Opera GX vs Firefox - Which Is Better?

Opera and Firefox are two significant browsers that have adapted to modern browsing trends to stay on top of their game.

If you have been browsing for a while, you’ll agree that Mozilla Firefox was one of the most popular web browsers in the pre-Chrome and Internet Explorer era.

The Opera GX version, on the other hand, has all the features that a regular internet user needs but also brings many unique features.

Understanding the unique features that make Firefox and Opera GX stand out against each other can help you make informed browsing decisions that meet your needs. The good thing about these platforms is that they have been in the market for a while.

They have since undergone a series of changes and improvements for more outstanding performance. If you are confused about whether to choose Opera GX or Firefox as your daily browsing companion, our comparison will be a good starting point.

Opera GX vs Firefox – Basics

Opera GX

Opera GX is more of a gaming version of the Opera Mini browser. The browser has unique features, including RAM, CPU, and network limiters, to help you get the best out of browsing and gaming.

Like its original version, Opera GX is based on Chromium, so you can rest assured that Opera GX is a secure platform. It is also fast, and when you open more tabs, it uses more RAM than other browsers. Nonetheless, its RAM variation does not affect its speed.

While it’s safe to say that the platform targets gamers, after using it you’ll realize that Opera GX is a solid choice for daily browsing for those who don’t mind its visual design.

The browser allows you to bring your gaming experience to your mobile devices by connecting mobile and desktop browsers using its file-sharing flow feature for smooth browsing on the go through a one-handed fast action button.

Aside from Opera GX being a fast and resource-efficient browser, it is also feature-rich, making it hard even to pick features that stand out the most. You can also integrate apps such as Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger directly to its sidebar.

The tool can organize your downloads by file type and give intelligent suggestions on which files you can attach to emails without opening another menu.

Firefox

Firefox is one of the best-looking browsers available. It is functional, clean, and more customizable than Opera GX or any other browsers. It offers the best features, performance, low memory usage, support for new web standards, and privacy protection.

It might not be a flashy browser, but it is fast and safe. Since its creation in the late 90s, the browser has maintained its status as a revered browser for its performance and privacy.

Firefox collects very little data about you. Even if a hacker made their way to the browser, it has built-in protection that keeps you safe as you browse.

The browser allows you to search in the address bar, get bookmarks, and browsing history, get smart search suggestions and open more tabs. With Firefox, you can get auto-suggestions for URLs and tweak your search bar settings to gain more control over your experience.

While the browser shines regarding security and privacy, there is little excitement about its features as it hardly goes beyond the regular.

On the brighter side, Firefox is available in over 90 languages and is compatible with Google products, including Gmail and Google Docs. Firefox is minimalist, easy to read, with a fresh white background, and you can sync it with all your devices.

Opera GX vs Firefox – Features

Opera GX Features

Visual Design

Visually, Opera GX screams for attention. While its right corners, saturated colors, and sharp edges might not please everyone, Opera GX is pretty good as its UX is at par with most critical players in the browsing world.

You can access most of the options with a few clicks and only need a few minutes to get used to the browser. Opera designers made the browser highly intuitive as most of its elements don’t look out of place whenever you launch Opera GX for the first time.

Its visual design is enhanced with a series of themes to choose from. These themes do not change the design of the various Opera GX elements, as they only come with different color palettes to allow you to tweak colors fully and create custom themes.

Above all, Opera GX is a product of inspirational illustrations, designs, and graphic elements from the world’s best designers. Its design is fully customizable with elements that speak to gamers’ tastes.

Also Read: Opera GX vs Chrome

Sidebar, Address Bar, Tabs Bar, and Built-in Ad Blocker

Opera has a tone of built-in features like a sidebar and ad blocker. The sidebar hosts potentially valuable shortcuts such as browser settings and bookmarks that are slightly invisible until you need them.

You will also notice features like the screenshot tool that sits back at the address bar’s end until you click on it. You can open a new tab by clicking on the tabs bar.

The ad blocker does an excellent job of blocking almost every ad that websites try to throw at you. However, the tool exempts ads from the YouTube homepage placed on the upper side of your video feed.

Another exciting thing about the sidebar is that it supports adding various messaging apps, including Spotify and other streaming services. You can also integrate more chat into your browser, as long as you don’t mind the privacy issues that come with this move.

Also Read: Opera vs Vivaldi

RAM Limiter and Network Limiter

You may know internet browsers for being resource hoggers. However, Opera GX is different for a good reason. The tool maintains an equilibrium between user experience and memory usage by default and allows you to restrict it to consume a limited amount of RAM.

The hard limit option forces the browser to stay within the allocated memory, sacrificing the user experience. You can access the RAM Limiter by clicking on the GX control icon on the left sidebar and enabling the toggle next to the limiter.

