The top rankings in terms of functionality, security and speed are occupied by Yandex.Browser, Google Chrome, Opera and Mozilla Firefox. Only you can tell which browser you choose, so let's take a quick look at the features of each browser again.

If we talk about the simplicity of the interface and innovation in total, Yandex Browser will win. The developers have proven that it is possible to create a product that is equally respected by both “dummies” and professionals without strict restrictions for users. The browser is cross-platform, fast, stable, synchronized with Google and Yandex services equally. In fact, it combines the best features of its competitors with two significant additions: a unique search bar with suggestions and a functional bookmark bar codenamed "scoreboard". Recommended for download if you are tired of template solutions and glitches. In addition, this secure browser on a Windows computer is memory-friendly. Other Internet browsers are much more demanding on the resources of computers and laptops.

Orbitum is considered a relatively young web browser that can compete with any well-known browser, both in terms of performance when working with Internet resources, and in terms of the number of available settings and tools. Its main feature is an interactive chat that allows you to be on any page and at the same time correspond with friends from social networks. networks. Try Orbitum and you will be pleased with the high speed of launching web pages, the benefits of using the built-in loader and the useful omnibox. This is a good choice of browser for your computer at home.

Not so common: Amigo and K-Meleon. The latter is a serious competitor to its progenitor Mozilla Firefox. However, while it excels in security, the K-Meleon browser loses in the frequency of updates. Amigo's close connection to social networks can be perceived as an advantage for regular visitors to VK, OK, FB and other social networks. But thanks to many extensions, plugins and minimal CPU load, the browser runs smoothly and without glitches. The program will be appreciated by all categories of users.

Unfortunately, our review did not include such products as the cross-platform Comodo Dragon, good solutions Pale Moon and Srware Iron, Uran, Baidu Browser, the only browser with advanced anonymity - Tor browser bundle, the once famous Netscape Navigator, Torch Browser, designed for true Rambler fans Rambler Browser. Each of them deserves special attention, which we will definitely pay in subsequent publications. I would also like to separately mention the good browser UC Browser. Its creators relatively recently began expanding around the world, and are constantly adding useful features to their brainchild, such as integration with video hosting sites. Already now, in the “advantages - disadvantages” competition, the balance is positive, but we doubt that UC can be called a safe browser. It is often installed on smartphones without the user's consent.

Nowadays, no one can be surprised by the statement about the importance of the Internet both for entertainment and for serious work. It should be noted that the productivity of the work process largely depends not so much on the connection speed, but on the convenience and thoughtfulness of the browser used.

If you don’t know what browsers are and how they differ from each other, this article is especially for you. So let's get started! What kind of browsers are there? The list can be very long, but let’s list the main “players” in this market:

• Internet Explorer.
• Opera.
• Firefox.
• Google Chrome and all its derivatives.

We will now talk about all these “characters” in more detail.

Internet Explorer

This is a real legend. Whether it’s deserved or not, everyone decides for themselves, but no one will dispute the fact that the overwhelming majority of experienced users started with it. In 2001, when the Internet in our country was almost in its infancy, and even in large cities Dial Up ruled, the sixth “donkey” was the only association with the word “browser”.

Of course, someone knew about the Opera project, very few geeks in the vastness of our country used Netscape, but the palm definitely belonged to IE, since there were simply no worthy alternatives at that time. For information, the history of Firefox began only in 2004, and the word “chrome” was perceived only as the name of a chemical element until 2008! Yes, yes, the Google Chrome browser appeared relatively recently!

It must be admitted that Internet Explorer was good for those years, and many of its features were completely unique. Thus, IE 6 became the world's first browser that had on board the P3P platform tools, which provided an advanced (in those years) level of user security when working on the network.

It is not surprising that due to its widespread use and presence by default in the Windows family of operating systems, it is “donkey” that has become the de facto standard for almost all government agencies in our country. To this day, normal work with the websites of government agencies, Sberbank, and all similar structures is possible only from this browser. This is largely due to its use of ActiveX structures, which greatly simplify the creation of software components for this type of resource.

Disadvantages of a “living legend”

It is no coincidence that we constantly used the phrase “at that time.” In 2001, IE was rightfully the leader, but... Its creators completely forgot that the browser should be updated from time to time. Until 2006, when Vista and IE7 appeared on the scene, there were no updates at all.

