Chrome is the king of browsers. If you do not want to leave chromium see these alternatives that provide you with much better security and a unique web experience.
The web browser is probably the most important application on any computer or phone today. With Firefox and Edge providing great solutions, you may be wondering what other chromium-based alternatives you have. We would say several.
Some focus on security, some on productivity and some on reducing clutter or unique features such as text to speech. There is something for everyone.
1. Sidekick (Windows, macOS, Linux): Browser created for productivity and groups
Sidekick's new browser claims to be designed for productivity and teamwork. This includes a set of features that give professionals day-to-day solutions as well as some company-oriented features.
To reduce distractions, Sidekick lets you pin regularly used apps to a sidebar. Ideally, these should be apps you use frequently during the day, such as Slack, Zoom, or email. There is also a universal search in the browser, which will search for a keyword in apps, cloud drives, pre-letterbrowser and open tabs.
One of the most useful features is the support for multiple accounts. You can sign in to Sidekick with different accounts (such as personal and business) and makechange with each other for various applications.
For teams, Sidekick has easy collaboration capabilities, such as sharing bookmarks, tab collections, or documents. Sidekick also includes built-in tools for fast video conferencing.
The paid versions of Sidekick unlock additional features, but the free version is a good test for a group of up to five users. Even so, Sidekick can be a great browser for individual users.
Download: Sidekick for Windows | macOS | Linux Deb | Linux RPM (free)
2. Brave (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS): Secure browser with its own add block
Normally Brave does not belong to the alternatives but to the main categories of browsers. Together with Vivaldi and Opera they are the most famous chromium alternatives.
Brave has a steady upward trend doubling every year its rates in the international market. Aimed at home users looking for security and speed. He has his own machine search, private window with or without Tor, and its own shield against ads, trackers, and cookies.
It is open source, and allows its users to mining and exchanging cryptocurrencies.
Download: Brave Browser for Windows | macOS | Linux | Android | iOS (free)
3. Min browser (Windows, macOS, Linux): Minimalist, distraction-free browsing
Min is a desktop browser with a clear intention of reducing distractions and increasing focus. In Chrome or Firefox, the many open tabs can overwhelm you, while extensions are distracting. The Min removes all fluff for a minimalist, distraction-free browsing experience.
The biggest change you will see is the way the tabs are handled. In Min you will not see the tabs and address bar separately, as it takes a design pattern from mobile browsers. Like mobile browsers, the tab color also changes to match the site header, thus obscuring it further.
Open tabs can be grouped into Task Groups so you do not get lost in the number of tabs. You can also use the default DuckDuckGo search engine to search for text on all tabs.
Like any modern browser, the Min has some privacy and security features up its sleeve. It has built-in ad blocking, tracking blocking and password management. It is also open source.
Download: Min Browser for desktop (free)
4. Iridium (Windows, macOS, Linux): Privacy friendly, Chrome simulation
Iridium browser is the best way to get all the features of Chromium without giving Google data.
Google Chrome is a great browser, but Google does not have a good privacy history. If you're worried about how much information Google receives through your Chrome browser, but you do not want to completely discard Chrome, try Iridium.
Iridium is built on Chromium, itself base with Chrome. The difference is that Iridium removes all the ways Google can get your data through the browser. Simply put, it's a privacy-friendly version of Chrome.
The browser looks and behaves just like Chrome, with a few differences. You can not sign in to Google, which means you can not enter all your bookmarks and history this way. Iridium may install extensions from the Chrome Web Store, but they will not update automatically.
By default, Iridium blocks third-party tracking programs and deletes data such as cookies after each session. It also replaces Google search with Qwant by default, but you can go to DuckDuckGo for a privacy-friendly search.
There are many more technical changes that you can check out on the Iridium website. The browser is open source.
Download: Iridium for Windows | macOS | Linux Deb | Linux (free)
5. surfy (Android, Windows): Text-to-speech to listen to any webσελίδας
Surfy is a web browser with a unique feature: it reads any webpage via text and converts it to speech. While available for both Android and Windows, the Windows version is more intended for use on tablets or other touch screens.
The text-to-speech feature is based on your phone's built-in technology, or you can download custom text-to-speech machines that Surfy will use.
The nice part is that you can start reading a page and then switch to another tab while Surfy keeps reading. You can also pause, reset, and fast forward.
Surfy has some other neat features, such as an application link for your favorite sites. You can also scan through tabs, which is a handy feature that many other browsers do not have. Surfy can also be locked with a password.
Download: Surfy for Android | Windows (free)
6. Avast (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS): Secure browser with VPN and Adblock
Avast is known for its free antivirus program. Keeping the idea of privacy and security, the company has launched a new Avast web browser, which has built-in free VPN services and other features to protect you.
By default, Avast enables ad-blocking on all sites and a powerful non-tracking system without the need to install add-ons. It also uses a secure DNS, with the default set to Cloudflare, but you can switch to one of the other options like OpenDNS, Google, Tenta or Quad9.
During setup, Avast asks a few questions to configure the browser to be safe for you.
The default free VPN does not allow you to select the output country. If you want to select the country, you need to upgrade to Avast Pro, which unlocks other features.
Download: Avast Browser for Windows | macOS | Android | iOS (free)
