Finding the perfect browser for your ecosystem can be a challenging process. Whether you've been using Chrome for years or haven't strayed away from your device's built-in browser, there are options available that may improve various aspects of your web browsing experience such as performance, security, accessibility, or better built-in tools and features.
It's worth noting that some of these browsers are specific to a particular environment, such as the Apple ecosystem. However, there's a range of options and choices to consider, and making the switch can greatly improve your experience navigating the web in 2023.
Arc
The new contender on the market, built by The Browser Company, is a well-established collective of alumni developers who have worked alongside some of the internet's most popular web services such as Google Chrome, Instagram, and more. With a strong expertise in this field, The Browser Company is working to change the behavior of the average browser by reigniting creativity and accessibility in the browsing experience.
The browser, called Arc, brings in a new experience with browsing that makes it fluid and interesting to use. This browser is currently in development and is invite-only. I was able to get in on this browser early on and have been impressed by its unique design and feel. It's a browser that will shift the way we view traditional ones.
Arc is the perfect browser for students and professionals who need multitasking and creativity in their lives. It's an ideal tool for those who value a smooth and efficient browsing experience, with added features that support productivity and creativity.
Developer mode
If you're a developer and frequently use localhost:3000, Arc offers a handy and exceptional experience natively. It includes options such as opening developer tools, taking screenshots, and more. The browser is designed to streamline your development process, providing you with all the necessary tools and features to make your work more efficient and effective. Whether you're working on a local development environment or testing a live website, Arc is the perfect browser for developers who value speed, reliability, and an intuitive interface. With Arc, you'll be able to work more efficiently, saving you valuable time and effort.
Native Picture in Picture
Arc offers a built-in Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode that automatically enables when switching away from a tab where media is playing. This feature is incredibly helpful for streamlining the process of multitasking and offers media controls directly in the user interface (UI), allowing you to pause, skip forward or backwards, and control volume, without the need to switch back to the tab each time. The PiP window can also be resized to fit your needs and placed anywhere on the screen, providing a more personalized and convenient media playback experience. This feature is a great way to watch videos while working on other tasks and it's very useful for people who like to multitask..
Spaces
The alternative to creating separate windows, Arc's innovative feature allows you to store tabs in unique spaces that can be easily accessed and switched between, providing better tab organization and a more efficient experience when working in different environments.
At the time of writing this article, Arc is only available on MacOS, with mobile support on the way, and Windows support coming in the future. These are just a few of the features mentioned, but there are many more well-designed features that you'll have to try out for yourself!
Some other features of the browser include:
- Split View - Allows you to view two tabs on one screen
- Notes and Easel - A built-in note-taking and design tool
- Little Arc - A tab within a tab feature
Learn more about how The Browser Company is changing the game for all browsers and sign up to get access on Arc.net
Brave
Ultimately, Brave is the challenger to Google Chrome itself, built in the same ecosystem using Chromium. The major difference between the two browsers is that Brave is privacy-first. While Chrome is a widely used browser, it comes with a lot of tools and services that track every aspect of your browsing experience. Brave strips down and removes many of these core tracking features, significantly improving security.
Brave blocks third-party cookies and scripts, provides built-in ad and tracker blocking, and encrypts your data with HTTPS everywhere. It also offers a "Shields" feature that allows you to customize your privacy settings according to your needs. Additionally, Brave has a built-in VPN, which encrypts your internet connection and keeps your browsing history private.
This browser is perfect for users who prioritize their privacy and security while browsing the web. Brave is an excellent alternative to Chrome, offering fast and efficient browsing while protecting your personal information.
Built-in Ad Blocker
Avoid the need to have an extension like uBlock or Adguard on your browser. Brave's built-in ad-blocker adds so much control over managing and blocking any ads you come across, giving you more control over your browsing experience and reducing the amount of annoying pop-ups. Recently, a new feature was introduced, the ability to remove cookie notices, you'll often see this when visiting a website and seeing a popup to accept cookies. This feature blocks that entirely.
Brave's ad-blocker is fantastic at removing all levels of ads, this includes analytics on all forms from Google Analytics to all the other contenders. This ensures that your information remains protected. It has advanced controls over Fingerprinting, which is the information shared about your device when visiting a website. The browser's built-in privacy-enhancing features provide a more secure and private browsing experience, without the need for additional extensions.
With Brave, you have more control over your browsing experience, while protecting your personal information. The browser's advanced ad and tracker blocking, and cookie management features, along with its anti-fingerprinting controls, make it a powerful tool for safeguarding your privacy and security.
Web3 Support
While the transition to Web3 is in progress, Brave has been working on incorporating features to help by offering Crypto Wallets native to the browser. This allows users to easily manage and make transactions with their digital assets without needing to install additional software or extensions. The integration of a Crypto Wallet into the browser streamlines the process of using and managing cryptocurrencies, making it more convenient and user-friendly for users.
Additionally, Brave has also been working on integrating decentralized applications (dApps) into the browser, allowing users to access and interact with these applications in a seamless and secure manner. This feature will further enhance the user experience and enable more people to participate in the Web3 ecosystem.
