16 Best Google Chrome Alternatives in 2026

Google Chrome is a popular web browser that provides seamless functioning across devices and platforms.

But Google Chrome’s popularity comes with a price, as it consumes significant system resources and falls short in protecting user privacy.

The browser’s seamless experience across devices is convenient, but it’s achieved at the cost of personal data, which is relentlessly tracked by Google to serve personalized ads. These ads can become intrusive and annoying, making the browsing experience less enjoyable.

Furthermore, Chrome’s interface can be intimidating for new users, particularly those accustomed to other browsers like Internet Explorer, as it lacks traditional icons and menus at the top.

Additionally, Chrome has limited customization options, and its sync features are tied to Google, which may not appeal to users seeking more flexibility.

Other drawbacks of Chrome include its lack of built-in ad blocking and VPN services, as well as a limited History section. The mobile app also takes up considerable space on devices, and the browser is prone to tab and extension crashes, which can hinder its efficiency.

Whether you’re concerned about privacy, frustrated with the interface, or simply looking for a more efficient browsing experience, there are 16 Google Chrome alternative browsers worth exploring.

We’ve compiled a list of the best Google Chrome alternatives, which offer a range of benefits and features that may better suit your needs.

Best Google Chrome Alternatives

There’s an incredible number of web browsers you can use besides Google Chrome, but only a few are worth their salt. It’s a very close-run competition, but we believe these browsers we’ve picked are the best Google Chrome alternatives you can find.

1. Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is a popular web browser that’s based on a custom rendering engine, compared to other browsers based on the open-source Chromium.

The browser is endlessly customizable compared to Google Chrome and provides a wide range of plugins and extensions you can use.

Plus, if you go for the Version 90 version of the browser, you get a popup blocker, alerts if your email address has been pawned or is part of a known data breach. It also provides a fingerprinting and browser tracking blocker, and for Mac users, you get picture-in-picture video mode.

The browser got a dramatic overhaul to its performance and is now smoother and more solid than Google Chrome is even on modest hardware. You also get desktop syncing, dark mode, Android Autofill, and improved scrolling capability.

Firefox is also snappy, optionally syncs most of your data with its desktop pendant and a bottom address bar for mobile users. By default, Firefox blocks tracking scripts and gives you options to tighten or lift restrictions as you want.

2. DuckDuckGo

Like Brave, DuckDuckGo is also focused on privacy. While DuckDuckGo is a search engine, it also offers a web browser and a nice experience for desktop and mobile users.

It’s a basic browser compared to Google Chrome, as it lacks extensions, desktop sync support, and some advanced features. However, unlike Google Chrome, which tracks users and their data, DuckDuckGo blocks tracking scripts by default and provides a privacy rating for each site with a list of each tracker it blocks.

DuckDuckGo lays out all the information you need in an easy way for any user to understand. By default, DuckDuckGo also removes any cookies upon closing a tab, compared to Google Chrome, which doesn’t erase the cookies.

3. Brave

Brave is a self-proclaimed privacy-first web browser that provides great security, data syncing, and rewards to its users.

Some of its excellent features include tracker blocking, data syncing across all installations, and a crypto wallet for donating to sites or paying creators you care about. Plus, you get anonymous surfing via Tor connection and IPFS support.

Thanks to its ad blocker, which blocks ads on all web pages by default, Brave is one of the fastest browsers around compared to Google Chrome, which doesn’t block ads and tends to be slow.

But, that leaves users wondering, how does Brave make money when ads, which are a huge portion of website revenues, are blocked?

Well, Brave has a rewards program that offers users Basic Attention Tokens (BATs) for viewing alternative ads placed in the browsing stream. This way, publishers get a portion of your tokens as a way of supporting their work.

Brave doesn’t track users like Google Chrome, which makes the former ideal for private browsing. It also offers dark mode, Android Autofill, desktop sync, and is rendered by the Blink engine.

4. Safari

Apple Safari is the default browser for most Apple device (MacOS and iOS) users. The browser may not be the fastest available, but its speeds are decent enough so it doesn’t feel sluggish as you browse.

Thanks to in-house optimizations and underlying Apple hardware, you get better battery life while browsing compared to using Google Chrome, which is resource hungry.

Unlike Google Chrome, Safari is privacy and security-focused. You can minimize how you’re tracked and still enjoy seamless transitions between your Apple devices.

Safari may not be available outside the Apple ecosystem, but it’s still better than Google Chrome because it’s not resource hungry. Plus, it provides all the basic features you’d want in a browser and doesn’t drain your device’s performance as much as Chrome does.

5. Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is also based on Chromium and can be used on most major devices and platforms. The new Chromium-based Edge is faster than Internet Explorer and its predecessor with some useful features that you won’t find on Google Chrome.

These features include Read Aloud, Opera-style start page, media casting for inline videos to casting devices, ad-blockers, password managers and other add-ons.