On the other hand, Network Limiter has functionality that allows you to set a maximum bandwidth restriction on your Opera GX browser. The browser then ensures that it does not exceed the limit, whether you are downloading or uploading files.

This feature is handy, especially when the internet is slow, as you can allocate your network usage across all apps.

To access the Network Limiter go to the left menu, click on GX control, and enable the Network Limiter toggle. Select your maximum bandwidth using the drop-down menu.

Tabs Killer and Workspaces

Tabs Killer gives you detailed information about the total RAM and CPU resources that your browser is consuming. In addition, Tabs Killer provides a one-click button that closes all accounts at a go.

It is placed within the GX control domain and helps you identify the most resource-draining tabs. The Workspace feature comes in handy when you get tempted to keep many tabs open with the hope of multitasking.

Workspaces help you create tabs that belong to a particular domain and place them under one category. For instance, you can create a work tab to include Google Docs and Gmail tabs and a streaming section to include YouTube and Netflix.

Explore: Opera vs Brave

GX Cleaner and Extensions

As you continue using the browser, a lot of temporary data might accrue. This data later slows down your browsing experience, so Opera GX introduced the GX Cleaner feature.

GX Cleaner lets you clear tabs, cookies, browsing history, downloads, or even sidebar icons with a single click. You can access the GX Cleaner from the menu on the left.

As discussed earlier, Opera GX is based on Chromium. The browser automatically enables you to try out most of the add-ons from the Chrome web store. You can also tap into your favorite extensions directly from the Opera Store.

To enjoy the many options that the Opera GX extension has for you, click on the Extension icon on the left menu and search for your desired add-on.

Also Read: Brave vs Firefox

GX Sound and Video Pop-up

Opera GX allows you to assign various sounds to your browser activities. Whether using a limiter, opening or closing tabs, or even performing a mouse click, the browser designates each activity with a unique sound effect.

On the other hand, the video pop-up feature lets you play a video in picture mode. The video occupies a small portion of your screen, and you can drag and drop it to any corner. So, you can continue working as you watch your video of choice inside that overlay window.

Firefox Features

Tracking Blocker

If you are unaware, trackers keep a tab on your online activities and collect the needed information to help third-party services improve how they serve you.

However, if you are one of the few people who are never ready to allow trackers into their online activities, then Firefox’s tracking blocker is a handy feature.

The feature also blocks harmful scripts from loading and effectively handles crypto miners, cookies, tracking contents, and fingerprints. You can access the tracking blocker on the settings menu under the privacy protection feature.

Explore: Vivaldi vs Firefox

Email Breach Alert

In today’s world, privacy issues are at an all-time high. Therefore, it is paramount to check your emails and accounts.

If the unfortunate happens, and your email address gets compromised in a data leak, Mozilla Firefox does an excellent job of informing you that your email has been breached to allow you to take action as soon as possible.

UI Overhaul and Sync Functionality

The v57 version brought about Firefox’s Quantum update. While the browser stands at v76, it continues to offer Quantum excellence. Quantum is responsible for introducing a variety of new and improved features that the browser is in dire need of.

Firefox also underwent a series of UI design overhauls accompanied by fresh icon packs, synced tabs, a new library section to store your downloads, and all other online activities you participate in.

Firefox made it possible to sync the library section with your devices. It provides cross-device support for different platforms. You can sync the browser with Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac.

In addition, the browser gives you an impressive sync feature that syncs all your data, bookmarks, and passwords or even saves the last tabs you opened.

Firefox’s sync functionality lets you continue working on a new device right from the last point you stopped on your previous device.

Also Read: Best Firefox Alternatives

Task Manager

Firefox’s Task Manager lets you see which extension or tabs could use a lot of memory or energy. It is different from the Windows Task Manager, which lets you control the entire browse, as Firefox has incorporated its task manager in a way that gives you control over each tab.

You can access the Task Manager by opening the browser, clicking on the hamburger menu, and selecting more, followed by Mozilla Firefox Task Manager. Once it opens, you’ll see four different sections: Type, Name, Energy, and Impact.

Delete Telemetry Data

In your browsing journey, you’ll be exposed to two types of data – telemetry data and technical data. Telemetry data holds together interactions between users and the software.

Telemetry data spells out data between you and Firefox from the number of tabs you open, the types of tabs you open, and the amount of time you spend on an open tab.

On the other hand, technical data include the browser version number, the device you use, its operating system, and all your interactions with third-party plugins.

Technical data does not hold much personal information, but telemetry data might be a concern if you value privacy. In this regard, Firefox has a crucial feature that deletes all your up-to-date telemetry data.