Brave's efforts in integrating these features into the browser demonstrate its commitment to making the transition to Web3 more accessible and user-friendly for the general public.
Brave Search
Reducing the reliance on using Google or Bing as a search provider, Brave recently released their own search engine called Brave Search, which offers better security than using the previous method of DuckDuckGo. While still gaining momentum and more features, Brave Search is taking steps to lead the next generation of searching to be non-biased and ensures that content is accessible.
Brave Search is built on top of the open-source search engine, Preact, which provides a fast, lightweight and efficient search experience. The search engine also respects the user's privacy and does not track or store any personal data. Additionally, Brave Search uses an algorithm that filters out sponsored results, which ensures that the search results are unbiased, and the user sees the most relevant and useful results.
Brave is continuously working to improve the search engine and add new features, such as voice search, better integration with the Brave browser, and more. A promising alternative to traditional search engines, providing users with a more secure, private and unbiased search experience.
Tor
The browser also includes the option to connect to the Tor network, which is useful for users who want to access the deep web or .onion addresses. A newer feature being implemented to help combat censorship is the Snowflake protocol, which allows users to create a node for other users to connect to and act as a middleman for navigating restrictions on the internet
You can learn more about the Snowflake protocol via The Tor Project For implementing or enabling this on Brave Browsers, see Brave Support
Other features
Brave is offering a lot of built-in features and tools, including the option for a VPN on private browsing, options to connect privately through Tor to gain access to .onion addresses automatically. The browser also has a unique approach to its ad system, allowing users to earn and contribute towards creators in BAT (Basic Attention Token) through its rewards program.
The Brave browser's built-in VPN feature provides an added layer of security and privacy when browsing the web.
The browser's rewards program is a unique feature that allows users to earn BAT (Basic Attention Token) by viewing privacy-respecting ads and to use it to contribute to their favorite content creators. It's an innovative way to support creators and get rewarded for your attention while browsing the web.
Visit Brave.com to download the browser and experience the difference for yourself. Whether you're a casual user or a developer, Brave offers a range of features that will enhance your browsing experience. With Brave, you'll be able to browse the web with more privacy, security, and efficiency.
FireFox
Firefox is a fast and secure browser developed by Mozilla. It offers a range of great tools and services, unique on its own level, being outside of the Chromium ecosystem. It runs entirely on its own browser ecosystem, which works natively across all devices. While it may not have as many features compared to other browsers, it offers peace of mind when it comes to reliability.
Performance and Security
Firefox also offers an improved experience in terms of privacy and performance. It uses less memory and employs a balanced memory solution to ensure your device remains responsive.
Some of the built-in features offered by Firefox that enhance the privacy and performance of the browser are:
- A built-in ad-blocker which blocks unwanted ads and trackers, making your browsing experience faster and more secure.
- Fingerprint tracking protection which helps to prevent websites from tracking you by using unique characteristics of your device, such as your browser settings, fonts, and plugins.
- A basic password manager which saves your login credentials for different websites and autofills them for you when you revisit the site. This feature makes it easy to log in to your favorite websites and helps to protect your personal information from being stolen.
Firefox offers a fast and secure browsing experience, with a range of built-in features that enhance privacy and performance. Open source and it's worth considering if you're looking for a browser that prioritizes privacy and performance.
Firefox is a great choice for users who value reliability and privacy. It's a perfect alternative to Brave, offering a similar range of features and fast performance. Visit Firefox.com to download the browser and experience the difference for yourself.
The defaults
Browsers pre-installed by your devices operating system.
Windows
The default option for Windows is Microsoft Edge, which is their own take using the Chromium engine that works well with the Windows ecosystem and could be a good default option with a lot of built-in features that work natively with the operating system.
While this won't be the best in terms of user experience, with the amount of pop-ups and context menus displayed when opening for the first time, it does the job and is relatively fast. This browser works on all platforms, but I wouldn't recommend it unless there's a specific tool or feature you need. Perhaps one good feature of this browser is the ability to access the old Internet Explorer.
Microsoft Edge is a solid browser that has been updated to the Chromium engine, which means it's compatible with most websites and has a fast performance. It also includes a range of features such as built-in ad-blocker, tracking prevention and password manager, which enhance privacy and security. Another feature that might be useful for some users is the ability to access old Internet Explorer sites.
Learn more about Microsoft Edge to see if it's the right browser for you and your needs.
MacOS
The default option for the Apple ecosystem is Safari, which works natively and is the most efficient in terms of performance and battery life. This is due to being refined for a single operating system architecture. However, it does not offer support for Windows-based options. Safari comes with a few helpful and unique features that can be beneficial, such as a basic level of tracking protection, a unique browser engine that is separate from Chromium, and ease of use as a reliable browser.
Safari's performance is optimized for Apple devices and it works seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem. It has a unique browser engine that is not based on Chromium, which helps in improving performance and battery life. Additionally, Safari comes with a built-in ad and tracking blocker that helps to protect your privacy, and it also has a password manager that saves your login credentials for different websites and autofills them for you when you revisit the site.
