Ask any developer about their favorite browser, and the common reply will be Google Chrome. Reportedly, Google’s award-winning browser accounts for a 63.45% share of the global browser market. Yes! It is that popular.
From a developer’s point of view, Chrome packs quite a punch as an open-source offering. In other words, you can modify the source code without having to care about copyright issues. Chrome also ranks high in privacy. And while there have been other options like Safari or Mozilla Firefox, they barely managed to keep up. 2023, in comparison, has been a great year with multiple options for a worthy Chrome alternative.
One Launch
Are you wondering what is OneLaunch browser and why it sounds familiar? Well, chances are you have followed a link on Windows 11 to download a desktop utility app by the same name. For starters, the One Launch browser is powered by Chromium, the same platform on which Chrome and Edge are built. Thus, in terms of performance and reliability, you have nothing to worry about. And because of Chromium, One Launch offers similar features like bookmarking and access to Chrome Web Store Extensions.
Why choose One Launch:
- It’s light and loads fast.
- Offers easy sync with email accounts, social media profiles, and every other web activity
- One Launch can safely store card info for a seamless shopping experience.
- Supported by Google and Microsoft, it enjoys security updates and new improvements from time to time.
Brave
Another incredible open-source browser, Brave, is the brainchild of Brendan Eich (of Javascript and Mozilla fame) and Brian Bondy. Brave is tagged as “safer” and “faster,” which is evident in how it automatically blocks trackers and ads. Brave stands as an alternative to current system publishers as it offers free content to all its users. In turn, it’s supported by advertising revenue.
All the developers of Brave are free to contribute to the project on GitHub. On the other hand, publishers are welcome to partner and find newer avenues of earning revenue.
Here’s why Brave stands out as a browser:
- It promises advanced security with Built-in IPFS integration, custom filtering, and onion routing with Tor.
- Users can earn crypto tokens as Brave Rewards when they opt for first-party ads that preserve privacy.
- Users can enjoy a highly secure, browser-native wallet to buy, send, swap, and store crypto assets seamlessly.
- You get ad-blocking, incognito surfing, private search, and VPN under one roof.
Ghost
As a new-age browser, Ghost dubs itself as the “everyday browser for tech pros.” While that is hard to define, this Chromium-powered browser has a bunch of interesting features.
The standout point for Ghost browser is its use of the ‘cookie-jars,’ thereby allowing multi-session browsing. As a user, one can effortlessly set up multiple tab groups and use different colors to differentiate and restrict individual sets of cookies for a particular group. Such a feature can help professionals like digital marketers who handle multiple social media accounts.
What makes Ghost the dark horse of browsers:
- It is seamlessly compatible across Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Users can have dedicated workspaces for different clients.
- One can also work with permanent or temporary Identities to manage isolated cookie jars more effectively.
Ghost offers both free and paid versions with significant differences. You can kickstart things by downloading the free version that allows you to work with up to four different identities. On the other hand, the Basic plan offers some stand-out features like unlimited Workspaces and temporary identities. The Pro plan further offers Ghost Proxy Control to assign separate proxies to each identity.
Ulli
How would you like a browser for your smartphone that can predict and deliver results at your fingertips? Ulli, by Biggerpan, does just that and a lot more. This mobile-only browser is quite a revelation as the world’s first AI-powered browser. We can all agree that navigating from one content to another is quite a hassle on smartphones. Ulli is a perfect solution with a clean, no-nonsense interface that does away with typical issues like small keyboards, typos, and hard-to-control gestures. Full credit goes to its intuitive interface that works with a single tap and brings all related information about a particular topic, image, video, etc.
Powered by Artificial intelligence, Ulli predicts content relevant to you and browses next on your behalf to make your search process better. Nevertheless, the AI that makes Ulli smarter also makes it counterintuitive. Some users may find it uncomfortable with limited typing options and solely relying on AI to surf. Call it a force of habit, but it could be a major letdown. Also, Ulli is currently available for iOS alone.
Nevertheless, here’s everything that Ulli has to brag about:
- Zero screen size limitations
- Readily blocks unwanted ads with the option to add websites to your trusted “White List.”
- Dotes high on privacy with its incognito mode that allows you to surf without a trace
Closing Thoughts
Undeniably, browsers are on an evolving spree. While Chrome remains a market leader for all good reasons, it’s only a matter of time before it faces stiff competition from several rising players.
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