Web Browser Tierlist
Introduction:
The internet is not accessible without browsers. Everyone uses a browser to access websites, information, messages, and more. However, the internet is a dangerous space. Many browsers use the trust you give them to steal your data and sell it. Websites also look for vulnerabilities in your browser security to steal data or send malicious content. With a proper browser, you can minimize security risks and take control of your internet data. I prioritize security and usability in a web browser.
Terminology:
Open Source - Software or a program that has all of its code public. This means that anyone can copy it to make a fork. Open source software is almost always more secure because anyone can contribute and security issues are more likely to be spotted.
Chromium - The basis for the chrome browser. Chromium browsers work like chrome, in that they can use chrome extensions and features. Chromium is run and maintained by Google.
Fork - A software fork is a piece of software built off of another software. A Firefox fork is a browser that is built off of Firefox, but with modifications.
Background Information:
Nearly all browsers, at least in the United States, are firefox or chromium based, with the exception of Safari. To easily browse the internet, users are practically required to use one of the three. This is because web browsers are very difficult to develop from scratch. Google has Chrome and Apple has Safari because they have a lot of resources. Firefox has survived as the main open source browser, with other open source browsers having less of a community maintaining them. Because of this, the best security focused browsers are based on Firefox.
The problem with Chromium:
Because chromium is fully controlled by Google, it is completely subject to Google's decisions. Google has repeatedly restricted access or banned ad blockers and security extensions on all chromium browsers. So long as something like Google controls chromium, privacy focused chromium browsers will be under threat and cannot be fully secure.
Perfection
Librewolf:
The best firefox fork yet. All the best security settings are enabled by default, so you don’t have to modify it. It’s preinstalled with uBlock Origin (the best ad blocker), anti-fingerprinting, and privacy focused search engines. It also has rounded tabs, but they’re not too round. Lets you easily use different DNS providers* with a few clicks. 10/10, favorite browser of all time.
*DNS Provider - What routes you from a website link to the actual website. A lot of DNS providers will abuse their power and track you.
Good
Floorp:
A pretty good Firefox fork. It doesn’t have too many features, but not the best security settings by default. A slightly less good version of librewolf.
Waterfox:
It’s an alright Firefox fork. Unfortunately, there aren’t rounded tabs (at least by default). The security settings are fine, but you’d have to modify them slightly. The logo is a bit disappointing.
Impractical
Tor:
For everyday browsing, there’s no real reason to use Tor. Its only real appeal is that it hides your IP address, but that makes it quite slow.
Mullvad:
Just the Tor browser but without Tor. It’s ok for looking something up, but impractical for everyday browsing.
Don’t Use
Firefox:
Terrible security settings by default, also pushes advertisements. If it’s open source, then why are there ads??? Also, Mozilla, the corporation that maintains and updates Firefox, may start selling your data. Way better than any chromium browser, but it’s better to use a Firefox fork.
Duckduckgo:
Duckduckgo is a search engine and should only be a search engine. Why is there a browser? The browser makes it very difficult to stay signed into any accounts. Interestingly, it is one of the few open source browsers that is not firefox based.
Good for Chromium
Brave:
Brave recently got into controversy for selling user data to third parties. It’s better than chrome, but that’s not saying anything.
Vivaldi:
The best chromium browser. It’s not great, but it’s tolerable. I use vivaldi when I have to use chromium.
Arc:
I tried it for 5 minutes and couldn’t understand the user interface. Do not recommend.
Spyware
Chrome:
I despise the fact that chrome is considered the default browser. It’s not good, people just use it because they’re too afraid to change. It’s pitiable.
Safari:
Apple’s equivalent of chrome. I refuse to believe anyone uses this completely willingly.
Edge:
If you use Edge, you’re a lazy Windows user. I hate Windows and I hate Edge even more.
Opera:
Why? It’s chrome but even worse. It’s so slow, the only good thing is basic color customization.
Conclusion:
In a digital world, internet safety is essential. Internet safety is not only being careful when talking to strangers, it means setting up security to protect yourself from threats. I am guessing that most of you are using chrome. I would highly recommend you switch and it’s not as difficult as you may imagine. Everything, including your bookmarks, history, and account can all be transferred automatically. If you are not tech savvy, I recommend using Waterfox or Floorp. If you are more tech savvy, I recommend Librewolf, just be aware some websites will break due to its thorough security and blockers. Keep in mind that you are not restricted to one browser either. In the meantime practice healthy browsing practices. Do not save passwords in your browser, as it is easily hacked, and use a password manager instead (I recommend bitwarden). Wipe your cookies every so often (I wipe mine weekly), enable https only mode, turn security settings to strict, and disable crash reports. With minimal effort, you can browse the internet much safer.