Unlike Chrome, you can download webpages as apps using Edge, and run them as standalone apps without launching the browser. This is useful for Twitter or Google and other such sites.

You also get lots of customization, which Google Chrome lacks. These include Privacy and Services to make the browser settings clearer, Sites and Permissions, which offer fine-grained control over what the websites can do like media autoplay, MIDI device access, ad blocking and popup blockers.

Edge is also noticeably faster than Google Chrome and provides quick access to often-needed browsing features. You also get desktop sync, integration with Microsoft Family tools, and a beautiful interface.

You also get Kids Mode, with custom designs and built-in protection for kids to browse a web tailored for them.

6. Tor Browser

The Tor Browser is one of the best Google Chrome alternatives for people seeking security and privacy. It’s a version of Firefox that offers a simple entry avenue for The Onion Router.

The browser’s software is combined with an open network, which routes your traffic via several anonymous servers to make you invisible while browsing.

Tor may not be foolproof as such, but it makes it difficult for others to identify you, compared to Google Chrome, which tracks its users and their data. Plus, if you’re properly configured, use a VPN with Tor browser to surf the web, you’re better off compared to using Chrome.

The browser is also beneficial for people who live in countries with repressive governments and internet restrictions.

7. Opera

Opera is Chromium-based so you’re sure of getting speedy performance and add-ons you can use from the Chrome library. The browser offers data saver mode, a built-in ad blocker, and built-in VPN, which Google Chrome lacks, and a Crypto Wallet for your crypto transactions.

From the Opera sidebar, you can enable in-browser messaging, switch between dark and light modes, and use Flow to spot things you want to come back to later. You also get loan apps, which are unique to this browser.

Opera may not be among the top browsers you may think of, but it’s still a viable option for many. Plus, you can use Opera on all major devices and platforms, and adjust your settings to use traditional toolbars, menus, and hide the sidebar if you want.

The browser has a URL bar, which also acts as the search bar, stacking so you can drag-and-drop tabs however you want them, and a refined design with more integrated apps.

Its Opera Turbo desktop browser compresses internet data to make web pages load faster on low bandwidth connections, and a handy battery saving mode – both of which Chrome doesn’t provide.

A few other features backed into the Opera browser include predictive website preload ability and Instant Search to let you focus on the task at hand.

You can also install extensions from its add-ons store as you would with Chrome extensions, and find useful tools including Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, Avast Online Security, Amazon Assistant, and more.

While Chrome puts your most frequently visited pages in a blank new tab, Opera does this in one place through its speed-dial menu. It also comes in a borderless design with Web 3 support and a built-in Twitter tool with version 69.

8. Avast Secure Browser

Avast Secure is a web browser that came on the scene in 2016 along with the Avast Antivirus premium package. In 2018, the browser was revised and rebranded to become a Chromium-based, standalone product.

Initially, Avast offered the SafeZone feature, which helped users who wanted to visit sites to manage their money or make purchases.

With the Avast Secure browser, you can browse on any device or platform, and get access to the Avast SecureLine VPN software. This is something you won’t get with Google Chrome because it lacks a VPN feature.

The browser also provides built-in tools for privacy and data protection, which Chrome lacks. Such features include online tracking and fingerprinting protection, anti-phishing module, ad blocker, and Webcam Guard to control the sites that can use your camera.

You also get the Hack Check feature that determines whether your data or information has been leaked in a data breach.

The standalone browser also includes free antivirus software to help stop online malware from penetrating and infecting your devices. You also get the typical browser tools including session restore, tabbed browsing, and a password manager.

Avast Secure has a popup blocker that’s enabled once you install the browser, and quick startup and navigation between pages, compared to Chrome.

9. Vivaldi

Vivaldi is a web browser founded by former developers of the Opera browser. It’s based on Chrome and has quickly become one of the most feature-rich browsers.

However, unlike Google Chrome, whose interface may be unfamiliar for those coming from other browsers, Vivaldi overhauled its interface to add some cool features and easier to navigate settings.

Plus, Vivaldi beats Google Chrome in customization options, which the latter browser lacks. You can tweak almost everything from the user interface to how the navigation works.

You can also see your history in graph form compared to Google Chrome, whose history is limited.

Vivaldi is based on Chromium but doesn’t work like Google Chrome. That’s because, with Vivaldi, you can pin sites to the sidebar, adjust page fonts and color schemes, or stick toolbars wherever you want.

You can also customize the way search and tabs work, give search engines nicknames, and have a notes panel along with the bookmarks and history lists.

Vivaldi’s tab stacks are a boon for users who have multiple open tabs and want to track each one. Its team-up with DuckDuckGo ensures that you get some privacy-enhancing features like the non-tracking search tool in privacy mode.

Recent updates to Vivaldi also provide enhancements like Web Panels so you can browse smarter, a clock in the status bar, Notes Manager, native tracker and ad blockers, and a Break Mode to pause the internet and keep Vivaldi open.

