Advice Request How to choose a browser for everyday use?

[HarborFront]

Let's start with the basics. What is the point of a web browser? Originally, it was to be able to read HTML documents, but since then, the Web has changed massively, and modern browsers need to satisfy more demands. The basic terminal browser - links, w3m, Lynx, elinks - can still be used today to display websites only in text. Actually, elinks supports features that are somehow missing in "modern" web browsers (such as editing cookies, custom stylesheets or keybinding), but in the end, they can all be got back through addons. Maximum of 256 colors, no images, little or no Javascript support, limited CSS support, no loading of non-HTML content such as videos (but can load externally), and no addons make these unsuitable for modern day browsing.

I could mention many other browsers here. Surf is a graphical web browser that has image and Javascript support, but no tabs or an actual user interface. Midori has everything you'd expect from a modern web browser and even includes in-built functionality to replace some of the common addons, but it's not enough. Otter Browser is a promising project with a very nice UI, but has no addon support (so far, though it's planned). Qutebrowser is a keyboard controlled browser that recently added per-domain settings, but they are inferior to uMatrix. Many of its features can be replaced by, again, addons.

One advantage of these niche browsers is that they don't spy on you, but what I've learned from trying probably all of them is that, in the end, addons are essential - especially uMatrix is irreplaceable. So, for a day-to-day browser, you have only two options: Firefox based and Chrome based. Since they all support the same addons (with slight exception in Pale Moon), we will have to use some other criteria to judge these browsers. These consist of usability, privacy, customizability, philosophy, respect for the user, looks, and speed. Let's analyze them one by one.

- Introduction -
- Firefox based browsers -
- Mozilla Firefox -
- GNU IceCat -
- LibreWolf -
- Waterfox -
- Summary -
- Chrome based browsers -
- Google Chrome -
- Iridium Browser -
- Ungoogled-Chromium -
- Brave Browser -
- Dissenter Browser -
- Opera -
- Vivaldi -
- Summary -
- The Alternative -
- Pale Moon -
What's wrong with auto-updates?
- Summary -

Read inside

How to choose a browser for everyday use?

digdeeper.neocities.org

 

[bayasdev]

Isn't it enough to just install uBO in Firefox/Chrome/Edge and call it a day?

 

[bayasdev]

If you're looking for a different browser you can try Falkon by KDE (formerly QupZilla) which uses the Chromium powered QtWebEngine component, IDK how it handles engine updates on Windows but the Linux version depends on the qt5-webengine version available on your distro's repo.

It contains the basics, an adblocker and uses multiple processes (I haven't tested the Windows version).

 

[blackice]

Isn't it enough to just install uBO in Firefox/Chrome/Edge and call it a day?

Yes, but privacy enthusiasts will never rest. Only once people start having very embarrassing or frightening information revealed publicly due to privacy invasions will anyone else even care. If it doesn’t have a material impact on your life does it even matter? But, if you take basic steps (uBO) you are already protecting more info than most people.

 

[Zartarra]

I was curious so I tested a few browsers. Standard installation and no configuration customization. Some browsers make a lot of connections.

Mozilla firefox​	​	Ungoogled Chrome​	​	Iridium​	​	Vivaldi​	​	Brave​	​
Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​
detectportal.firefox.com​	11​	multicast.arpa​	4​	accounts.google.com​	5​	clients2,google.com​	6​	laptop-updates.brave.com​	17​
firefox.settings.service.mozilla.com​	28​	​	​	cache.iridiumbrowser.De​	3​	downloads.vivaldi.com​	3​	go-updater.brave.com​	12​
snippets.cdn.mozilla.net​	5​	​	​	multicast.arpa​	4​	multicast.arpa​	12​	p3a.brave.com​	2​
shavar.services.mozilla.com​	2​	​	​	redirector.gvt1,com​	1​	redirector.gvt1.Com​	1​	statis.brave.com​	5​
accounts.firefox.com​	6​	​	​	www.gstatic.com ​	1​	safebrowsing.gooleapis.com​	1​	​	​
push.services.mozilla.coml​	2​	​	​	​	​	ssl.gstatic.com​	2​	​	​
lcoation.services.mozilla.com​	3​	​	​	​	​	update.googleapis.com​	3​	​	​
pingsender​	1​	​	​	​	​	update.vivaldi.com​	6​	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	www.gstatic.com ​	1​	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Total​	58 ​	Total​	4 ​	Total​	14 ​	Total​	35 ​	Total​	36 ​

With the ghacks or own script/settings you can shut-up Firefox (almost) completely but with no configuration it has the most outbound connections.

 

[Ink]

Which browser are you using?

All Chromium-based. SECURITY: Basic - Spawn's Battery-less Laptop 2020

 

[Stopspying]

I was curious so I tested a few browsers. Standard installation and no configuration customization. Some browsers make a lot of connections.