Competitors were not asleep; by that time they had already appeared: the legendary Opera 9, which is still revered by many as the best browser, Firefox 2, as well as several add-on browsers that used the IE engine (Maxthon, Avant Browser). All of them were more convenient, more functional and much safer than the hopelessly outdated Internet Explorer. The appearance of the seventh version did not save the situation, since IE7 was in many ways the same sixth “donkey”. Of the visible changes, one could notice only a slightly “refreshed” interface, and support for tabs, which Opera has had since the seventh version (2005).

Add to this terrible compatibility with HTML standards, disgusting page rendering and terribly slow loading speed. It is not surprising that only IE 9 finally “became like a browser,” as many publications wrote about it. Currently the latest is the eleventh version, which is really quite good.

The problem is that there are a huge number of old releases (IE6 somehow got rid of them), errors (!) from which had to be ported to the new Explorer. This was done so that old versions of sites created specifically for the “donkey” would be adequately displayed in Internet Explorer 11. This approach does not add either popularity or trust to the Microsoft product.

Alas, when working with state and municipal sites you will not have any special alternatives. However, there are exceptions: several years ago, the German government officially encouraged municipal workers to use Firefox, since IE “does not meet modern security requirements.” So what other browsers are there?

Opera

Since we have mentioned this product several times, we will continue the story about it. It all started in Norway in 1994. Until 2005, versions were produced that were not particularly popular. Everything changed in 2006, when Opera 9 was released. At that time, it was ideal. Judge for yourself:

• excellent work with tabs;
• built-in email client;
• bit-torrent client, also built into the browser;
• work with most HTML standards;
• mouse gesture support;
• the widest possibilities for customization;
• the ability to block ads without using third-party utilities.

And all this in a 2006 browser! In addition, we forgot to mention one more “killer” feature of Opera. We are talking about the “Turbo” mode. What is the essence of this option? It's simple. When activated, all traffic to the user’s computer passed through Opera Software’s servers and was compressed several times along the way. In some cases, it was possible to save up to 80% of all traffic!

Taking into account the fact that in those years there was no normal high-speed and unlimited Internet even in large cities, this technology was a royal gift for users of our country and the entire former CIS. It is not surprising that in some regions the real market share of this browser was confidently approaching 50%, while in the world this figure rarely exceeded 3-4%.

In addition, Opera Mini appeared in 2009, which made normal Internet surfing possible even for owners of old phones. By the way, the phrase “free browsers” can only make modern users smile, while Opera for smartphones was paid for a long time, and for desktops (up to Opera 5) this browser was distributed on a fee basis.

Sunset

After the release of version 10.6, strange things began to happen to the company: constant reorganizations forced most of the old developers to leave, and users began to complain about the poor performance of their favorite browser. In 2013, a rather ridiculous event happened. The new management of the company announced a complete transition to the Blink engine, which is a product developed by Google, as well as the linking of Opera to the Chromium project.

It’s not hard to guess what emotions all this evoked among users. They said that almost all new browsers are already clones of Chrome, so the appearance of another player from the same series did not inspire anyone. In addition, the enormous dissatisfaction of both ordinary users and professionals was caused by the simple fact that from the old “Opera”, in fact, only the name remained.

No mouse gestures, no usual customization options... and there weren’t even bookmarks in the new version! The developers swear that everything will be fixed “in the near future,” but this has been going on for two years now, and there has been no particular progress. The company lost a huge number of users, some of whom switched to Chrome, while others started using Firefox.

Almost everyone agrees that the Opera project no longer exists: even if the developers return some of the old functionality to the browser (it won’t be possible to “screw in” everything due to the features of the new engine), the entire cycle of creating the program will be tied to Chromium and Google itself. By the way, what browsers are there based on the Google product? We'll talk about this below.

Google Chrome and its derivatives

The history of this browser, as we have already mentioned, began in 2008. The very news that Google is going to create its own browser has caused a lot of controversy on the Internet. Some rejoiced, some experts were more cautious in their forecasts, but the fact remains that the event was clearly extraordinary. Today, the Chrome browser claims to be the “number 1 browser”, displacing not only IE, but even Firefox in this position. How did this happen?

When the new Internet browser first came out, everyone loved its incredible speed. Many people liked the ascetic and simple interface, which did not distract from work. However, the “first approximation” was not very successful, since almost all experienced users noted the complete lack of useful plugins, due to which the browser could not resist advertising, and poor integration with third-party applications (antiviruses, download managers, etc.).

