based on Firefox). This browser looks like a combination of Opera and Firefox. FireDragon uses the Gecko rendering engine and the SpiderMonkey JavaScript engine (both core components of Firefox), includes additional privacy measures, adds workspaces for better tab management, uses the Dark Reader extension (dark mode for every website), and has a beautiful (and dark) default theme.

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FireDragon also defaults to the Searx search engine (a free, open-source search engine that focuses on privacy, diverse search options, user control, and offers a self-hosting option). If you enjoy your privacy and want a workspace tab UI, FireDragon is a great choice. Additionally, FireDragon has been customized to feature the same dr460nized-fitting aesthetics found in Garuda KDE dr460nized Linux.

The only caveat to FireDragon is that it is only available for Linux and can be installed from the Arch AUR repository, as an appimage, via flathub, or via a binary tarball.

Use FireDragon when you need better tab management, a privacy-focused search engine, and a UI similar to Opera.