Extension Support and Customization

You will find most of the famous and essential extensions on Mozilla Firefox. From downloads, alerts, bookmarks, blogging, download management, and social tabs to security.

You can tailor the browser to suit your browsing needs and preferences by launching the browser and selecting the add-ons manager option. The browser gives you full control over all extensions, tons of user-generated and preloaded themes, and all plugins.

Opera GX vs Firefox – Similarities & Differences

Similarities

Both Firefox and Opera GX offer a series of built-in tools like a screenshot tool that lets you take a screenshot, add text, add an emoji, annotate, and share on social media.

Firefox and Opera GX are intuitive to use and have made a conscious effort to improve user experience by offering unique and up-to-date features.

Opera GX is at par with Mozilla Firefox regarding memory management. The two allow for faster data retrieval, and their response intervals are ideal for multi-tab use.

Opera GX and Firefox can handle heavy browsing sessions without hogging, offer excellent performance, and use system resources efficiently.

Also Read: Best Internet Browsers For Roku

Both Firefox and Opera GX offer intuitive dark mode features. Opera GX shows its webpage in dark mode, while to use the dark mode on Firefox, you need to right-click on any webpage and choose the ‘Force Dark Mode’ option.

When it comes to privacy, the two browsers offer excellent features. Both browsers will warn you about suspicious pages as they can check dynamic pages against their databases of malware and phishing websites.

Their security features, including a third-party cookie tracker and blocker, will excite you. The browsers are trustworthy when protecting your data.

Like Firefox, Opera GX offers a scrolling tab experience, which scrolls tabs off the screen whenever you open more tabs than fit on the screen instead of continuously shrinking them down.

Both browsers have a screenshot tool that allows you to capture snapshots of your screen or part of the page. However, when taking snapshots, Opera GX only enables you to capture a visible portion, but not a huge capture of the whole webpage.

Differences

Mozilla is an open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation to help you browse the web, open multiple tabs, and conduct searches, among other online activities.

Opera GX, on the other hand, is a gaming version of the Opera browser that gives users unparalleled browsing and gaming experiences on mobile and desktop.

When it comes to speed, Opera GX beats Firefox on all grounds. In addition, Firefox has bandwidth limiters making it a better choice for low-end PC users.

Opera GX is slim with low resource consumption, which avoids interfering with your gaming experience. While both Opera GX and Firefox offer excellent performance, Opera GX stands out as it allows advanced users to prioritize resources based on the task.

Firefox and Opera GX offer excellent security features, including a third-party ad tracker/blocker. However, the Opera GX browser has an edge with its built-in ad blocker, which is not a standard feature with browsers like Firefox.

Opera GX stands out against Mozilla Firefox thanks to its social network integration and a free VPN.

Opera GX vs Firefox – Pros and Cons

Opera GX Pros

Opera GX has a relatively small memory and downloads profile. It downloads faster even on slower internet connections while keeping your computer running at favorable speeds without bogging down your HDD space or memory.
Opera is fast and responsive. It is well streamlined and designed to meet your browsing needs so that you won’t experience frequent loading delays.
The Opera GX community offers strong support whenever you encounter browser problems. Instead of staying on hold with the hope of finding a solution, access the community using a different platform and implement the answer right away.
Opera GX limits CPU and RAM usage to maintain your gaming experience.
Its desktop version syncs with the mobile version.
Opera GX is feature-rich, having introduced essential features like GX control, CPU, and RAM limiter that changed the web browsing experience.

Opera GX Cons

Its gaudy visual design can be distractive. It can be tough to access some of its features.
Opera browser does not have a progress bar for loading websites; hence some websites cannot load correctly on Opera.

Also Read: Best Browsers For Windows 7

Firefox Pros

Firefox has embedded security features that automatically enable the browser to counter various security threats. These threats include spyware that can be downloaded automatically from risky sites, malware, or some viruses.
Firefox provides helpful extensions from IT session managers, to video downloading assistance, making it useful in syncing passwords, sorting out personal preferences, and managing bookmarks.
Its interface has minimalistic traits as you need minimal learning to get started with the browser.
Its ad tracker blocks over 2000 ad trackers following your internet activities.
The password manager allows you free access to all your saved passwords in Firefox.
Firefox also blocks fingerprinting, a type of online tracking that is more invasive than ordinary cookie-based tracking.

Firefox Cons

Firefox has some compatibility issues, so you may find it’s not compatible with some platforms, especially mobile platforms. Not all websites are compatible with the browser, and some sites might not show correctly when using them.
Mozilla Firefox consumes a lot of computer memory, making it difficult to run the browser smoothly on low-level computers.
It does not resume downloads automatically.
Mozilla Firefox experiences trouble reading HTML5; hence some websites might fail to load on Firefox or load some components of the website based on its coding.