Google Chrome is one solid, all-around decent web browser, designed to complement Google Search and Google’s suite of web-based services (Drive, Gmail, YouTube and so on).
But even if Google Chrome is the first thing you install on your computer, don’t feel like you need to use it. There are plenty of great Google Chrome alternatives out there that you might want to consider, given that the Google-owned browser is a total system resources hog and is slow compared to the competition.
That being said, a new version of Chrome offers resource management tools, speeding up the browser and putting it fairly on par with others in terms of memory use.
Here are some Google Chrome alternatives that you should try out. It costs you nothing to try these and you might even prefer the features that some of these browsers offer.
Microsoft Edge
OK, I can hear you, calm down, I know. Now dead and buried, Internet Explorer was a terrible browser, but its successor, Microsoft Edge, is substantially better. Based on Chromium (Google’s open-source browser tech), Microsoft Edge isn’t actually a terrible experience. Edge reportedly uses less RAM and CPU resources than its cousin Chrome, despite having similar performance.
Microsoft Edge is built to integrate well with Windows operating systems, operating an online rewards program and streamlined tabs system (that you can show on the top or on the left side of your screen). It’s even designed to look like Windows 10 and Windows 11, so if you’re mostly concerned about aesthetics, Microsoft Edge might satisfy you.
Microsoft Edge is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Brave Browser
Brave’s browser is supposedly faster than Google Chrome (although it’s a bit slower in terms of rendering), with a focus on privacy. The browser doesn’t track your web use and also has an inbuilt adblocker, cookies blocker and VPN. It bills as a “super app” with a customisable news feed, offline playlist support for music and anonymised network routing, hiding your IP from web services. The Brave Browser is also built on Chromium, so it’ll feel similar to Chrome.
The Brave Browser is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Opera
A legendary browser that goes back to 1995, Opera would make a decent Google Chrome alternative. Today, based on Chromium, Opera is a stripped-down browser that operates a lot faster than Chrome.
Opera has an in-built adblocker, a battery saver mode, an in-built VPN and support for Chrome extensions. You can even set your own keyboard shortcuts for getting around the browser easily. There’s also a gamer-oriented browser called Opera GX that lets users cap their computer resource use.
Opera is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Mozilla Firefox
One of the last major browsers that isn’t based on Google’s Chromium platform, Mozilla Firefox has always positioned itself as a Chrome alternative. It’s a bit faster, although as it goes into a bit of a sleep mode when not in use, Chrome is a bit faster on the draw when loading a web page after not using the browser for a while.
Firefox features wide aesthetics customisation, DNS security support and a picture-in-picture mode, allowing you to pop videos out of your browser to view things while not having the browser open. The browser also has autoplay blocking, a browser-based screenshot tool, social tracker blocking and cookie blocking.
Mozilla Firefox is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Waterfox
Based on Mozilla Firefox (not Chromium), Waterfox is a Google Chrome alternative that you probably haven’t heard of. It’s focused on speed and as reported by Slant, it’s a lot faster than Chrome. Additionally, Waterfox allows you to use Chrome, Firefox and Opera web extensions (from back when Opera used its own browser source and not Chromium). Waterfox’s whole deal is speed and minimalism, so if you need to load pages quickly, give Waterfox a go.
Waterfox is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux.
Got a browser that you love and we haven’t mentioned? Give us a shout.