Web browsers are the software that connects you to the internet world. Browsers are the greatest utility tool which helps in accessing the internet. Without a web browser, it will be tough if not impossible, to surf the internet web and access information. It is essential to clear the misconception of a web browser being a search engine. A search engine is a web site that searches for information on other web sites. You need a web browser to access the search engine and web sites. The web browser is the portal through which you access the internet world, while a search engine is just another website that helps you get what you want online. The browser tool retrieves the images, text and graphics from the URL. The engine also helps in playing the videos and other media on the mobile.
The essence of this post is to bring to your awareness the best browsers to surf the web. It is hard to imagine a laptop or a PC functioning online without a web browser. The web browser is the best thing to have happened to the internet communities. We tested several web browsers against speed, security, privacy, ease of use, and navigation. Some of the best web browsers, which include popular household names like Firefox, Chrome, and Opera, were selected. A good browser must include the following features;
- Fast loading of webpages
- Security and protection from Phishing and malicious sites
- Add-ons to customize your browsing experience
- A customizable interface quite easy to use
- And if you are a developer then some built-in developer tools.
Some of the internet browsers that made our list probably are browsers that you may have never heard about. But that doesn’t make them less competent than their natural counterparts. Let us look at some of the best web browsers for your Windows Computer PC.
Best Web Browser for Windows PC
Here are the Best Browsers for PC Windows 7/8/8.1/10 to Enjoy the Fast Web Experience
1. Google Chrome
Google Chrome is a Chromium-based browser built by Google. It runs on a powerful Blink Engine. Google Chrome accounted for more than 70% of the global share on desktop browsers. The browser offers you great level of customization with the help of numerous extensions and add-ons. Most of the Extensions are designed with the view of making it Chrome Web Store Compatible. Extensions are great auxiliary tools to improve the productivity of the browser.
Combined with your Google account, you can sync Google Chrome across several devices to access bookmarks, saved pages, documents in Google Docs, etc. You can navigate quickly and easily to pages you regularly visit by setting favourite pages as icons on your toolbar. Google Chrome also pins the sites you frequently visit to make navigation easier. In terms of security, Google Chrome is not as aggressive as Mozilla in identifying phishing sites. Nevertheless, it blocks sites containing malware from opening and infecting your PC.
Features of Chrome
- Powerful Download Manager
- Supports large Chrome Extensions
- Fast page loading using a modern browser engine
- It a has task manager for websites
- Visual browsing history
- The address bar can function as a search engine
- You can re-open websites mistakenly closed
- Test new features with the help of Chrome Flags
Bads About Chrome
- Slow Javascript Loading
- Little poor against phishing and malware protection
- Privacy issues and battery consumption
2. Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is one of the best web browsers. Firefox uses its own Gecko engine to fast render web pages. The web tool loads page pretty quickly. It is compatible with all other platforms like Mac OS, Android, Linux and iOS. This gives you the advantage of synchronizing your history, bookmarks, settings, and search history across multiple platforms. This makes it easy to change your device or migrate to other OS. For the variant lovers, Mozilla has other variants like the Developer and the Quantum version, each with its strong points. Firefox also features some of the powerful design features along with a private browsing and offline reading mode. It’s as fast as Chrome and has better privacy controls.
Features of Firefox
- Safe and Secure with modern encryption software
- Tracking Protection to blocks parts of pages
- Stronger Phishing and malware protection
- Enhanced customization with add-ons manager
- A better and faster download manager
- Improved and smart bookmarks
- An enhanced incognito browsing experience
Bads About Firefox
- You won’t get Live support on Firefox
- Struggle Loading HTML5
- Consumes device memory
3. Opera Browser
The list would be incomplete without the mention of Opera. The age-old browser which powered java backed feature phones also for sure has a place for the windows system. The tool has all the features which you expect from a full-featured browser. You get download manager, addon-support, fast page loading (Blink Engine), privacy and security, all this with a clean interface and smooth page loading.
Opera browser works similar to Google Chrome, but it has a customizable sidebar where you can create shortcuts to favourite sites, emails and chat platforms. You can hide the sidebar from view if you feel it is obstructing your view of web pages. The Opera helps in loading the pages quickly with its server-side compression technology which helps in reducing the load time by compressing the site elements.
Features of Opera
- It has a battery saver feature
- A pop-out videos feature
- It has a customizable keyboard shortcut
- Add-on support
Bads About Opera
- You may find it difficult accessing older and outdated websites using Opera browsers
- It may not load all elements properly
4. Microsoft Edge
The Microsoft Edge browser is a replacement for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer on older versions of Windows OS. Microsoft Edge is faster, and it uses a lot less power and system resources compared with Google Chrome. This feature makes it more desirable on laptops and older PCs. In terms of security, Microsoft edge can detect Phishing and, block sites with malware from infecting your computer.
Microsoft Edge Browser is found it to be pretty fast in our test. The Edge surprisingly does not use EdgeHTML engine to load pages but instead uses Chrome’s Blink engine and V8. The performance of the application is very good and the pages do load quite quickly. The interface is similar to Chrome. Microsoft Edge provides a seamless browsing experience by syncing the content and data across the devices. You get extension support from Microsoft store to enhance the productivity of the browser.
