Browsers for Windows. Fast browser for an old computer - myth or reality? Download portable browsers

A web browser is a program for displaying and viewing content from the Internet, a global network of numerous data servers interconnected by communication channels. Browsers on computers/laptops or smartphones with Android are used by everyone without exception. In terms of importance, this type of program comes immediately after the operating system. Not sure? Turn off the Internet and think about what you will do on your PC now. Immediately 90% of things will disappear, right?

A browser is almost synonymous with the word “Internet” for many, which is why its choice is so important. Let's look at the ranking of the TOP 10 best browsers for Windows 10 OS in 2019.

1. Yandex is the best and fastest browser for Windows

Great emphasis is placed on safety. The search engine knows where and what, so it cleverly blocks suspicious sites, pop-up windows, automatic downloads of all kinds of garbage and other harmful activity. Many people like to read their personal Zen news feed. You can enable an effective turbo mode. The smart search bar understands different types of queries: it will show the weather, exchange rates, etc. without going to websites. Mountains of applications, very high page launch speed, mouse gesture control, advanced built-in reader, translator, appearance customization - all these are elements of the best browser on the market.

pros

Minuses

• For those who do not use Yandex services, the browser loses a significant part of its advantages;
• Occasionally there are problems with transferring browsing history and settings.

2. Google Chrome

The application was created based on a free build of Chromium from a hybrid of the WebKit engines from the Safari browser and V8. This concept has been perfected by many major developers (Opera, Yandex, among others). The guys from Google were the first to assemble a public version of the browser from the concept, calling it “Chrome”. The product places great emphasis on security: there is a database of phishing and malicious resources that is regularly updated. The browser runs multiple processes that have separate low priorities. It works stably, the interface is simple and well thought out. Has its own task manager in “additional tools”.

pros

• Recognizable and simple design, ergonomic interface;
• Cross-platform, fast data synchronization across all devices;
• A separate panel of Google services, which are available under a single account;
• Hundreds of thousands of add-ons for every conceivable task;
• Automatic mode and high update frequency;
• Convenient “incognito” mode;
• High level of security and speed of operation, Sandbox technology for protection against hacking;
• Task manager for monitoring used resources.

Minuses

3. Mozilla Firefox

A high level of security for user data is offered. You can enable blocking of all ads in settings. The bookmarks panel in the form of tabs is convenient and looks nice. The dark design of the interface will appeal to many. All this consumes slightly less system resources than other popular solutions. It works smoothly and stably, although not super fast (performance can be adjusted). There is support for WebVR and WASM for toy lovers. Updates are automatic by default. There are a lot of settings out of the box that are interesting to web developers. Customization of the interface is flexible: you can change themes, icon options and toolbars.

pros

• Well suited for web developers thanks to rich built-in tools and optional plugins;
• You can customize it in detail for yourself, achieving an individual look and set of capabilities;
• Included are NoScript and AdBlock security plugins;
• Convenient built-in document reader;
• The bookmarks sidebar (Ctrl+B) is easy to use;
• High reliability.

Minuses

• In terms of speed, it is inferior to browsers based on the WebKit engine;
• The more plugins installed, the more obvious the performance drop;
• The interface looks overloaded with options, which can scare off newbies;
• Sometimes it turns out to be unable to display the contents of pages due to lack of support for something there;
• Consumes a lot of RAM and is gluttonous.

4. Opera

The browser has a built-in VPN, it is free and works fine. Supports extensions and has one of the best quick access panels to sites. There is a built-in ad blocker, postal and map services. You can use voice control, there is a personal news feed. New versions are often released, including test ones with experimental functions. The appearance can be customized by changing covers, fonts, etc. Allows you to watch videos in pop-up windows. A smart search bar, synchronization of settings under a single account and other familiar things are present.

pros

Minuses

• Average level of reliability and safety;
• Quite high system requirements in default mode;
• Frequent crashes when working with WML (displaying content structure on mobile devices).

5. Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer– the native Windows browser, ancient and familiar to everyone. Downloading other programs for surfing the Web through it has long become a good tradition. Development ended with the release of Edge. It falls short of current browsers in terms of a long list of features. The speed is above average, the interface is simple and classic. Supports everything necessary for the correct display of content on modern sites. The security level is below average: for a long time it was a window for viruses and attacks of all stripes on PCs with Windows on board. However, many are accustomed to using it, for this reason it is still included in the ratings.

