Tech Tip Tuesday: What is the best browser to choose?

Choosing the best browser can have a significant effect on how you experience the internet. Speed and privacy are two of the most significant considerations that will guide you when you’re choosing a browser. There are some that demand more of your system resources, while others are relatively lightweight. Some offer full suites of security tools to protect your identity online, while others allow cookies and ads to run rampant.

If you are using Windows or Mac, the default browser for Windows 10 is Edge (a word of caution do not use Internet Explorer anymore), and Mac uses Safari. For both operating systems, you have the option to use Google Chrome or Firefox. Though all have their pros and cons, we have narrowed it down to 6 different options we feel are reliable browsers, as well as a brief rundown of their features.

Opera that sets out its stall the moment you first run it: its splash screen enables you to turn on its built-in ad blocker, use its built-in VPN, turn on its Crypto Wallet for cryptocurrency, enable in-browser messaging from the sidebar, and move between light or dark modes.

Vivaldi is famous for its customization, and you can tweak pretty much everything from the way navigation works to how the user interface looks.

Firefox has long been the Swiss Army Knife of the internet and, to many, their favorite browser. Some alerts can inform you if your email address is part of a known data breach. It blocks those annoying allow-notifications pop-ups. It blocks “fingerprinting” browser tracking and brings its picture in picture video mode to the Mac version. It’s also endlessly customizable in its appearance and the range of extensions and plugins you can use.

Microsoft Edge browser has been rebuilt and modified. It’s Windows’ default browser, and there are also versions for iOS, Android, and Mac. The new Chromium-powered version is considerably faster than its predecessor. It includes some useful features, including Read Aloud, the ability to cast media such as inline videos to Chromecast devices, an Opera-style start page, and a good selection of add-ons such as password managers, ad-blockers, and so on. You can also download web pages as apps, run them as stand-alone applications without launching the whole browser. That’s useful for the likes of Google Docs or Twitter. Many customization options in the Privacy and Services page make potentially confusing settings crystal clear, and the Site Permissions page. That gives you fine-grained control over what specific sites can do, including everything from pop-ups and ad blocking to MIDI device access and media auto-play.

Google Chrome is a brilliant browser with a great library of add-ons, cross-platform support and sync, excellent autofill features, and some great web developers tools. There is a warning if your email is compromised, it has a secure DNS lookup for compatible providers (Google’s Public DNS is one of them). It blocks lots of dangerous mixed content such as scripts and images on otherwise secure connections. It also enables the WebXR API for AR and VR. And don’t forget about Chrome dark mode, which makes browsing easier on the eyes at night. The new Tab Freezing feature addresses that by automatically ‘freezing’ background tabs, so they’re not using resources unnecessarily, but Chrome remains pretty hardware-hungry.

Safari is a free Apple web browser, and it provides users with all the necessary tools for web surfing on the network, high speed, and security. There were days when Safari for Windows was one of the most popular web browsers running on this operating system. Safari for Mac is faster and more energy-efficient than other browsers. Another bonus is the integration of Apple Pay, which lets you shop safely and securely. And thanks to iCloud, Safari works seamlessly with all your devices. There were days when Safari for Windows was one of the most popular web browsers running on this operating system. But at this time, Safari for Windows has been discontinued.

Though these are all viable browsers, we think Firefox is best overall for privacy protection. Edge is nicer to spend time in and other, niche browsers don’t come with the lingering fear that Google’s just a little bit too involved in all of our lives.

But the important key here is whatever browser you use, you should regularly update them to avoid any vulnerability that cybercriminals can exploit.

For additional information or to have your question featured in a future column, please call us at 818-501-2281 or email us at: info@ceocomputers.com