22 Best Alternative Browsers You Need to Know About

Do you even need a list alternative browsers when you have one or two dominating the market?

When you think “web browser”, the chances are that Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer come to mind.

These five are always compared, but they aren’t the only browsers out there.

In other words, there are alternative browsers for gamers, for playing media, and for the online security.

And you must also know that great alternative browsers exist that are faster than Firefox and Chrome for several operating systems.

We’ve created an extensive list of 22 alternative browsers having various features that make them stand out from the crowd.

Below you’ll see the list and then I’ll walk you through needed details about them.

Updated March 2017! You don’t have to stick with Chrome if you don’t want to.

 

 

Alternative Browsers List

  • Avant Browser
  • Beamrise
  • BlackHawk
  • Browzar
  • Citrio
  • Comodo (Dragon/Ice Dragon)
  • Coowon Browser
  • Dooble Browser
  • Epic
  • Lunascape Browser
  • Maxthon
  • Midori
  • NetGroove
  • Project Maelstrom
  • QupZilla
  • Sleipnir
  • SlimBrowser
  • Superbird
  • Torch
  • Vivaldi
  • Wyzo
  • Yandex
  1. Avant Browser: Alternative Browsers Option

    Avant Browser
    Avant Browser
    is an ultra-fast alternative browsers option with a user-friendly interface.
    One feature that makes it stand out are its three rendering engines – Trident, Gecko, and Webkit.
    To put it another way, these are the engines behind popular browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome (respectively).
    The best part is that users can select which engine they prefer, and switch whenever they cannot render a webpage.

    And with the multiprocessing feature, one failed tabbed won’t freeze the entire browser.
    Moreover, Avant alternative browsers option also comes with a video sniffer, download accelerator, ad blocker, and flash animation filter.
    All of that means that browsing with Avant is private, and uses little memory and CPU.
    More importantly though, Avant Browser is free in price and promises to be free of malware.

  2. Beamrise: Alternative Browsers Option

    Beamrise
    Beamrise
    is a unique alternative browsers option for social network users.
    The browser merges chatting and browsing into one experience.
    Beamrise also has a sidecar chat feature which connects with services like Facebook, Skype, and Google Chat.
    Moreover, Beamrise features visual bookmarks, showing screencaps of web pages instead of just text.

    Video chat is built into the browser, as well as emoticons and animations.
    And Beamrise lets users send free texts powered by Android.
    While Beamrise is free, it only functions on Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems.
    For 7 and 8 users, it surely is one excellent alternative browsers for windows.

  3. BlackHawk: Alternative Browsers Option

    BlackHawk Browser
    BlackHawk
    is a user-friendly, simple alternative browsers option.
    It features the speed of Chrome and the functionality of Firefox, packed into one.
    The browser has its very own themes to choose from, as well as a handful of extensions.
    It is a decent alternative browsers option for users who love Firefox or Chrome – but want a less bloated browser.
    BlackHawk is free, though the company also offers anti-virus and security products for sale.

  4. Browzar: Alternative Browsers Option

    Browzar
    Browzar
    is dedicated to total browsing privacy.
    In other words, this alternative browsers option does not save cookies, history, temporary files, passwords, or cache.
    Moreover, Browzar cleans up all data once closed and does not require installation. Since Browzar is portable, users can download it and carry it on a USB drive.

    To put it another way, it is a quick, secure alternative for banking and cloud applications.
    And at 222 KB, it is one of the smallest and lightest browsers you will ever download.
    With all of this, Browzar is free.
    And designed with Windows 7 operating systems and lower in mind.
    But it proved functional on my Windows 10 Home PC, give it a go.

  5. Citrio: Alternative Browsers Option

    Citrio
    Citrio
    is a fast and lightweight alternative browsers option based off of Chromium.
    Because of this, the layout and functionality are like Google Chrome,
    But more straightforward.
    As far as features are concerned, Citrio features a built-in download manager with a download accelerator to speed things up.
    It also has an integrated torrent client, eliminating the need for extra software.

    And with Citrio’s video downloader, no additional converters or extensions are required.
    But Citrio does support add-ons and extensions.
    Citrio comes with malware and phishing protection and doesn’t save your personal information.
    As with all the other alternative browsers, Citrio is free and available for both Windows and Mac.

  6. Comodo (Dragon/Ice Dragon): Alternative Browsers Option

    Comodo
    Comodo offers antivirus and internet security programs for both home and business.
    They have several free solutions available, including secure alternative browsers options.
    Most of you probably would not know this but Comodo Dragon is based on Chromium.
    While Comodo IceDragon is based on Firefox.
    But both alternative browsers are fast, secure, and come with built-in Comodo security.