IE 11 version boasts a privacy mode and supports caching to improve performance. Developers use it to configure routers; for everything else, there are better solutions. A minimal number of add-ons, useful settings, outdated design, almost no built-in branded features, except for the SmartScreen filter and a store of add-ons with a modest assortment. But it does have hardware acceleration. Due to this, the page loading speed is high, but there is no smooth animation, so the browser still works a little jerky. Internet Explorer is a browser for nostalgia.

pros

• Comes with Windows and does not require separate installation;
• Good page loading speed;
• The older version fixed most of the security holes;
• Address bar combined with search;
• Availability of SmartScreen filter;
• Enables hardware acceleration to render pages.

Minuses

• Minimal functionality;
• Few extensions;
• Outdated design.

6.Uran

Functionally, it can do everything that Chrome does: it supports extensions, synchronizes with a Google account, and works quickly and reliably. To completely block ads, it is best to install AdBlock. Integrated selection of extensions for webmasters. Thus, the browser is a specialized solution for site owners on uCoz, with proprietary tools and all the advantages of other products created on WebKit.

7. Safari

Safari- Apple's proprietary browser. Support for the Windows version ended back in 2012 - the Safari version 5.1.7 (5.34.57.2) for Windows was the last, and it is already outdated and not updated, but is available for download from the official website. However, some people still use it. It stands out for its decent operating speed and distinctive interface. All this is offset by the lack of support for many modern technologies. The browser is not able to display the content of many sites, including YouTube and even, so to speak, native Apple.com. This is the main problem.

In general, there is an interesting mode for working with bookmarks (the main screen), extensions are supported, there are convenient tools for storing articles - a reading list and a built-in reader, but all this is no longer important. The WebKit engine used to create it formed the basis of Chrome and many other popular browsers. Current versions now work only in products with proprietary operating systems, being part of them - Mac, iPhone, etc.

pros

• A proprietary interface that many people liked;
• Good speed.

Minuses

• Support and development have ceased, the browser has completely lost its relevance for the Windows platform.

8.Maxthon

Out of the box, the browser is richly equipped: AdBlock, reader, RSS grabber, tool for creating and processing screenshots, media content sniffer (downloading music, videos and pictures from previously visited sites). There is a good library of extensions, but it is inferior in richness to those of Chrome and others. The browser integrates proprietary cloud technology to synchronize everything. It is cross-platform, there is a password manager, mail, etc.

pros

• Reminds me of a Swiss Army knife - there's a lot out of the box;
• Parallel viewing of two tabs in split screen mode;
• Mouse gesture support;
• Flexible customization of interface and design;
• Many additions;
• There are the necessary security and confidentiality settings for work.

Minuses

• Interface overloaded with icons and settings;
• Average performance.

9. K-Meleon

K-Meleon is an ideal browser for a weak PC, it is very light and fast. The browser does not eat anything extra, devoting all its resources to displaying the content of pages: startup speed is 2-4 s, RAM consumption is only 150 MB, CPU load is at 2-5%. Just right for an old laptop running Windows XP. It integrates news and email clients. The settings are clearly structured by category, you can scale the image and text while surfing. There is protection from malicious sites and private browsing options.

pros

• High performance;
• Low PC resource consumption.

Minuses

• Primitive default interface design;
• Sometimes there are problems with displaying texts in Cyrillic.

10. Tor Browser

While surfing, the IP address and location are hidden, cookies do not work, cache and other personal data are not saved. You shouldn't listen to music or watch movies through it. Suitable only for entering blocked, prohibited resources. The HTTPS Everywhere plugin is built-in, encrypting all connections in a row. You don’t need to do anything special to set up anonymity and connect to the Tor network; the browser will do everything automatically.

pros

• Provides a high level of privacy;
• Allows you to access sites and networks that cannot be accessed from a regular browser and search engine;
• Supports all technologies necessary for displaying modern websites.

Minuses

• Low page loading speed.

The optimal browser for a Russian-speaking person, from our point of view, is a product from Yandex. It is as fast and advanced from a technical point of view as Chrome, but at the same time it can offer technologies and services of the domestic search giant that are relevant to us. This is convenient, because many already use them every day. The design didn't disappoint either.

Firefox is an interesting choice for geeks, Opera has a nice design, works quickly and pleases with add-ons. Uran is a niche product that can interest webmasters of sites on uCoz, and indeed everyone who likes Chrome with its speed and simple interface. The rest of the rating browsers are closer to exotic - you can use it on occasion (Tor, for example) or just know that they exist.