The beginning of success

For someone else, this might be a failure, but not for Google! The company’s incredible capabilities and aggressive marketing policy did their job: at first, when using the company’s search engine, a suggestion was given to “try a new browser,” and today Chrome checkboxes are available in almost every second shareware application (included in the installation kit).

Soon this particular browser was on the computer of almost every second user, and professionals increasingly began to use it. The proactive policy of Google again played a role, which very soon achieved full integration of its product. In addition, using a Google account, users gained access to Google projects such as Drive, Mail, Documents and many others.

To be fair, it is worth noting that Google (the browser) is a very safe product: the process separation policy bears fruit. It is difficult for malicious code to penetrate from the virtual sandbox into the production system. Among other things, Chrome now has plugins for blocking ads and Flash content, integration systems for the most popular downloaders, and more. In 2014, the official x64 version appeared, which became even safer and faster.

Flaws

Alas, there are enough of them. Firstly, those same fans of the old Opera really miss the ability to change the browser “to suit themselves”. The maximum that the WebKit engine gives is to apply a color scheme. All. A simple user is not entitled to anything more. Of course, you can use the Flag argument and “surf” the browser from the inside, but you can’t do anything special even from there.

Secondly, there are serious concerns about the privacy of user information. In general, Google has never hidden the fact that all your data can be viewed for the presence of child pornography and information that could be classified as a “terrorist threat,” but this does not make it any easier for suspicious individuals. The browser extensively collects information about your search preferences and frequently visited pages, generating targeted advertising based on this data. However, all modern free browsers often suffer from this.

It is shown not only on the pages themselves, but even in GMail mail. The latter, by the way, is extremely disliked in large companies; sometimes employees are directly prohibited from using it. Of course, there is not a single proven fact of leakage of any corporate data, but this measure is not superfluous...

As for the “sky-high” speed, today it’s no longer possible to call the Google Chrome browser fast. With installed plugins and a connected user account, the application (especially on older machines) does not launch quickly.

Chromium

After the scandal with the Chrome license agreement, in which the developers allowed themselves to have rather frivolous clauses about user privacy (they were subsequently removed or changed), the Chromium project appeared. Unlike its “big brother,” this browser is based on open source software that anyone can change at their own discretion. In terms of functionality, it is not much different from the parent application, with the exception of the ease of creating your own plug-ins.

It was on its basis that a huge mass of “chrome-like” programs appeared, which we will now talk about. In general, almost all new browsers that appear recently are just that in 90% of cases. This is due to the ease of adapting the code to your needs, and you don’t have to worry about updating “your” product, since all the work will fall on the shoulders of Google programmers.

"Yandex browser)

Today it is the most successful fork (branch). The creator is the “domestic-Dutch” search engine Yandex. The first versions of Yandex (browser) differed from Chrome only in a different search engine and a slightly changed design, but today the situation has changed radically. Thus, there appeared: support for mouse gestures, intelligent search menus and other “goodies”, which gave many users reason to call this browser “the successor of the old Opera”. This fact in itself is surprising, especially considering the biased attitude of professionals towards any Chrome fork. Thus, the free Yandex browser has very good prospects.

"Amigo"

This is the exact opposite of the project discussed above. Also a product of a domestic company, but this time the authorship belongs to the Mail.ru corporation. Alas, there are no “breakthrough” opportunities. Among the features is only close integration with all existing social networks, but it is quite difficult to consider this circumstance as a special advantage. In addition, Amigo (browser) also collects a bunch of advertising information, which is then shown in abundance to the user.

There's nothing special about it anymore. In addition, there are also such varieties of “Chrome”:

• “Internet” (from the same Mail.ru, somewhat similar to “Yandex”).
• "Uranus" (from Ucoz).
• Dragon (from Comodo).
• "Nichrome" (from "Rambler").
• Iron (German development, originally created to profit from the developers' blog).

And many, many similar products. What browsers are there besides this “variegated” family?

Firefox

Appeared in 2004 (as mentioned above). It was developed on the basis of the mortal “ashes” of Netscape. The first versions were simply terrible, they constantly hung and were terribly slow. Of course, the collapse of the program was the most common occurrence. Time passed. In 2006, there was already Firefox 2, which had good qualities, and the third version was among the Guinness record holders (several million people downloaded it in the first 24 hours).