    As far as compatibility goes, Comodo Dragon is compatible with Chrome add-ons.
    And Comodo IceDragon is compatible with Firefox plugins.
    Just like other privacy browsers, Comodo does not track activity and stops cookies.
    And Both browsers are compatible with Windows and free to download.
    Like Browzar and Citrio, Comodo is pretty much a go-to browser for security conscious folks!

  7. Coowon Browser: Alternative Browsers Option

    Coowon
    Coowon
    is an alternative browsers option made with web gamers in mind.
    It is based off of Google Chrome.
    And is compatible with Chrome’s addons.
    Coowon also supports mouse gestures, dragging to go, double clicking to close tabs and more.
    It also comes with gaming features which include game speed control, game botting, and record and play.
    Coowon also has gamepad support so that users can map buttons to keyboard keys.
    Just as before, Coowon is free and available for both Windows and Mac.

  8. Dooble Browser: Alternative Browsers Option

    Dooble Web
    Dooble
    is an open source alternative browsers option with a focus on privacy.
    And hence it features encryption, content blocking, third-party blocking exceptions, private browsing, and more.
    You may not know this but Dooble comes with both a file manager and download manager.
    Even with all these cool features, Dooble is free.
    And compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, OS/2, and FreeBSD.

  9. Epic: Alternative Browsers Option

    Epic Privacy
    Epic
    is a Chromium-powered browser dedicated to protecting privacy.
    And because it wants to protect your privacy, epic doesn’t save any information – no history, cookies, passwords, cache, autofill, nothing.
    If you close Epic, it simply moves ahead and deletes databases, preferences, local storage, sessions data.
    Thus it secures your privacy and anonymity.
    And much more.

    The browser comes with ad and tracker blocking as well.
    What’s more?
    It also comes with a one-click encrypted proxy.
    With this proxy, users can access blocked sites from anywhere in the world.
    Even with all these awesome features, Epic is a free browser.
    And it supports multiple platforms such as Windows and OS X operating systems.

  10. Lunascape Browser: Alternative Browsers Option

    Lunascape
    Like Avant, Lunascape uses three rendering engines – Trident, Gecko, and Webkit.
    Moreover, its unique features include highlighted search, tab lock and shift lock, cascade view, and backups.
    We also know that Lunascape supports mouse gestures, skins, and bookmark synchronisation with either iLunascape for FirefoxSync.

    Addtionally, This alternative browsers optionsupports with Internet Explorer and Firefox addons, as well as Lunascape addons.
    And Lunascape deletes personal data upon exiting the browser.
    So it ensures that it preserves user privacy and anonymity everytime the user quits the alternative browser.
    Lunascape is a free browser available for Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Android.

  11. Maxthon: Alternative Browsers Option

    Maxthon
    Maxthon
    is a cloud-powered alternative browsers option that is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Linux.
    Interestingly enough, Maxthon uses two engines – Trident and Webkit.
    The browser is lightning fast, and syncs user data to cloud so users can access it anywhere.
    Maxthon’s built-in security blocks malicious websites and phishing attempts.

    Private browsing sessions do not track user data and Adblock Plus removes ads and popups.
    And extensions are available for the Windows and Mac versions.
    The download is free on all devices, and also features a portable download for USB drives – yet another reason why Maxthon is among the well-worth alternative web browsers.

  12. Midori: Alternative Browsers Option

    Midori
    Midori
    is a lightweight, fast, and free alternative browsers option that revolves around privacy.
    Like Google Chrome, it runs on the Webkit rendering engine, resulting in a similar layout.
    It features a built-in downloader and spell checker.

    The browser lets users save bookmarks, RSS feeds and customise privacy settings.
    It may be simple, but Midori is also fast, with little bloat.
    Midori is free and available for Windows, with a special portable version.
    But the browser also has downloads for elementary, Ubuntu, Fedora, and more.

  13. NetGroove: Alternative Browsers Option

    NetGroove
    NetGroove
    is a tabbed browser based on the Internet Explorer engine.
    It is portable, meaning it requires no installation and works on a USB drive.
    It has basic browser functions – favourite, a links toolbar, and custom home page.
    This is convenient on public computers to safeguard your data and browsing history.
    NetGroove is freeware and functions on Windows systems.

  14. Project Maelstrom: Alternative Browsers Option

    MaelStrom
    Project Maelstrom
    is a torrent-based browser that runs on the Blink engine.
    It runs on a distributed web model by receiving web content from peer networks instead of servers.
    That way, a server going down will not remove content, because other people share it.