As part of my job, I have to maintain several very advanced computers in working order. In terms of hardware, this is not difficult - fortunately, machines produced 10 years ago are often assembled (soldered) to a higher quality than modern consumer goods. But in terms of software, the task is more difficult. The biggest headache for me is antiviruses and browsers. Both of them are very hungry for RAM, which, alas, is in short supply (for the last 1.5 years, the budget for upgrading computers at school has been approaching zero, and a small upgrade can only be done if the old hardware completely fails). Meanwhile, it is highly advisable to update both the antivirus and the browser periodically. We'll talk about choosing an antivirus some other time, but today I'll try to find the fastest browser for old computers.

First, a little background. Until recently, I installed the old Opera 12 on all old computers. But, alas, one fine day, this once wonderful browser began to display crookedly a vital site - an electronic magazine. Well, I had to say goodbye to the old Opera and look for alternatives.

First of all, of course, I checked how the fresh Opera would behave on old machines. Alas, as expected, Opera 30 (this version was current at the time of my experiment) behaved like a typical Chromium browser: it consumed a lot of memory, forcing the computer to swap heavily (IDE disk, heh...). Things were a little better with other standard chrome clones (Yandex.Browser, Chrome itself). The latest Firefox 40 behaves relatively well, but it has obvious problems with interface rendering (it slows down) and memory consumption is still quite high (especially when opening 2-3 tabs). Well, since the browsers known to everyone cannot cope with the task, let’s try different exotic ones.

Part 1. Looking for a fast browser in the Chromium camp

I was pleasantly surprised in terms of speed. Being an add-on to Internet Explorer, it works very quickly and does not eat up too much memory. But, alas, all this happiness is available only on Windows 7, and my weakest machines run Windows XP. No, the mentioned SlimBrowser works great under Windows XP, but the IE8 engine, alas, is hopelessly outdated and is not much different in rendering quality from the same Opera 12-.

Next, I decided to try out “unusual” variations on the Chromium theme. There were as many as three candidates. The first of them is . It is positioned by the developers as a light and fast browser. In general, this statement is true - for a chromo clone, Midori is really quite light and fast. But, unfortunately, on computers with 1 gigabyte of RAM (and even more so with 512 megabytes) it is not light enough.
The second candidate is Chinese. The younger brother of the well-known Maxthon was born about a year ago. In essence, it is Chromium stripped to the limit. It really works quite quickly, but it still consumes a lot of memory. I would recommend it rather as an addition to the main browser on normal machines (when you need to quickly read something without waiting for the main browser to load - Nitro loads almost instantly). But this browser is not suitable for older computers.

Finally, the last Chrome in my experiment is the OpenSource project. The developer positions it as the successor to the good old Opera, but on a modern engine (guess which one?). True, from a technical point of view, this browser is built a little differently - it does not create a separate process for each sneeze. This feature allows Otter (and this is how the name of the browser is translated from English) to save memory quite well. In terms of speed and functionality, Otter is also doing pretty well. But, alas, it is still very crude and not stable enough for everyday use. And the interface, to be honest, leaves much to be desired... Besides, Otter is essentially a one-man show (in the sense of a developer) and, alas, there is almost no hope for quickly bringing the project to a digestible state.

Otter Browser. In the depths of the tundra Otter in spats...

Part 2. Looking for a fast browser in the Gecko camp

Well, since the Chrome community can’t please us with anything in terms of speed, let’s try to turn to the second opposing side and look at browsers based on the Gecko engine. This engine is no less popular among developers, although it has its own specifics. While browsers based on Chromium (and Blink) are mainly built by various commercial companies (Otter is a rare exception), Gecko is more popular among the OpenSource community. Unfortunately, this community, for the most part, is busy changing the basic functionality of Firefox, as a result of which clones of Ognelis (or Firepanda - as you prefer) with different sets of functions are born. Against this background, several projects stand out that make optimized assemblies for certain platforms. Among them, only two focus their efforts on improving the speed of Firefox. The first project is . Within its framework, they make assemblies that work (according to the developers) 25% faster than the original FF. Until recently, the PaleMoon project even had a separate assembly optimized for Windows XP, but due to the cessation of official support for this OS, its release was discontinued. However, to this day there is a separate build for weak Atom-based machines, which can be used on any old computers.
In terms of speed, I was very pleased with PaleMoon - the subjective speed of launching the browser and loading pages on a computer with 1 GB of RAM is even higher than when working with Opera 12 (although it uses a little more memory). The interface, by the way, is rendered noticeably faster than that of its ancestor in the face of FF (the cut Australis has an effect). True, to make the work more convenient, the “lunar” browser will have to be modified a little (in particular, it will have to be turned on in the settings). In general, the impressions from this browser are the most pleasant. Among other things, PaleMoon supports extensions from FireFox, which means expanding its functionality will be quite simple.

