When it comes to web browsers, there are a few popular options to choose from. Two of the most popular browsers are Vivaldi and Chrome. So, which one is better?
In this article, we will compare the two browsers and see which one comes out on top
We will be looking at performance, UI customization options, security and privacy, extensions and apps, price, and more.
Let’s dive in.
What is Vivaldi?
Vivaldi is a web browser that was created in 2016 by the co-founder of Opera, Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner.
It’s based on Chromium and the Blink engine and focuses on giving users more options for UI customization as well as better performance.
This browser not only looks different from the others, but it also has some unique features that set it apart which we will talk about later in this article.
Because of its customizable nature, Vivaldi is flexible for all types of users, whether you are a power user or just want the simplest and most minimalistic browser.
What is Chrome?
Chrome is a web browser developed by Google in 2008.
It uses the Blink engine and has more than 60% market share as of 2019.
One of its main selling points is that it’s simple, fast, and syncs with other Google products.
It also has a huge selection of apps and extensions that can be used to customize it for each user’s needs.
Chrome was ushered in to replace old internet browsers like Internet Explorer, which was the most popular web browser.
In fact, Chrome overtook Firefox as the number two browser in 2011 and has been going strong ever since.
Find out alternate browsers to Chrome here.
Setup Process
Vivaldi
Setting up Vivaldi is simple. You can download it from Vivaldi’s website and all you have to do is click on the .exe file and run through the installation process just like any other software.
You can then create an account for Vivaldi Sync which will allow you to sync your data across multiple devices, but this isn’t required if you don’t need it.
If you don’t want to sync your data, you can use Vivaldi without an account as well.
Explore how Vivaldi compares with Firefox browser.
Chrome
The setup process for Chrome is very similar to that of Vivaldi.
Google offers Chrome on their website and all you have to do is download the .exe file, run through the installation process, and create a Google account.
If you don’t want to create a Google account, you can still use Chrome, but you will be limited in what you can do.
Verdict
Both Vivaldi and Chrome have simple setup processes.
However, Vivaldi narrowly wins this round because Chrome will limit the features that are available to you if you don’t regularize your browser with your Google account.
Ease of Use
Vivaldi
Once Vivaldi is installed, you will be greeted with a quick tour of the browser that will show you how to use it.
The UI is pretty straightforward and easy to understand but there are some more advanced options if you need them.
The start page has a list of your most visited sites and lets you pin any site to the page.
Vivaldi has side panels where you can access different features like bookmarks, downloads, history, extensions, etc.
The built-in email client is available in the sidebar as well if you want to check up on your emails while browsing the web.
Overall, Vivaldi is very user-friendly and easy to use.
Interesting Comparison: Vivaldi vs Brave
Chrome
Chrome is also very easy to use, as long as you are familiar with the Chrome interface. It has a simple layout that makes it easy for people who aren’t tech-savvy to grasp and understand.
You can easily get started by typing in any website address or search term into the bar at the top of your browser window.
The browser window houses the address bar and tabs at the top, as well as your bookmarks, browsing history, downloads, and settings on the far right.
Chrome also has a built-in PDF reader which is really handy if you need to view a PDF while browsing the web.
Verdict
While both tools are easy to use, Chrome has a slight edge over Vivaldi.
It’s more intuitive and accessible to non-tech users, which makes it ideal for people who just want a simple web browser without all the bells and whistles that can come with other browsers like Vivaldi.
Explore: Brave vs Chrome
User Interface and Customization
Vivaldi
UI customization is another important factor when choosing a browser. Users want to be able to change the look and feel of their browsers to match their personal style.
One of the things that set Vivaldi apart from other browsers is its level of customization.
With Vivaldi, you can change the look and feel of the browser to suit your preferences, including themes, user interface settings, and more.
Vivaldi has a unique UI that includes various sidebars on the left-hand side of the screen: Web Panels, Notes Panel, Bookmarks Bar (which is below all these panels), Downloads Panel, and Tree Style Tabs.
You can also customize the keyboard shortcuts to make it easier for you to use the browser.
Check Out: Opera vs Vivaldi
Chrome
Chrome is very minimalistic in its design and doesn’t offer as much customization as Vivaldi does.
However, there are still some options available to change the look and feel of Chrome including themes, wallpapers, and icons.
Chrome comes with a number of preset themes that you can choose from. You can also change the keyboard shortcuts, but they are not as customizable as Vivaldi’s.
Verdict
If you are someone who likes to have a lot of control over your browser’s appearance, Vivaldi is the better option.
Compatibility
Vivaldi
Vivaldi is compatible with all operating systems, including Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.
There are also mobile versions available for Android so you can take your browsing experience on the go. However, it is not available on iOS devices.
Vivaldi supports extensions from both Chrome Web Store as well as Opera Add-ons store.