Why is this browser so attractive to users from all over the world? First of all, its “omnivorousness”. While some developers relied on functionality (Opera), others on beauty (Safari), and Microsoft did nothing at all, the Mozilla Foundation team collected all HTML standards, at least theoretically found on the Internet. As a result, their browser is a kind of “standard”. If a site does not open normally in Fox, then it is unlikely to open anywhere else.

In addition, numerous plugins were the reason for its success. With their help, you can turn your browser into a multifunctional “harvester”, with capabilities almost superior to the operating system! In particular, the Tor browser, created on its basis, largely uses the capabilities of various extensions designed to improve the level of user anonymity on the Internet.

In addition, even with a dozen or two extensions, Mozilla starts very quickly even on older machines, which is not what you can expect from Chrome.

Finally, this browser, unlike almost all existing solutions on the market, can be flexibly customized to suit your needs, and the available themes will help you bring the interface closer to the old versions of Opera, Chrome or even the old IE6. It is precisely because of the latter circumstance that experienced users often strive to install the Firefox browser.

Flaws

These include the not very high security of the native (without installed extensions) application. However, without installed extensions, Firefox is generally a very average browser without any special features. Beginners do not always know which plugin to install and for what purpose. In addition, such add-ons are not always good in terms of software, and therefore often cause memory leaks and even crashes of the browser itself.

These are the main browsers. This list is far from complete, but in the article we present the most common types of programs of this kind. Of course, we haven't talked about Safari (which is used in Apple's OS), as well as many other browsers, many of which occupy leading positions in Asian markets, but these products are quite specific. In any case, they are used quite rarely; in our country you are unlikely to find a user on whose computer they would be installed.

We access the Internet every day through our web browsers, to which we have become very accustomed during this time. Windows OS users are probably more familiar with well-known browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc. In fact, there are many other browsers with a wide range of unique options.

There are browsers created for gamers, as well as browsers for social networking enthusiasts. We'll tell you about 20 web browsers for Windows that you might not have known about before. By the way, they could greatly simplify your life.

Dooble is a new free multi-platform browser released in September 2009. Its goal is to provide its users with a high level of privacy and offer them ease of use. The browser is currently available for Windows, OS X, Linux and FreeBSD. In addition to the basic set of options, Dooble has a built-in download wizard and it also supports third-party plugins.

U is a browser available for free to use, developed by Conduit. It is based on Chronium and features a user-centric design. U Browser will be especially relevant for those who like to use various social tools. With U, you can easily and easily connect with your online friends, access the apps you need, and even access your phone.

Coonwon is a Google Chrome encoding based browser designed specifically for gamers. It has a number of options that are ideal for fans of online games: performing automated tasks, drivers for joysticks, controlling game speed and much more.

BlackHawk is an easy-to-use web browser that seamlessly combines the speed of Chrome with the practical functionality of Firefox. Here you will find an exceptional approach to cookies.

Beamrise is the latest social media browser that combines chat and web browsing options. You can chat using familiar social networks, as well as make video calls in the browser itself. In addition, you will be pleasantly surprised by wonderful animations, visual bookmarks and free texts based on Android.

NetGroove is a lightweight, fast, tabbed browser powered by the Internet Explorer Engine. A distinctive feature of this browser is that you can use it directly from your flash drive without prior installation.

This is an Indian browser from Mozilla. It will provide you with the latest movies and songs, live cricket broadcasts, news from various sources (regional and Hindi sources). Among other things, no one will be able to track what you searched for or what pages you visited.

QT Web Browser is a portable, reliable, fast and lightweight web browser with a unique user interface. This is publicly available software based on the Nokia QT and Apple Webkit platform.

Browzar's main focus is privacy: it does not save browsing history, cookies, passwords, cache, temporary files, etc. It is perfect for banking and cloud operations. All information is automatically deleted immediately after you have completed the work and closed the browser.

Wyzo is often called The Media Browser, as it optimizes the work of online publications. It increases download speed and allows users to download torrents in just one click. Wyzo is compatible with all popular Mozilla-based browser add-ons.

It is a fast, reliable and powerful browser. It is one of the best web browsers for Windows when it comes to saving time. Filling out forms is much easier and faster here than in other browsers. SlimBrowser has a built-in filter and the ability to remove pop-up ads out of sight.