Mozilla firefox​	​	Ungoogled Chrome​	​	Iridium​	​	Vivaldi​	​	Brave​	​
Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​
detectportal.firefox.com​	11​	multicast.arpa​	4​	accounts.google.com​	5​	clients2,google.com​	6​	laptop-updates.brave.com​	17​
firefox.settings.service.mozilla.com​	28​	​	​	cache.iridiumbrowser.De​	3​	downloads.vivaldi.com​	3​	go-updater.brave.com​	12​
snippets.cdn.mozilla.net​	5​	​	​	multicast.arpa​	4​	multicast.arpa​	12​	p3a.brave.com​	2​
shavar.services.mozilla.com​	2​	​	​	redirector.gvt1,com​	1​	redirector.gvt1.Com​	1​	statis.brave.com​	5​
accounts.firefox.com​	6​	​	​	www.gstatic.com ​	1​	safebrowsing.gooleapis.com​	1​	​	​
push.services.mozilla.coml​	2​	​	​	​	​	ssl.gstatic.com​	2​	​	​
lcoation.services.mozilla.com​	3​	​	​	​	​	update.googleapis.com​	3​	​	​
pingsender​	1​	​	​	​	​	update.vivaldi.com​	6​	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	www.gstatic.com ​	1​	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Total​	58 ​	Total​	4 ​	Total​	14 ​	Total​	35 ​	Total​	36 ​

With the ghacks or own script/settings you can shut-up Firefox (almost) completely but with no configuration it has the most outbound connections.

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

I've been aware of Firefox wanting to 'phone home' a lot for a number of years and have made a lot of about:config changes to restrict that, but I haven't looked seriously at how much they try to do behind the scenes for a while, so this is useful. As you say using something like ghacks settings or your own scripts does reduce it significantly from my experience. I get that they can learn from usage data to work out where improvements can be made but using Firefox 'out of the box' has increasingly become a scenario that I want to avoid as time goes by.

Ungoogled Chrome might be something I investigate further after seeing this, but only after reading up on it!

 

[HarborFront]

I was curious so I tested a few browsers. Standard installation and no configuration customization. Some browsers make a lot of connections.

Mozilla firefox​	​	Ungoogled Chrome​	​	Iridium​	​	Vivaldi​	​	Brave​	​
Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​	Connections to​	#​
detectportal.firefox.com​	11​	multicast.arpa​	4​	accounts.google.com​	5​	clients2,google.com​	6​	laptop-updates.brave.com​	17​
firefox.settings.service.mozilla.com​	28​	​	​	cache.iridiumbrowser.De​	3​	downloads.vivaldi.com​	3​	go-updater.brave.com​	12​
snippets.cdn.mozilla.net​	5​	​	​	multicast.arpa​	4​	multicast.arpa​	12​	p3a.brave.com​	2​
shavar.services.mozilla.com​	2​	​	​	redirector.gvt1,com​	1​	redirector.gvt1.Com​	1​	statis.brave.com​	5​
accounts.firefox.com​	6​	​	​	www.gstatic.com​	1​	safebrowsing.gooleapis.com​	1​	​	​
push.services.mozilla.coml​	2​	​	​	​	​	ssl.gstatic.com​	2​	​	​
lcoation.services.mozilla.com​	3​	​	​	​	​	update.googleapis.com​	3​	​	​
pingsender​	1​	​	​	​	​	update.vivaldi.com​	6​	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	www.gstatic.com​	1​	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Total​	58 ​	Total​	4 ​	Total​	14 ​	Total​	35 ​	Total​	36 ​

With the ghacks or own script/settings you can shut-up Firefox (almost) completely but with no configuration it has the most outbound connections.

Hi

Which Ungoogled Chromium version you are using? The one by Eloston or at woolyss? Also, can you test out LibreWolf as well?

Thanks

 

[Zartarra]

Hi

Which Ungoogled Chromium version you are using? The one by Eloston or at woolyss? Also, can you test out LibreWolf as well?

Thanks

Hello

I used the Eloston Ungoogled Chrome version.

 

[ForgottenSeer 78429]

Hello

I used the Eloston Ungoogled Chrome version.

Currently I am using woolyss Ungoogled Chromium as I couldn't find Eloston Ungoogled Chromium latest build exe to download. Can you provide me links for Eloston Chromium?
Thanks

 

[Stopspying]

Currently I am using woolyss Ungoogled Chromium as I couldn't find Eloston Ungoogled Chromium latest build exe to download. Can you provide me links for Eloston Chromium?
Thanks

Good question. I couldn't find a recent version of this.

 

[HarborFront]

The latest Ungoogled Chromium for Windows 64-bit by Eloston is still at v81.xxx

Get it here

Downloads for ungoogled-chromium

The reason being v83.xx for Windows still could not be patched. Read below

Issues · ungoogled-software/ungoogled-chromium-windows

Windows packaging for ungoogled-chromium. Contribute to ungoogled-software/ungoogled-chromium-windows development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

As for the Linux versions there's a problem with the v83.xx in that the browser will suddenly closed (randomly) when you are typing in the address bar.

EDIT

There's a new update for the Linux version. I think the above issue has been solved. After updating I'm using in Linux Mint Mate and not facing any sudden closure of the browser when typing in the address bar. You'll need to get the latest version from below

Install package home:ungoogled_chromium / ungoogled-chromium

 

[HarborFront]

A comparison of the features of main stream browsers