You can use any of these add-ons to enhance your browsing experiences, such as ad blockers or password managers.
Chrome
Google Chrome is compatible with all operating systems and has a mobile version for Android and iOS devices.
Of course, Google Chrome also supports extensions from both Chrome Web Store as well as Opera Add-ons store.
Verdict
Both browsers are compatible with all computer operating systems, but Chrome has the advantage since it is also available for iOS devices.
Also Read: Best Browsers For Netflix & Streaming Videos
Performance and Speed
Vivaldi
Performance is one of the biggest considerations when choosing a browser. Users want to make sure that they are using a browser that is fast and reliable.
One of Vivaldi’s main goals is to provide a fast and smooth browsing experience and it seems to have succeeded.
Vivaldi also comes with a feature called Tab Stacks which allows you to put multiple tabs into one single tab. This can help save memory and make the browser run smoother.
Vivaldi is very stable and rarely crashes.
Chrome
Chrome is fast as well; even faster than Vivaldi.
It has core functionality built into the browser itself which makes it run faster than Vivaldi. Another reason why Chrome is faster than Vivaldi is that it does not have as many features as Vivaldi.
Plus it does have the advantage of syncing data with other Google products which makes it quite faster for some users.
However, this doesn’t mean Chrome has better performance overall even though Chrome is also very stable and rarely crashes.
Verdict
When it comes to performance, both browsers are quite fast on a good internet connection but Vivaldi takes the lead because it’s more customizable for each user’s needs.
Extensions and Apps
Vivaldi
As mentioned before, Vivaldi offers a lot of customization options so that each user can have the browser they want.
One way to do this is with extensions and apps, which can be added to Vivaldi.
There are a lot of different choices for both.
Some of the most popular ones include AdBlock Plus, LastPass Password Manager, Grammarly, WOT Safe Browsing Toolbar, and more.
Also Read:Â Best Browsers For Twitch
Chrome
Just like Vivaldi, Chrome also offers extensions and apps that can be added to the browser.
In fact, it has the largest library of extensions in the world and most of them are from Google or other major companies.
Some of the popular ones include AdBlock Plus, LastPass Password Manager, Grammarly, WOT Safe Browsing Toolbar, and more.
Verdict
Both browsers have a decent library of extensions and apps. Chrome has a lot more, but Vivaldi is catching up quickly.
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Resource Efficiency
Vivaldi
Vivaldi is a lightweight browser that doesn’t take up too much space on your computer.
It uses only about 100 MB of memory, which is pretty good compared to other browsers like Firefox or Internet Explorer (which use over 200 MB).
This means you can have more tabs open without slowing down your computer and Vivaldi will still run smoothly.
Chrome
Chrome is also a lightweight browser that uses about 100 MB of memory, but it does use more RAM than Vivaldi.
In addition to using up more space on your computer, Chrome can sometimes slow down when you have many tabs open because each tab has its own process running in the background.
Verdict
Both browsers are lightweight and use about 100 MB of memory, but Vivaldi is more efficient with its use of resources.
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Privacy and Security
Vivaldi
Another important factor when choosing a browser is security and privacy. Users want to make sure that their data is safe and that their browsers are not collecting information without their knowledge.
When it comes to privacy and security, Vivaldi takes user protection very seriously.
Vivaldi comes with two different modes called Privacy Mode and Tracking Protection which prevent websites from tracking you or collecting your data without your knowledge.
It also blocks ads by default and doesn’t store any user data. Vivaldi is the only major browser that offers these features.
Also Read: Brave vs DuckDuckGo – Which Is Better For Privacy?
Chrome
Like Vivaldi, Chrome also has a built-in anti-tracking feature that prevents websites from tracking you across the web and sharing your data with advertisers or other third parties.
However, it doesn’t block ads by default and does store some user data.
Chrome has a number of security features built-in such as malware and phishing protection, automatic updates, and sandboxing.
It also has a feature called Sync which allows users to sync their bookmarks, passwords, and other data across all of their devices.
While Chrome does have some good security features, it has been criticized in the past for not being as secure as it should be.
For example, a study by researchers at Princeton University found that Chrome was leaking users’ personal information to third-party websites.
Verdict
Vivaldi has been praised for its security and privacy features more than chrome.
Vivaldi also has built-in malware protection to keep users safe from malicious attacks while browsing online. Vivaldi is the better choice if you value your privacy over anything else.
Support and Resources
Vivaldi
Vivaldi has a very active community of users who help support other users in the forums and on social media.
There are also many resources available online to help you learn how to use Vivaldi, including tutorials, tips, and more.
The Vivaldi website also has a help center where you can find answers to frequently asked questions.
Here, articles and guides are categorized into different topics, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for.