The Avant web browser will delight you with a pleasant and intuitive interface, as well as the absence of advertising and malware. Avant is multiprocessor and lightweight; it has a built-in download accelerator and video sniffer that allows you to find and download videos from the current web page. Avant options range from incognito mode to a flash animation filter.

Superbird is a free and fast alternative to Google Chrome. The strongest point of this browser is speed, data privacy and stability. The lightweight Superbird is ready to offer its users an automatic update option and a wide range of plugins. The security of user data on Superbird has been enhanced by ensuring that no information is shared with Google or other third parties.

Comodo IceDragon is based on Firefox and is rich in various useful options. Particular attention should be paid to security on Comodo, as it scans web pages for malware. Comodo IceDragon is fully compatible with all Firefox plugins.

A free web browser that uses 3 popular rendering engines - Trident, Gecko, WebKit. Using a special button, you can switch from one mechanism to another. Lunascape is a great choice for web developers.

TORCH, like all the browsers presented on our list, is completely free. With it, you can search and share photos, videos, links in just one click, and download your favorite videos. Suitable for those who like to collect and store memorable events.

Midori is a fast, lightweight and free web browser that is designed primarily for users who pay special attention to security and safety. The default browser allows you to search by and also uses the interface GTK +2 and rendering mechanism WebKit.

Maxthon is a cloud browser with a unique dual-core design using Trident and Webkit. The browser offers cloud services, modes for more comfortable reading and other useful options. Here you will find great options to keep your data safe, as well as the ability to capture your screen.

Yandex.Browser is a very simple and intuitive browser that is based on the Chromium technology platform. It loads pages quickly and provides plenty of web browsing space. This browser also offers cloud browsing technology where privacy is maintained by Kaspersky Lab.

A multi-platform web browser based on the QtWebKit engine. The most successful options include: history and news feed, incognito mode, combined bookmark library, integrated ad blocking, speed dialing, cookie manager.

Today, the browser has become one of the main computer programs that no user can do without. Usually, when choosing a browser, we limit ourselves to a very small list consisting of several well-known names - Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari. However, the number of existing web browsers is far from exhausted by these programs. We want to introduce you to the most interesting alternative browsers, which may not be well known, but definitely deserve your attention.

A modern browser is a complex program that includes several independent components, including a page rendering engine, a user interface, a Javascript processing engine, an XML parser, and so on. This multi-level architecture makes it quite easy to change individual browser modules, which third-party developers successfully use by releasing their own modifications of web browsers based on existing browser engines. The most common browser engines today: Trident (Internet Explorer),
Gecko (Mozilla Firefox) and Webkit (Chrome, Safari), so in this review all programs are divided on this basis.

Browsers based on Mozilla Firefox

Gecko is a web page rendering engine known to us primarily from the Mozilla Firefox browser. When creating Gecko, the developers ensured support for open Internet standards, cross-platform, and most importantly, free distribution, thanks to which this engine is successfully used in a wide variety of software products.

Waterfox(Windows Vista x64, Windows 7 x64)

Despite the popularity of 64-bit systems, Mozilla does not yet plan to release a special version of the browser for this architecture. The Waterfox project fills this gap by providing us with a version of the browser specifically optimized to run in this environment. Although Waterfox has almost the same functionality as Firefox, it still makes sense to try this program, since the developers promise us a significant increase in performance on 64-bit systems.

Purpose. If you have a 64-bit system and want a small gain in speed, then this program is worth trying.

(Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, x86/x64)

Another optimized and accelerated version of Firefox, which is only available for Windows and has both 32 and 64 bit versions. The developers focused their main efforts on creating a program specially optimized for full use of all the capabilities of modern processors. In addition to changes hidden under the hood of the browser aimed at maximizing performance speed, there are also some tweaks to the user interface, but they are very minor. However, in future versions, according to the developers, the differences from the parent browser will be more noticeable, since Firefox will soon undergo a significant redesign, and Pale Moon will retain its familiar appearance.

Purpose. For those who like to get the most out of their hardware, as well as those who don’t like the changes to the Firefox interface.

