Which internet browser to choose in 2021 ?

Web browsers are among the most used software on a computer, for work and leisure. They allow you to search online, follow the news, stream multimedia content, etc. These programs must therefore be powerful, secure and easy to use.

Recently, users are also interested in the ecological impact of these tools.

Who is the best web browser ?

A comparison is often complicated because of the many parameters in game. For software, you must take into account the resources available, the conditions of use, the target audience, etc. It can, for example, be browsers for companies or for individuals.

Nevertheless, a powerful tool generally stands out on several profiles thanks to its technical specificities.

What is the most secure browser ?

A secure browser is supposed to protect you protect effectively against hackers, malware, intrusive tracking, phishing, etc. The software must also prevent the exposure of your personal data (identity, bank details, passwords…).

Tor browser has long been the reference in terms of privacy on the Internet. It includes additional security features such as NoScript or even HTTPS Everywhere. In addition, it uses by default DuckDuckGo as a search engine.

The latter is known for its rigorous protection of user data. However, the web browser is too slow.

The problem does not arise on Brave which natively includes a Tor-based private browsing mode. This young company was founded by Brendan Eich, inventor of JavaScript and co-founder of Firefox. Once the option is activated, the tool will not keep your browsing history and personal data.

Your IP address will be elsewhere hidden, because the traffic passes through a chain of relay terminals, like Tor. The browser will hide information related to your location and the sites you visit. You will have the possibility to surf in a completely anonymous way.

Finally, the Script Blocking by Brave protects from certain types of attacks like cross scripting.

Which browser uses the least RAM ?

According to many Internet users, Google Chrome tends to to take up resources their machines, especially in heavy use. It is also considered the heaviest browser on the market. However, the software seems to use less RAM and CPU than its competitors, in a recent test under Windows.

It is just ahead of Opera when opening the same number of tabs and heavy sites simultaneously. The other way around, Microsoft Edge and Firefox are the most demanding in terms of resources, under the same conditions. This evolution of Chrome probably comes from the recurrent complaints of users on the Internet. Given its market share (more than 70%), Google had to do something about it.

Opera Software is still the recommended browser for the smallest configurations or for the most demanding users to spare your machine. Indeed, it is known to use less RAM and system resources in general. This software is moreover stable, fast and very light.

In its basic version, Chrome is also suitable for entry-level computers. However, you should pay attention to the level of customization of the browser and the installation of extensions. That said, Google’s software will deploy its potential only with free access to the resources of a powerful PC.

What is the most ecological browser ?

Recently, some search engines are defined by their ethical and eco-responsible approach. This is particularly true of Lilo, d’Ecogine andEcosia. The last two rely respectively on Google and Bing.

Lilo, for its part, uses a meta-engine that solicits both Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

As for browsers, no notable actor has made such commitments for the moment. The major Web companies are also quite discreet about the emissions generated by the Internet. So you’ll have a hard time choosing your new browser based on this criterion.

Nevertheless, you can always take into account other factors such as energy saving. Some groups also consider the ad blockers as a way of limit the pollution of the Net. Indeed, the untimely ads tend to consume more power.

On this basis, Microsoft Edge stands out clearly in extending the battery life of laptops. Moreover, the company has often put forward this characteristic of Internet Explorer’s successor. The tool actually outperforms the competition in this area.

Compared to Chrome, it saves more than 70 extra minutes for the same use. Edge can therefore be considered as the most ecological. Following a similar reasoning, Brave could also claim this title with its integrated ad blocker.

How to choose your web browser

In the end, the the best browser of the moment depends mainly on your requirements for performance, security and privacy. You must therefore identify your needs and constraints before choosing a software. The configuration of your PC is also an important criterion.

In concrete terms, consider Tor and Brave to benefit from total anonymity online. However, the former is penalized by bad press related to the Dark Web. The second one also risks not being spared by this reputation.

Besides, Brave automatically suggests the Dark Web equivalent of some classic sites.

In order to use less memory, prefer Opera or possibly Chrome, in its basic version or with few extensions. Edge, for its part, is recommended to save energy. Microsoft’s browser is also very effective against phishing and perfectly integrated into the Windows 10 ecosystem.

On this point, it recalls the synergy between Safari and other programs on macOS.

Overall, Chrome and Brave clearly stand out from the competition. These are indeed the most powerful, intuitive and secure browsers of the moment. However, they risk falling victim to their popularity and becoming the preferred targets of hackers.

Google’s browser was hacked in 2020, despite the security measures of the American giant.

Nowadays, Chromium also represents a potential threat to the best browsers on the market. Indeed, most of them are based on this open-source project initiated by Google. Thus, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and even Edge share a significant part of their codes.

In the event of a problem, all of these programs will be exposed, except Firefox.

This browser is an independent initiative of the Mozilla Foundation. Even if it is free software, the work of its developers is less tempting for hackers. In addition, the tool has many original features like Firefox Monitor or cryptocurrency miner detectors.