Finally, the last contender for the title of “fastest browser for old computers” is the . This project, which appeared at the dawn of the popularity of Firefox, was in hibernation for many years and only recently began to be revived. Essentially, this is a very distant relative of Firefox, taking only the Gecko engine from its ancestor. Due to its close relationship, K-Meleon does not support extensions from the original Firefox and does not inherit all its problems (working speed in particular). As a result, we have a very fast and quite functional browser. In terms of operating speed today, K-Meleon is the leader. The only thing that prevents us from definitely recommending it for use is the clumsy interface and the fact that it is overloaded with not all the necessary functions.

K-Meleon 74. The fastest browser…

As a conclusion. Based on the results of many days of testing (including on real users), I personally chose PaleMoon (more precisely, its assembly for Atom). In conditions of severe lack of RAM, it works noticeably faster than all other browsers. On computers with 512 megabytes of RAM, K-Meleon showed the best results in terms of memory consumption, but users in almost 100% of cases complain about its inconvenient interface (read: unusual appearance and non-standard arrangement of controls). In theory, all this can be solved by fine-tuning the interface (fortunately, K-Meleon provides such an opportunity), but in practice the difference in the speed of working with PaleMoon is not so great. The final decision, however, is yours.

Updated March 18, 2016
I tested a couple more programs that claim to be the “fastest browser for an old computer.” My impressions are in .

Updated February 19, 2019
It turns out that enthusiasts continue to make PaleMoon builds that work on older computers. Here, in particular, (you need to download the file mypal-28.3.1.win32.installer.exe).

When choosing a program to work on the World Wide Web, many are mainly interested in what is the fastest browser for Windows 7 today.

Although there are simply a huge number of other criteria for choosing a browser.

Today you can find and download many “homemade” browsers, that is, those that were developed by novice programmers, and not by teams of professionals.

So, their main drawback is the speed of work.

There is no talk about data security and safety.

In any case, today we will look at all the main characteristics that will help you choose a program for accessing the Internet, and the main one will be the speed of operation.

As for how this very speed will be tested, a very simple method will be chosen, which consists of launching a browser or performing other operations with a stopwatch on it.

In particular, the speed will be tested on such operations as launching the browser itself, opening a website, logging into a Google email account, launching a video and installation speed.

The tests will not be conducted on a new computer.

This choice is due to the fact that one wants to achieve maximum objectivity of the research.

Yes, usually “clean” machines are used in such tests, but we all don’t have the opportunity to reinstall the operating system every month.

This would make it possible to turn a used computer into a completely “clean” machine.

In general, the conditions will not be as close to reality as possible; they will be quite real. Go!

Helpful information:

Pay attention to the utility. It is a tool that increases the security of using the Internet. The operating principle of the program is based on encrypting DNS traffic between the user and the provider.

Opera

This browser was released in 1994. Until 2013, I worked on my own engine, then I switched to Webkit+V8, which is familiar to many developers, which, by the way, is also used a little in Google Chrome.

According to research by some sites, it is the fifth most popular browser in the world. Users like the mobile version, which is called Opera Mini.

The main advantage of this program is its excellent ability to save traffic. This allows many users to pay less for the Internet.

You can download this browser absolutely free of charge on the official website www.opera.com/ru.

This site has one large “Download Now” button, which allows you to start downloading.

For our tests, we will use the latest version downloaded from the official website.

Speed ​​tests yielded the following results:

• Browser launch time – 3 s;
• Website opening time – 2 s;
• Video start time – 2 s;
• Installation time – 1.3 minutes (from launching the installer program to closing it).

By the way, the design of the installation window for this program is very beautiful, but at the same time minimalistic.

The installation process itself takes very little time.

The user only needs to press one button and nothing else - he does not select a path, does not read a bunch of license conditions, does not watch presentations, and so on.

On the one hand, this is, of course, good, because a simple user does not need all this.

But some will say that this is bad, because “who knows what they write in the license.”

But since we evaluate the speed of work, Opera performs excellently in this regard.