(Windows, Linux, MacOS)

It would be a big mistake to consider SeaMonkey a subsidiary of the Firefox browser; rather, they are siblings based on the same Mozilla Suite project. Firefox took the path of making the program as lightweight as possible, while SeaMonkey retained all existing components, including a web browser, email program, HTML page editor, address book and IRC client. Thus, in one program we get a complete gentleman’s set of functions necessary for working on the Internet, which in one package consume much less resources than Firefox, Thunderbird, etc. installed separately.

Purpose. This combine may appeal to fans of multifunctional all-in-one solutions who are willing to put up with a frankly outdated interface and low operating speed.

Wyzo(Windows, MacOS)

This browser is based on the 3.6 branch of the Firefox browser, so those users who did not accept the fundamental update of the program in the fourth version should pay attention to it. In addition, Wyzo boasts built-in support for the BitTorrent protocol, an improved file downloader, and full compatibility with Firefox themes and extensions.

Purpose. If for some reason you have become attached to the Firefox 3.6 family, then this browser is for you.

Browsers based on Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer, more than any other browser, needs improvement. Despite the presence of a fairly stable, and in the latest versions also very fast Trident page processing engine, Microsoft's browser loses to its competitors due to modest functionality and slow implementation of new technologies. All the more valuable to us are those products in which third-party developers try to correct the inherent shortcomings of IE.

(Windows)

This web browser is one of the most successful offspring of Internet Explorer. If you don't take into account the slightly outdated appearance, then we can say that Avant Browser is exactly the browser that IE wanted to become as a child. Judge for yourself, record low memory consumption, built-in ad and pop-up blocking, auto-filling forms and a password manager, the ability to store your bookmarks, passwords, settings in online storage, support for mouse gestures, an RSS feed reader system and many other features make this browser perhaps the best choice among IE-compatible browsers. Add to this excellent localization, regular updates and a large user community, and it becomes clear that this browser is a must-try for all fans of Microsoft's Trident page rendering engine.

Purpose. This browser will appeal to those users who want all the benefits of the Trident engine, but cannot put up with the functionality of Internet Explorer.

(Windows)

An exotic browser from developers from distant Japan. Like many products native to this country, it has a number of unique features. First of all, this is the ability to use not only the Trident engine, which is included by default, but also Gecko with WebKit. Thus, users are given the opportunity to use the functions of all the most popular browsers today in one interface. It's even possible to assign a specific rendering engine to individual sites, so that if there are problems with any page, the browser will automatically switch to a more appropriate rendering engine. In addition, the browser has the ability to install add-ons (including for Chrome and Firefox), change the appearance using skins, as well as such a developed customization system that you can use it to change literally any aspect of the program’s operation.

Purpose. A complex product that requires configuration and learning. It can be useful if you need to see the display of sites in different browsers.

(Windows)

Despite the fact that SlimBrowser is updated quite regularly (the latest version was released just the other day), it looks like IE 8. However, under the hood of the program there is a whole set of popular functions, such as automatic filling of web forms, a built-in translator, a quick search panel , advanced download manager, ad blocker, HTML and script editor, integration with Facebook and other social services, support for skins, etc. Although SlimBrowser became one of twelve browsers offered for users of the European Economic Area, I would not call it an independent product - rather, it is just a set of useful settings and add-ons for Internet Explorer, collected under one shell.

Purpose. Although the developers boldly claim on the home page that this is the best browser for Windows, it is still just a collection of useful add-ons.

Browsers based on Google Chrome

Now many have forgotten, but the WebKit engine traces its origins to the KHTML project, originally developed for the KDE environment on Unix systems. Its source code is open, that is, available for use in projects for any purpose. The most famous of them are the Safari and Google Chrome browsers, but there are also a huge number of other programs that use WebKit components to one degree or another.

(Windows, MacOS, Linux)

Despite the fact that Google Chrome and Chromium are developed by the same company, and both use the same engine and interface solutions, there are still a number of significant differences between them. Chromium lacks auto-update, support for some proprietary audio-video formats and Flash, and does not have a module for working with PDF. But at the same time, the Chromium browser offers all the latest and experimental features that developers are still planning to implement in Google Chrome.

Purpose. If you want to be the first to try all the innovations that will appear in Google Chrome, then this is your choice.