    The browser is based on Chromium, and compatible with Chrome’s extensions.
    But Project Maelstrom is still in beta, and not every website supports this technology.
    It is currently available for Windows, with Mac support coming soon.

  15. QupZilla: Alternative Browsers Option

    Qupzilla
    QupZilla
    is a lightweight and fast QtWebEngine browser.
    It has standard browser functions, like bookmarks, history, and tabs.
    QupZilla also features integrated AdBlock, speed dial, and an integrated RSS reader.
    It is free and available for several systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and OS/2.

  16. Sleipnir: Alternative Browsers Option

    Sleipnir
    Sleipnir
    is a Japanese browser that bears a strong resemblance to Safari but uses the Blink engine.
    Unique features include thumbnails of opened pages and sorting tabs into groups.
    Like Mac, Sleipnir renders fonts to make them appear rounder and thicker.
    It also has a portable version that can run on a USB drive, making it a quality alternative browser.
    Sleipnir is free and compatible with Windows and Mac.

  17. SlimBrowser: Alternative Browsers Option

    SlimBrowser
    SlimBrowser
    is a faster, more lightweight version of Internet Explorer.
    It features a fast download manager, built-in video downloader, and an integrated ad blocker.
    SlimBrowser can connect with popular web services like Twitter, WordPress, Google Plus, and others.

    It has one-click Facebook integration, an auto form filler, and skin support.
    SlimBrowser is a powerful alternative browsers option alternative with little need for addons and extensions.
    It is free and compatible with Windows and also has a portable version.

  18. Superbird: Alternative Browsers Option

    Superbird
    Superbird
    is a fast and secure browser alternative to Google Chrome.
    It uses DuckDuckGo as a search engine, which does not collect your personal information.
    And Superbird sends zero data to Google or other third parties.

    It features low memory usage, has improved privacy settings, and is NSA Prism safe. There are several plugins available that are compatible with both Superbird and Chrome. The browser is free and works with Windows, Mac, and Linux.

  19. Torch: Alternative Browsers Option

    TorchBrowser
    Torch
    is like a media centre built into a functional alternative browsers option.
    The media grabber makes downloading video and audio possible with a single click – no converters or addons.
    The built-in torrent manager is both fast and user-friendly.

    The Torch Players lets users play videos before they have even finished downloading.
    And Torch music provides unlimited music in both the browser and mobile devices.
    Torch Games allows users to access games without downloads, and Facelift re-themes Facebook pages.
    The Torch is free and available for Windows systems.

  20. Vivaldi: Alternative Browsers Option

    ViValdi_alternative_browsers
    Vivaldi
     is made by ex-Opera developers to create an entirely customizable alternative browsers option.
    It features speed dial, quick commands, rewind, and fast forward to speed up navigation.
    Users can take notes as they browse, access bookmarks in a side panel, and see a visual preview of open tabs.

    Vivaldi’s interface adapts to the colour of the web page viewed, and can change with just one click.
    If you are a fan of Opera, Vivaldi is worth a look!
    The browser is free and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

  21. Wyzo: Alternative Browsers Option

    Wyzo_alternative_browsers
    Wyzo is an alternative browsers option that optimises the online media experience.
    And it incorporates multi-source downloading to speed up web downloads.
    Consequently, users can download torrents with a single click with Wyzo’s BitTorrent integration.
    Following up on that, Wyzo is compatible with Firefox addons and now includes a private browsing mode.
    And most of all, Wyzo is free for download and compatible with Windows and Mac systems.

  22. Yandex: Alternative Browsers Option

    alternative_browsers_yandex


    Yandex
    is a user-friendly browser based off of Chromium.
    The browser’s start screen is a hub for articles, news and videos based on your interests.
    And because it has to deal with such complex operations, it comes with features such that when internet speeds drop, Turbo mode speeds things up.
    Additionally, Yandex features DNS spoofing protection, as well as data encryption.
    Moreover, users can also theme Yandex with preset backgrounds, or upload their very own pictures.
    Interestingly enough, Yandex is free.
    And it is also available for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.

Conclusion For Alternative Browsers

Which obscure browser stands out the most to you?

And what features do you prefer in an alternative browsers option?

With many of these browsers like Firefox or Chrome, the layouts will be familiar to most web users.

But the unique features that each alternative browsers option offers users a bigger selection.

Moreover, do you have any to add to the list?

With that said, it is time to say Over to you!

Top/Featured Image: By Sean MacEntee / Flickr

 

More from Jessica Marello
Evernote vs OneNote: Which Note Taking App is the Best
If you are looking for a note-taking application, you have likely heard...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *