Top 5 web Browsers for 2023 & Beyond
Web browsers are application software used by users to access the Internet. It is an essential part of everyone’s daily lives. The web browser is your best friend, from searching for relevant information to shopping for products online, booking flight tickets, and everything in between.
For the longest time, Google Chrome enjoyed superiority over other web browsers, and rightly so. After all, Chrome is a user-friendly, fast cross-platform browser known for its security, speed, and extensions. However, there’s a drawback – Chrome uses too much CPU and memory. This can hamper your web browsing experience by impacting the performance of your phone or computer.
Even though Chrome is still counted as one of the top browsers in 2023, it is a good idea to give others a chance. Take a look at the top picks for the year.
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is an open-source, free browser launched in 2004. It features a user-friendly, slick interface with minimal visible tools. The background is customizable.
The browser offers tracking protection to block social media trackers, fingerprinting, and crypto miners. Also, it has a password manager, and pop-up ads are blocked by default. What’s more, the browser has its library of extensions, and updates with security patches are regularly released.
Brave
Brave is an unusual browser but worth checking out. The browser blocks all ads by default, and that’s why it is the fastest browser. In addition, the browser has a Brave Rewards program for its users who receive BATs or Basic Attention Tokens when they view alternative ads placed by the browser in the browsing stream. A portion of the tokens can be passed along to the publishers.
More than seventy thousand websites support BAT-based transactions through Brave, including WikiHow, Wikipedia, MacRumors, etc.
Browsing with Brave ensures you don’t have to wait for the ads to download when you visit a website. Furthermore, the browser prevents user tracking and guarantees private browsing.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi is another excellent web browser that plans to do away with browser extensions. This feature-loaded browser comes with in-built tools that cover most uses. Since you don’t have to install resource-hogging extensions, you can look forward to a smooth browsing experience.
If you need extensions for specific functionalities not covered by Vivaldi’s tools, you can get the extensions from the Chrome web store.
Moreover, the browser comes with device sync capability, so you will not lose your saved data when using Vivaldi from another device.
Other notable features include an in-built email client, a side panel for navigation, a translator, notes, a wide range of themes, etc.
Puffin
Puffin is one of the most secure web browsers using a cutting-edge streaming model to protect devices from viruses. But this impacts the browser’s performance.
The browser costs $20 per year for a desktop, but if you want to keep your device secure and safe from viruses, this is the best web browser. You can also use the ad-supported and data-limited free version for Android.
The browser became famous because of its security model. First, the web pages do not exactly load in the browser but on the company’s server. Then, the company sends a compressed web page version to the user’s browser. In simple words, it is a simulation of the web pages instead of the page itself. Thanks to this, users enjoy a higher level of security, and there’s no threat from malicious websites.
Tor Browser
For safety and anonymity online, use the Tor Browser. This version of Firefox is used for a specific purpose, which is to enter The Onion Router or Tor.
Tor is software combined with an open network. It is aimed at ensuring users are invisible, and that’s why the Internet traffic is routed through various anonymous servers. Although it is not foolproof, it makes it challenging for people to identify you when using the Tor Browser to surf the Internet, especially if you combine it with a VPN.
There are several legitimate uses of the Tor Network and the Tor Browser. It is the best browser for people living in countries with repressive governments, activists, and journalists.
Besides these, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Apple Safari are other web browsers stealing the spotlight this year. Each browser comes packed with features and unique USPs. For Mac and iPhone users, however, Safari is the best browser as it comes with updated features like Tab Groups, Passkeys, etc. Also, you can sync bookmarks and other browser settings across Apple devices.
Final Thoughts
In 2023, surfing the web will be all about finding information safely. Also, you would not want your browsing activities to be hampered by slow device performance. Therefore, keep in mind the web browsers mentioned above to have an excellent browsing experience. Remember to browse through their features and then make a decision.