Other advantages and disadvantages of Opera

In addition to speed when choosing a program for Internet access, it will also be useful to know about the following advantages of Opera:

1. Traffic savings. A signature feature of this browser.
2. The presence of a Turbo mode, which allows you to work even faster on slow computers and still save traffic.
3. Its own express panel with bookmarks. In other browsers, this function must be installed additionally. Yes, there are bookmark bars, but they are not as functional.
4. Hot control keys. In fact, this browser can be operated without a mouse.
5. Ease of use. Opera is not loaded with plugins for privacy and other similar functions, so it can work many times faster.

The disadvantages of Opera include the following:

1. On old machines it may not work at all. On the other hand, nothing from the modern standard user set already works for them. And who uses such old computers now?
2. Incorrect operation of some scripts. In defense of Opera, we can also say that not all scripts that exist today work on other browsers.
   Complaints about instability - it restarts, throws out, and so on. It also doesn’t happen very often - if you’re unlucky, you’ll have to restart.

Google Chrome

This browser was released in 2008 - relatively recently.

Its direct ancestor is the Safari browser, which was then also tried to be adapted for Windows, but these attempts were unsuccessful - it turned out to be too slow, and was often restarted.

Safari was originally designed for Mac computers. Google Chrome runs on its own engine called Chrominium.

Last year, this browser was first in many polls in RuNet.

You can download Google Chrome on the official website - www.google.ru/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html (a very non-standard link that could be shortened).

There is also a single button that you need to press.

By the way, here on the download site you can read the license agreement, as well as set Google Chrome as the default browser and check the box to send work reports to Google.

By the way, many people refuse the latter.

To do this, you just need to uncheck the box highlighted in green in Figure 4.

Testing the speed of this browser gave the following results:

• Browser launch time – 4 s;
• Website opening time: 5 s;
• Authorization time for a Google email account is 1 s;
• Video start time – 1 s;
• Installation time – 1.5 minutes.

When installing here, by the way, some additional content is downloaded, which makes the whole process a little longer.

Otherwise, Google Chrome performs really well, but still a little worse than Opera.

And this despite the fact that many authors of similar articles call this browser the fastest.

As you can see, tests in real conditions gave a different result.

Advantages and disadvantages of Google Chrome

It will also be very useful for users who choose a program to access the Internet to know about the following advantages of Google Chrome:

1. Safety. Great attention is paid to this here. Google Chrome has a huge number of additional programs and scripts that protect against various types of attacks and viruses. In addition, this browser has its own database with these same viruses and malicious sites.
2. “Incognito” mode, which allows you to be unnoticed on various sites. This means that the site will not leave cookies or any other information about the stay of the user working in Incognito mode.
3. Stability at work. It is very rare to hear about Google Chrome that it reloads or cannot handle a large number of sites.
4. Your own “Task Manager”, which makes it possible to see how many resources a particular site consumes, as well as a plugin.
5. Normal work with extensions. It is also very rare to hear complaints about this.
6. Voice control search.

The disadvantages include the following:

1. Lack of support for NPAPI plugins starting from version 42.0. A lot of modern plugins work on this platform. And users are faced with difficulties in installing them or even with the inability to complete this task.

Otherwise, Google Chrome performs just fine.

As you can see, its operating speed is not too much inferior to Opera, therefore, taking into account all the other advantages, it is not surprising that this particular browser is called the best today.

Mozilla Firefox

In 2014, this browser took a strong first place in all foreign surveys. But then the two programs described above took away the leading positions from.

Still, the contribution that the “sly fox,” as many users call him, made to the development of browsers as a whole deserves respect.

According to good tradition, the site has one large “Download for free” button.

There are no longer any license agreements on the site. And in general, the download occurs automatically and this process is not delayed by anything.

In the installer window you can use additional settings. The settings window is shown in Figure 6.

As you can see, you can specify where program shortcuts should be installed, the installation path, and whether this browser should be made the main one.

Advice: When installing, be sure to use the advanced settings window, because otherwise, program shortcuts will appear on the taskbar, on the desktop and in the Start menu, which is often not needed by users! In addition, installation information will be sent to Mozilla specialists, and the browser itself will become the default browser.

To open this very window of additional settings at startup, you should click the “Settings” button highlighted in Figure No. 7.

The installation itself also begins with downloading additional files. This, of course, makes the process longer.

Mozilla Firefox runtime tests yielded the following results:

• Browser launch time – 5 s;
• Website opening time – 3 s;
• Authorization time for a Google email account is 1 s;
• Video start time – 2 s;
• Installation time – 1.35 minutes.