All these features make it a great browser for power users who know what they want and how they want their web browser to work.

10. Avant

If you’re coming from Internet Explorer and want a browser that’s not Google Chrome, try Avant. The browser is compatible with Windows and uses the same primary source code as Internet Explorer.

You can use it as a standalone browser or as an add-on, with updated tools and functions that Microsoft no longer supports.

Unlike Chrome, Avant saves your tabs and activities each time you close the browser, making them available next time you open them. Plus, it updates itself automatically, compared to Chrome, which you have to set whether to update manually or automatically.

Avant also protects against malicious downloads and phishing schemes, unlike Chrome, and has decent navigation and page loading times.

11. Torch Browser

If you love streaming your favorite entertainment content from a web browser, try Torch. The browser is among the best Google Chrome alternatives as it is loaded with multimedia-based features.

To begin with, you get a native Media Grabber, which Google Chrome lacks. This feature helps you download videos or audio content from any site in one click. This way, you don’t need third-party converters, extensions, or software to download your content.

You can also play videos while the downloading process continues, and you get a native torrent client for managing your torrents in the browser.

Another feature that Torch provides that you don’t find in Google Chrome is the Torch Music, which lets you play music at no cost. You also get Torch Games so you can play free games on the browser, and other built-in extensions for social media.

12. Maxthon

Maxthon is another solid Google Chrome alternative with a ton of features you can use. Among these features include its popular drag and drop content feature that lets you grab content or images on any website and drop into an email or other personal message.

This way, you can share or send the images or content and eliminate the need to copy, clip, or save your content.

Unlike Google Chrome, Maxthon provides parental controls that let you block certain content based on site ratings and security levels.

Plus, the browser saves any information and URLs you type into online forms and auto fills them next time you want to fill forms online. However, you can opt into this setting so that your personal information isn’t necessarily filled in every time.

The browser doesn’t effectively block phishing schemes or stop malware downloads like other browsers on this list. For that, you’ll need third-party security and/or antivirus software.

Maxthon offers other extra and useful features that Google Chrome lacks including Reader Mode, a screen capture tool, and a media downloader. You also get the usual tabs, options, sync bookmarks, address bar, notes and password sync, and new-tab links.

Unlike Chrome, Maxthon also provides VBox, a native blockchain identity manager, and an ad-blocker.

13. Epic

Epic is a privacy-focused and feature-packed browser. The browser doesn’t use a specialized network like the Tor network, but it protects your privacy from the usual trackers.

The browser provides native protection against crypto mining, tracking, fingerprinting, malware, and ultrasound signaling that you won’t find in Google Chrome.

Plus, it provides an always-on private browsing mode, free VPN and proxy, and one-click encryption to hide your IP address and encrypt traffic. You also get a built-in video downloader, which Chrome doesn’t offer, and there’s no DNS prefetching, autofill, or third-party cookie features.

Once you close your browsing session, Epic deletes cookies associated with your account, preferences, or databases automatically. The browser is available for Windows, Android, iOS and Mac.

14. Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is Microsoft’s aging browser that’s been used over the years by millions, even though it’s been quickly overtaken by Microsoft Edge. However, Internet Explorer has been improved over the years and doesn’t offer much beyond the bare minimum.

Some companies still use it for their legacy apps, which is why it’s still in existence, but Microsoft will end support for IE 11 in August 2021.

The browser has an outdated look and feel, and you have fewer customization options and no extensions library as seen in Edge or Google Chrome. Plus, you can’t mute tabs or change the default search engine.

However, it outdoes Google Chrome in its ability to support legacy systems or applications. You also get options to use a private window, make Do Not Track requests, and turn on tracking protection, which Chrome lacks.

15. Samsung Internet

For mobile device users, Samsung Internet is a solid alternative to Google Chrome. The browser was initially only in Galaxy devices as a pre-installed browser, but it has since been made available for all other Android devices.

The jam-packed browser is rendered on the Blink engine, offers dark mode, partial desktop sync with a Chrome extension, and its custom interface fits with Samsung’s One UI.

Unlike Google Chrome, Samsung Internet provides a button layout for use on cell phones and tracking protection. You also get complete dark mode support, which modifies the appearance of websites to make them dark – not just the browser’s interface.

It also has a stable and beta version available, and you can easily deactivate the new tab page, so it doesn’t feel like the one on Chrome.

16. Bromite

Bromite is also based on Chromium and offers a fast experience compared to Google Chrome, thanks to its no-clutter browsing experience. You also get other privacy-focused features including ad-blockers and fingerprint blockers.

While the browser looks and acts like the Chrome for Android app, it’s a lot safer to use thanks to its privacy-invasive features.

Though Google is its default search engine, the browser’s fingerprinting feature makes it harder for people to identify you.

Wrapping Up