(Windows)

Google has recently been often reproached for its lack of respect for privacy. In particular, the Chrome browser has been repeatedly seen collecting various information about user actions on the Internet. That is why a number of alternative browsers have appeared, in which increased attention is paid to privacy and security. The Comodo Dragon program is developed by Comodo, which is well known for its antivirus and firewall. It uses a connection through a SecureDNS server to block malicious sites, uses a more advanced anonymous surfing mechanism, and also makes a number of other changes that increase your security.

Purpose. This browser is designed for those who are seriously concerned about their security and privacy.

(Windows, MacOS)

This browser is intended for fans of social networks and is reminiscent of the now closed Flock project. With its help, you can easily receive updates in your accounts, communicate with friends, and share any content of the pages you are viewing. The browser has special additional panels that serve to display buttons for connected social services, a list of friends, and a built-in chat. RockMeIt, unlike Chrome, stores the user profile on Facebook servers and, accordingly, to work, you need to log in to your account on this social network.

Purpose. If you are an active participant in social networks, especially Facebook, then you should definitely pay attention to this program.

(Windows, Linux, MacOS (beta))

Our Chinese comrades are famous for their ability to repeat and improve a wide variety of products. Google's browser did not escape this fate either. CoolNovo has all the features of Chrome plus a number of additional useful features that make working with the browser more comfortable. Thanks to the efforts of Chinese developers, the browser began to understand mouse gestures, acquired a convenient download manager, a built-in ad blocking mechanism, a “super drag and drop” function and many other features. In addition, the program takes care of protecting the user’s personal information: private information is cleaned more thoroughly and Google Chrome spy components are disabled.

Purpose. There's no magic - it's just Chrome complete with a few useful extensions and tweaks. It will be useful to everyone who needs an upgraded version of Google Chrome.

(Windows, Android)

One of the oldest alternative browsers, which since 2004 has managed not only to change the main page display engine from Trident to WebKit, but also to gain well-deserved popularity among a large army of users. The reason for this was the rather serious equipment of Maxthon, which provides out of the box many convenient functions that are available in other browsers only after installing dozens of extensions. These include the ability to customize the appearance using skins, the Super Drag&Drop function, mouse gesture control, ad blocking, built-in RSS reader, auto-update service, built-in notepad, download manager, the function of storing user data in a cloud service with the ability to synchronize between different computers and much more. It must be emphasized that Maxthon, unlike many competitors, is an independent project, and not a redesigned version of Google Chrome.

Purpose. A fast, convenient and functional web browser that has its own personality and a long history of development. A real and very worthy alternative to the favorites.

Conclusion

In this review, we tried to introduce you to the most interesting representatives of alternative browsers. Some of them are designed to perform highly specialized tasks, while others provide users with a wide range of options when working on the Internet. As you can see, the list of modern web browsers is much wider than the four well-known names and includes programs worthy of use. Among all the considered alternatives, we would like to draw special attention of readers to Avant Browser and Maxthon, which contain a number of original solutions and are fully capable of performing the role of a full-time web browser.

In my blog on Medium, a selection of browsers that can be used as alternatives to Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox.

Blisk Browser

Blisk Browser is built on Chromium and created specifically for developers. It allows you to write code for mobile and desktop platforms simultaneously and includes emulators for phones, tablets and different screen resolutions.

Tor Browser 6.0

Browser for anonymous surfing on the Internet. Traffic confidentiality is ensured through the use of a distributed network of servers - nodes.

Aloha Browser

The Product Hunt team describes Aloha Browser as a private and secure mobile browser with unlimited VPN. Like Tor Browser, Aloha Browser allows you to anonymously visit any website. Unlimited VPN access is used for this.

Vivaldi

The Product Hunt team describes Vivaldi as a browser with "endless features." For example, the program allows you to take notes while browsing websites, has a built-in preview of pages in bookmarks, and simultaneous viewing of several pages.

Opera VPN for iOS

A mobile browser with a built-in ad blocker on websites, the ability to browse pages anonymously, and simulate visiting a website from anywhere in the world.

Min

"Smart" browser with a minimalistic design. Min allows you to perform actions directly in the address bar: for example, perform calculations, find the necessary text fragments from Wikipedia. The browser also has a built-in function for blocking ads on websites, “heavy” fonts and images.

Ghost Browser

The browser is created for developers, designers, testers and social network specialists. Ghost Browser allows you to quickly switch between different sessions on one site, highlight tabs in different colors, and so on. Product Hunt users describe it as "Chrome on steroids."