Advantages and disadvantages of Mozilla Firefox

The benefits of Mozilla Firefox are as follows:

1. Reliability in operation. There are plugins that can “kill” absolutely all browsers except Mozilla Firefox.
2. Security and privacy at the highest level. This is the only browser of its kind that can block the collection of information about a particular user by sites, including Google. This makes it possible not to see annoying advertising that is generated based on the requests of this user.
3. Version updates occur in the background.
4. In addition, this also includes the widest base of plugins and extensions mentioned above.

The disadvantages of Mozilla Firefox are:

1. Immunity of some modern scripts.
2. Frequent complaints about slow operation, especially under high loads.

From all this we can conclude that Mozilla Firefox clearly cannot be considered the fastest browser for Windows 7.

Yandex browser

This is the youngest modern browser of those used by several million people. Users first heard about this browser in 2012.

Now, in 2017, Yandex is actively promoting its product using contextual advertising. Here, of course, everything is aimed at working directly with Yandex services.

So, by default, this browser already has mail, a translator, disk, money and everything else that the most popular Russian search engine offers.

By the way, the engine in Yandex Browser is the same Chromium. Many users say that this program has its own quick launch panel, which is called “Tableboard”.

This is considered a feature of Yandex.Browser, but for the average person it is practically the same bookmarks bar that is in Opera.

True, there it is much more functional.

You can host 20 different sites on Tablo.

An interesting feature of this browser is its work with mouse gestures.

This means that there is a certain set of gestures that are formed by certain cursor movements and perform certain functions.

There are also a huge number of extensions and plugins, most of which are taken from the already beloved Google Chrome.

This is due to the fact that these two browsers run on the same Chromium engine.

You can download Yandex Browser on the official website - browser.yandex.ru.

Although, if you visit the website yandex.ru several times, you will definitely see an advertisement for this browser and can follow the link to download it.

This site also has a nice big “Download” button.

The results of testing the speed of this browser gave the following results:

• Browser launch time – 11 s;
• The website opening time is 4 seconds (the first launch, by the way, gave the result in 24 seconds);
• Authorization time for a Google email account is 4 s;
• Video start time – 2 s;
• Installation time – 2.10 min.

During installation, it is also possible to make Yandex.Browser the default browser and make it possible to send data to Yandex specialists.

To do this, you need to check the boxes highlighted in green in Figure 9.

Most users prefer to uncheck these boxes, which is not at all surprising.

As you can see, in terms of speed, Yandex Browser is clearly inferior to Mozilla Firefox.

Advantages and disadvantages of Yandex.Browser

The advantages of Yandex.Browser are as follows:

1. Developers pay great attention to security. So the program automatically checks a particular site for suspicion. It has its own criteria for suspicion (Web of Trust), as well as programs installed by default to block phishing attacks and advertising.
2. Its own system for viewing documents in formats such as .pdf, .doc and others.
3. Your own translator.
4. Turbo mode, like in Opera.

The disadvantages include the following:

1. Imposing Yandex services, which many users do not like. Although, on the other hand, this is exactly what this browser was created for.
   Many people don't like the interface.
2. Difficulty setting up. Many functions that are available in Opera or Mozilla are simply not available here in Yandex Browser.

In general, from all this we can draw a conclusion, which is that Yandex.Browser is far from the fastest and most optimized browser.

A browser is software required on every computer. You can select and download a browser for Windows 7, 8, 10 for free on our website.

We have collected the most popular latest Russian browser versions of 2018.

Why is it needed? Firstly, it is designed to work on the Internet (and this is necessary everywhere these days). With its help, web pages and all kinds of web documents open. Secondly, the browser also comes to the rescue in controlling the machine, making it possible to easily view computer files and their directories. Regarding the management of web applications - also to the browser.

Today there are truly a great variety of browsers for Windows. You can download the best browsers for Windows from our website. And they differ not only in the shortcut that you see on the desktop (although it’s a shame to complain here, the developers tried to make each individual and different from the others). All sorts of additional functions, built-in extensions that give the user new opportunities and make his life on the Internet easier. One gets the feeling that developers from different companies are simply competing with each other. And, perhaps, somewhere this is true. The competition among browsers is serious, so you have to wonder how to stand out so that users choose your product. You can download several browsers and try them out, leaving the one that is most convenient for you.

However, if you strip away all the extra bells and whistles, the browsers look very similar. Even though different engines were used to create them. This is due to the international standards that all developers follow. They do this not out of despair (no one twists their arms or forces them to work ONLY this way). However, uniform requirements make it possible to guarantee that all information will be displayed correctly in the browser, and the user will not want to stick the mixer in his eyes when he sees the open page.