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Chrome
Google Chrome is also very popular, so it has a large community of users who help support other users in the forums and on social media.
Their support center is robust, but it can be difficult to find what you are looking for because there are so many different topics.
Fortunately, Chrome is so easy to use that most people don’t need much help from the community.
It also helps that the browser is very popular so there are plenty of resources available online if you get stuck or want to learn more.
Verdict
Both browsers have a large community behind them that can provide support and resources when you need them most, so this round is a tie.
User Interface on Mobile
Vivaldi
The mobile version of Vivaldi is very similar to the desktop version.
It has a simple layout, which makes it easy for people who aren’t tech-savvy to grasp and understand.
You can customize your browser by changing fonts or themes and even create your own theme from scratch using CSS code.
Although it is not yet available on iOS, Vivaldi’s mobile app can be used on Android devices.
Chrome
The Chrome mobile app is very basic and doesn’t have as many customization options as the desktop or Vivaldi browser.
You can change your theme, but that’s about it. The layout is simple and easy to understand, which makes it ideal for people who just want a basic web browser without all the bells and whistles.
You can also view your pages as desktop sites by using the three-dot menu on Chrome if you want to see details that are not available on mobile views.
This way, you can view sites that don’t look too good on the mobile version in a desktop site view.
Verdict
Both interfaces on mobile are very similar, so there’s no clear winner here.
Also Read: Best Browsers For Old iPad
Private Browsing
Vivaldi
Browsing the internet in a private window allows you to stay safe and secure by preventing cookies from being stored on your computer.
Sometimes, you also don’t want your download history and search queries to be saved in the browser’s history.
Vivaldi allows you to browse privately with Incognito mode, so it doesn’t save any cookies or browsing data when using this feature.
You can also choose whether or not Vivaldi will save your passwords for websites that require them during login (this is turned off by default).
Vivaldi has this feature built-in, so all it takes is one click of the button at any time while browsing to enable or disable private mode.
Also Read: Best Browsers For YouTube Streaming
Chrome
Google Chrome also provides a private browsing mode called Incognito Window, which prevents cookies from being stored on your computer while you’re using this feature.
In addition to that, you can also choose to have Chrome not save your browsing history, download history, or search queries.
However, unlike Vivaldi, you cannot choose whether or not Chrome will save passwords for websites that require them during login.
This means that if you forget your password for a website, you won’t be able to recover it if you’re using Incognito Window.
Verdict
In terms of private browsing, both of these browsers are winners.
Also Read: Best Browsers For Low-end PC
Pros and Cons
Overall, Vivaldi is a great browser that offers a lot of customization options, speed, and privacy.
Some of the cons are that it’s not as popular as Chrome so there aren’t as many extensions and apps available.
Chrome has similar pros to Vivaldi, but it doesn’t offer quite as much customization or privacy.
Below are some of the benefits and drawbacks of both tools.
Vivaldi Pros
- Fast and smooth browsing experience
- Very stable
- Has many customization options including themes, user interface settings, keyboard shortcuts, etc.
- Offers a lot of extensions and apps
Vivaldi Cons
- May be too customizable for some users
- Some features are still in development (but getting better all the time)
- Does not support all languages (but more are being added)
Chrome Pros
- Fast and smooth browsing experience
- Very stable
- Offers a lot of extensions and apps, including some from major companies like Google or Microsoft.
- Syncs data with other Google products, making it faster for some users
Chrome Cons
- May not be customizable enough for some users
- Does not offer as many choices when it comes to themes, user interface settings, keyboard shortcuts, etc.
- Stores some user data
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Similarities and Differences
Similarities
Both Vivaldi and Chrome offer a lot of extensions and apps. They also have similar user interfaces.
They can both be installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers as well as Android devices with no issues at all (Chrome is also available for iOS).
They both also have a very fast start-up time which means you won’t need to wait around before getting access to your favorite websites.
Both browsers will use more memory than Firefox or Safari, but Chrome will use more than Vivaldi.
Differences
Vivaldi is the only major browser that has a built-in anti-tracking feature to prevent websites from tracking you.
Vivaldi also blocks ads by default, while Chrome does not.
Chrome is better at syncing data with other Google products, making it faster for some users.
However, Vivaldi offers more customization options than Chrome does. Chrome also offers more languages than Vivaldi does.
Lastly, Vivaldi is still in development, while Chrome is a more mature browser.
Pricing
Both Vivaldi and Google Chrome are free to download and use. There are no monthly costs involved, so you can save money by switching from an expensive browser.
Also Read: Best Browsers For Facebook
 Conclusion
In the end, Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world.
It’s fast and has a lot of great features but Vivaldi offers more customization options for people who want to personalize their browsing experience.
Vivaldi is also great when it comes to security and privacy.
If you’re looking for a great, free web browser, both of these options are worth considering.