Features of Edge
- Fast page loading speed
- It has a new web not feature
- Personalized newsfeed
- A built-in Cortana assistance
- Privacy priority
- Advanced reading features
Bads About Opera
- You can enjoy compatibility with Android and iOS, but not with Windows versions older than Windows 10
- Microsoft Edge browser does not have as many browser extensions and add-ons
5. Brave Browser
Brave browser is a preferred choice for you if you worry much about your privacy and security while online. It has an inbuilt ad-blocker, and by default, it blocks cookies, Phishing, and malicious sites. When using Brave browser, you have the advanced option of enabling the ‘HTTPS Everywhere’ and the ‘Prevent browser fingerprinting’ option to protect you from trackers. The Brave gives a very clean and uncluttered browsing experience. It is built on Chromium and runs on a powerful web engine so you can expect quick page loads and smooth interface.
Features of Brave
- It loads web pages fast
- Comes with a built-in ad blocker
- Excellent for protecting against phishing and malware attacks
- Customizable shield settings
- Built-in cryptocurrency wallet
Bads About Brave
- Updating process on Windows 10 is not yet simplified
- Ad-sponsored sites may not work well on Brave browser.
6. Vivaldi
Vivaldi is a chromium-based web browser created in 2016. The browser is similar to the Opera browser, but it with a lot more add-on from the Chrome Web store. In addition, Vivaldi’s focus is more on giving users a high degree of customizability. Its customization level is incomparable with other browsers. The browser is based on Chromium so you get all good browsing speeds. What makes the browser special are the features which make it a very complementing alternative to other chromium-based browsers.
Vivaldi comes with an adaptive interface lets you adjust the position, size and appearance of the browser’s UI elements. An arsenal of built-in tools like Notes, Image Properties and more give you advanced functionality without sacrificing performance. You tweak and tune every part of the browser to create your own unique experience.
Features of Vivaldi
- Quick commands using the F2 key
- Unique features give you full control of how you group and display browser tabs.
- Speed dial for browsing smartly
- Fast-forward and rewind navigation buttons
- Web panel feature
- Save web pages for future viewing
- Customizable GUI
Bads About Vivaldi
- Using Vivaldi might be a bit confusing for the first time.
7. Tor Browser
Tor browser is a browser similar to Firefox, but it is much associated with the dark web. Tor passes your data traffic through several nodes spread across the world, making it difficult for your identity online to be exposed. This feature makes the Tor browser the most preferred browser in terms of privacy and security.
Tor encrypts and hides your https web activities by using a number of different anonymously connected TOR web servers thus not leaving any a trace of your web activity. The ISP cannot look into the TOR browser but they can only know your data usage. If you wish to keep your web activity away from the world than Orfox browser is the best option to go for.
Features of Tor Browser
- The strong data encryption feature
- Automatic data decryption at the receiver’s end
- Makes users anonymous
- Can access locked websites
Bads About Tor
- It is slow in loading webpages due to the several security nodes your data has to pass through.
8. UC Browser
If you love UC Browser on mobile than you can have the same experience on your PC. You get all the popular features on UC Browser for Windows. The software comes with the fast page loading, dedicated download manager, custom video player and video downloader. It has some of the very best features which you expect from such kind of tool. It will give you the vibes of mobile browsing with a pinch of the desktop experience. If you are a fan of UC Browser then you can surely give it a try.
Features of UC
- Navigation Cards
- Fast Browsing
- Smart Downloading
- Video Player and Downloader
- Incognito Browsing
- Night Mode
- Data Saving
Bads About UC
- No Add-on or extension support
- Some sites with a number of JS and HTML5 may cause loading issues.
9. Yandex Browser
Yandex browser is a Chrome-based web browser which runs on Blink Engine. It is a freeware web tool developed by the Russian web search corporation The browser checks webpage security with the Yandex security system and checks downloaded files with Kaspersky anti-virus.
The browser also uses Opera Software’s Turbo technology to speed web browsing on slow connections. The software comes with some powerful security protocols which include DNScrypt, data protection while saving payment and password with DNS Spoofing. You also get protection over weak Wi-Fi and encrypts the data over HTTP sites.
Features of Yandex
- Open-source based on Blink Engine
- Privacy and security with real-time page scan
- Fast page loading with Opera’s Turbo technology
10. Maxthon
Maxthon is another cloud-based App which reduces the load on the App by implementing server-side compression. The App also won ‘Best Browser’ award. The App helps in curbing data consumption by optimising the image sizes on the web pages. The tool renders pages very fast by removing the render-blocking JavaScripts. The Maxthon has a memo book to write notes, inbuilt Adblocker, Password Manager, multi-linguistic support, night mode viewing and more. Max is a very reliable browser to go for.
Features of Maxthon
- Cloud Push, Cloud Share, Cloud Download, Cloud Sync
- Reader Mode, AutoFill, Ad Hunter
- Source Sniffer: Extract all photos, embedded videos and audio files from a web page and download them.
- Do Not Track – privacy from ad networks and beacons
- Google Safe Browsing
Conclusion: Browsing experience differs with many browsers. Getting the most out of a browser depends on your needs.
The browsers reviewed combine these features to a varying degree to narrow your choice down to your preferences. You can pick a browser with more privacy and security feature or a browser that focuses on speed without necessarily compromising your privacy and security online.
If you've any thoughts on Best Browser for Windows for Faster Web, then feel free to drop in below comment box.
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