Browsers are distributed free of charge, do not take up much space, and do not conflict with each other (unless everyone definitely wants to be the “Default Browser”). So it is not uncommon for several such programs to be installed on one computer at once, following the principle “everyone is good at something.” This option is also convenient when several users work on one machine at once - each has their own browser, and there are no problems with saving tabs, bookmarks and passwords.

So you can start downloading from our website right now as many browsers as you need, and those that you like. If it suddenly turns out that you were mistaken, and the “nice label” does not hide the browser of your dreams, you can always replace it with another one.

18/09/2019 15:56

Each person has unique tastes, preferences, and requirements. If one thing gets tested by a hundred people, each will give a different result. Some opinions will be similar, others will differ and this is natural. In the software field everything is exactly the same. A browser is a program that a person uses to surf the Internet. We run it every day, so it’s important to choose a convenient browser that will meet all the requirements.
Using the browser, you can search for any information, listen to music, watch movies, and play your favorite games. Any rating will be controversial, but let's try to rank the best browsers. In this article you will look at the criteria for choosing a good browser for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. We will study in detail the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. Based on our rating, you will be able to choose a good browser for yourself.

Google Chrome 1st place

This is the most popular browser that exists today. The program can be called the best and fastest on the Windows operating system. Its opening took place in 2008. Chrome was based on the popular Safari browser at that time, made on the WebKit engine. Formally, it was crossed with the V8 javascript engine. Subsequently, this hybrid was renamed Chromium. Such famous companies as Google, Opera Software, as well as Yandex and several other large developers participated in further development. Google was the first to create its own version of the browser on Chromium. A year later, it was installed on 3.6% of computers worldwide. He began to quickly gain popularity, today he is the undisputed leader and occupies 42.21%. It is worth noting that the majority are smartphones that come with a pre-installed browser.

Advantages:

1. High speed. Chrome is significantly superior to its competitors in terms of browser speed, as well as processing of displayed resources. In addition, there is a convenient function for preloading pages, this further increases the speed of work.
2. Safety. The company has implemented reliable technologies that ensure the safety of using the browser. They continue to actively develop. The browser has a database of phishing and malicious resources, which is updated regularly. The browser works according to a unique scheme in such a way that not a single process is used, but several at once, but with lower privileges. Downloading files with .bat, .exe or .dll resolution requires additional confirmation, which reduces the chances of downloading a virus.
3. There is an "Incognito" mode. This is a very convenient feature when you need to view a large number of sites, but not leave traces of their visit on your computer.
4. Thoughtful interface. It is quite simple and contains everything you need, without unnecessary elements. Chrome is the first browser to offer quick access. On the panel you can see the most visited resources. Another feature is the joint use of the address bar and the search engine. Later this feature was implemented in other browsers.
5. Stable work. Recently, there have been no such cases when Google Chrome experienced glitches or was very slow. This can only happen if there are viruses in the system. In many ways, security and stability are improved by using multiple processes that are separated from each other. If one of them stops working, the others continue to function.
6. There is a task manager in the "Additional tools" menu. Almost no one knows about this feature. Thanks to this convenient tool, you can track how many resources an entire tab or a separate plugin takes up. You can find and fix the source of the problem if the application starts to slow down.
7. Large selection of extensions, many of which can be downloaded for free. There are also many plugins and themes available. The browser can be customized depending on personal preferences, which is very convenient.
8. It is possible to automatically translate pages. Google Translator is used for this.
9. The program is updated automatically without disturbing the user.
10. Search queries can be specified by voice, for this purpose the service “ OK Google».

Flaws:

1. Starting with version 42.0, support for NPAPI plugins was stopped, including the fairly popular Flash Player.
2. For the application to run smoothly, you need at least 2 GB of RAM.
3. Most of the extensions and plugins are made in a foreign language.
4. A significant load on the hardware contributes to the short battery life of laptops and smartphones.

I've been using Chrome for quite a long time, and as my main browser. During the entire period of work, he did not cause any serious complaints. Its integration into the system of other Google services is very convenient. One account can unite your computer and mobile device, and there is the possibility of continuous synchronization.
I don’t like the fact that all user data is stored on American servers (most likely now the data is stored on Russian servers). Mail, personal contacts and search information are stored there. True, we should not exclude the possibility that other browsers do the same. You need to take precautions whenever possible, then you will have nothing to fear. If you do not want to disclose your own data, but still continue to use Chrome, then use SlimJet or SRWare Iron, we will talk about them below.

