The search for the perfect browser
Chrome has no mobile ad-blocker, Brave is annoying with its crypto ads, Firefox offers too few configuration options, and Vivaldi doesn’t support touchpad gestures. There’s no such thing as the perfect browser.
Things were simpler in the ol’ days. For the unsophisticated user, there was Internet Explorer. Back then, I surfed on Netscape. It was faster and cooler. Our friendship lasted throughout my teenage years. Until, after the turn of the millennium, a certain fiery fox entered the field. I’m talking about Firefox, of course. The name and logo called to young, hip adults like me. And Firefox was fast. Netscape could no longer keep up.
Firefox and I went through thick and thin together. I learned to appreciate tabs and incognito mode. All was well in the world – for a while. Until Google Chrome came out in 2008. At first, I could resist. But, soon enough, I succumbed to the allure of the new. Was Chrome really better? Not really. Time and time again, I had to default to Firefox when a website didn’t work. But when Chrome became available for smartphones, that’s when there was really no turning back – for a while.
Ads? No, thank you
Chrome replaced Internet Explorer as the most widely used browser in the world and kept me happy with regular updates. One of my favourite features was the extensions, especially Adblock. The Internet was (and still is) so cluttered with ads that the ad blocker was a real saviour. Along with the password manager and automatic syncing between devices, I couldn’t find much fault with Chrome. Our relationship lasted longer than any previous one. It’s only in more recent years that cracks began to form.
The missing ad blocker in the mobile version was the final straw. Other browsers, like Firefox, had already been offering said function for ages. But because I was so hard on the Google train due to my Google smartphone, I remained loyal to Chrome for a while longer. As my smartphone use increased, the balance finally tipped. After over ten years, I kicked Chrome out the door. Its successor: Brave.
Privacy yay, crypto nay
Brave is based on Chromium – the same engine as Chrome – and offers more or less the same set of features. With one decisive advantage: Brave blocks trackers and ads by default – even on your smartphone. Finally! I can surf again without being constantly bombarded with auto-playing videos or clickbait on every page. Ah, that’s the life. My sign of content lasted for days on end. All was well in the world – for a while.
More than once Brave made headlines after releasing dubious updates which included features like automatically adding affiliate links. Even though this was, according to CEO Brendan Eich, an oversight, the company just wouldn’t stop forcing crypto ads on me. That alone would be one thing. But password and browsing history synchronisation doesn’t work as cleanly as on Chrome, either. After yet another tab brimming with crypto ads popped up against my will, I was fed up.
It wasn’t long before I found my next great love.
A DIY browser
Vivaldi. A browser that was made for me. At least in theory. As it’s also based on Chromium, it offers the associated advantages. By default, it blocks ads and even those pesky cookie disclaimers – and it does all that on smartphones, too. What makes Vivaldi special are the countless customisation options. The optional sidebar can be equipped with tabs, browsing history, bookmarks or notes. Context menus can be configured down to the smallest detail, and tab stacking is a feature I don’t ever again want to go without. I can shape Vivaldi to fit my exact vision. In many places, I quite literally have to, because the standard behaviour flies in the face of what I expect to happen.
For example, each time I download a file, the download window will automatically pop up. Or, when I type a search query into the address bar, my search history isn’t prioritised. Luckily, these are all things I can configure. What really blew my mind was the realisation that there are no touchpad gestures for navigating back and forth. That’s a feature supported by any browser these days. Another thing that bugs me is that tabs don’t immediately display as a separate window when I drag them out of the current one. Instead, they continue to be displayed as little bars, only becoming a separate window after I release the mouse button. And every time I download a file, a dialog box appears asking if I want to «save» or «save as». I always want to «save as». That’s one click too many. Every. Single. Time. Vivaldi also blocks ads less reliably than Brave.
In addition, there are certain oddities that keep occurring. Cause: unknown. In Google Docs, for example, Ctrl + V routinely refuses to work, instead opening a new tab. Right-clicking and pasting, on the other hand, works just fine. Or I’ll type a search query into the address bar, and my text will suddenly be overwritten by a link. So, after a short and steamy love affair, I had to break it off with Vivaldi – despite the fact that I had found Caffeine, my favourite browser theme to this day. It automatically adjusts the tab colour to that of the website.
Edge? No, thank you
What next? I briefly flirted with Edge. But it poses a similar problem toBrave. The browser would actually be good, but Microsoft is pushing it excessively. In doing so, the company is using similar tricks that have previously cost them several billion dollars in fines. In the Windows 11 settings, I have to manually specify a new browser for 25 browser-related items if I don’t want to use Edge by default. A crummy play, Microsoft.
Because my IT friends kept raving on about Firefox, I gave the old dog a second go. The beginning was very promising. The window animations are smoother than in the Chromium competition, and synchronisation also works painlessly thanks to the QR code. But troubled waters were near. Like with Vivaldi, tabs remain displayed as small bars when I drag them out, and grouping tabs is an awkward exercise. With that, Firefox’s only advantage is that, with its Gecko engine, it counters Chrome’s supremacy.
Brave it is
What now? After weeks of trial and error, Brave and I made up. The sleazy marketing behaviour still irritates me, but just about every browser company has had its indiscretions by now. And, on the whole, Brave meets the most of my needs. I’ve interrupted my search for the perfect browser until further notice. But I’m keeping an eye out. In case you can help, here’s my ideal browser in a nutshell: Brave’s tab behaviour and privacy features; Vivaldi’s tab stacking, sidebar and Caffeine theme; Firefox’s responsiveness and custom browser engine. And, of course, touchpad gestures. That’s not too much to ask, is it?
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Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