Yandex.Browser 2nd place

The browser has the shortest history; it was opened in 2012. It is extremely popular in Russia. The browser supports integration with Yandex services, which are very convenient to use. The default search engine is Yandex. The interface turned out to be quite original, even though it was created on the Chromium engine. The quick launch panel immediately catches your eye. It is made in a tiled style.

The user can place up to 20 tiles. The browser uses a “Smart String”, which not only transmits the entered phrase to the search engine, but also automatically selects the required site if the name matches. Unfortunately, so far this function only works with large resources. Mouse manipulation is supported, with which you can control the viewing of web pages with simple movements.

Advantages:


Flaws:

1. Not everyone will like the original interface.
2. Linking to various Yandex services. Without them, the program is deprived of many features.
3. Rarely, but still problems arise with transferring settings and history.

Not everyone will like the new interface, because it is radically different from its competitors. It will take some time to get used to such features.

Mozilla Firefox 3rd place

Now Mozila is the most popular foreign browser, and in Russia it ranks third. Over the past few years, it has begun to lose ground, but only slightly. The first version of the program appeared in 2004, since then there have been many changes. The application engine is Gecko - it is freely available and continues to be improved by developers. Formally, this is the first browser that had a huge base of extensions even before the advent of Chrome. He was among the first to implement the maximum confidentiality regime that Google invented.

Advantages:

1. A simple and very convenient interface with no unnecessary details.
2. A convenient settings system that allows you to radically change your browser, customizing it to your liking.
3. A large number of various plugins. They can be chosen to suit every taste, because at the moment there are more than 100,000 of them.
4. Cross-platform. The browser can be downloaded for any operating system that is used on modern technology.
5. Reliability. I have found myself in situations where the user caught a banner that blocked all browsers, but Firefox continued to function.
6. Maximum level of security and privacy of personal data.
7. Convenient bookmarks bar.
8. The program may refuse to allow various websites to track information about you. You can set up private browsing. In addition, there is a Master Passwords feature that further protects your entries on certain resources.
9. Updates occur in the background without the need for user intervention.

Flaws:

1. Compared to Chrome, the interface is a little slower and takes longer to respond to user manipulations.
2. Performance is average;
3. Lack of script support on some resources, as a result of which the content may not function properly.
4. The application requires a large amount of RAM to run.

Opera 4th place

This is the oldest browser, which was opened back in 1994. I started using it about 15 years ago, and I still use it as needed. Until 2013, Opera had its own engine, but now Webkit+V8 is used. The exact same technology is used in Google Chrome. In 2010, the company opened a mobile version of the program. Now it is the fourth most popular browser in Russia, and in the world it ranks sixth.

Advantages:

1. Excellent speed of operation and page display. The browser's features include a turbo mode, which significantly increases page loading speed through the use of cloud technologies. At the same time, traffic is saved significantly, which is very important when using the mobile version.
2. There is a convenient express panel with saved bookmarks. This is a modified Speed ​​Dial tool that we saw in previous versions of the browser.
3. Opera Link technology, which is needed to synchronize different devices.
4. Lots of hotkeys for easy control.
5. Opera Unite Internet browser.

Flaws:

1. To work effectively, you need a large amount of RAM. If you open several tabs at the same time, Opera will start to slow down. Even the reliable Chrome engine does not improve the situation.
2. On many sites, scripts and various forms are observed to work incorrectly. There are a large number of complaints when working with WML.
3. Stability cannot be called the browser's strong point. The company was never able to get rid of periodic crashes and freezes.
   4. Own bookmarking system, nicknamed “Piggy Bank”. This is quite an interesting solution, but it is poorly implemented.

I use Opera only as an additional browser. The "Turbo" function is useful when working with a modem, because in this case it combines high page display speed and savings in traffic consumption. Using Unite technology, you can turn your browser into a real server. On it you can provide access to a variety of files, exchange SMS notifications and photographs. The files are stored on the PC and become accessible only when the program is launched. This is an excellent replacement for Chrome if for some reason you do not want to use it.

K-Meleon 5th place

This application began to be developed back in 2000. In fact, it is a relative of Mozilla Firefox; they use the same engine. You may ask why he was included in the rating if they are practically the same? The fact is that they have strong differences. For example, today K-Meleon is the lightest browser for the Windows system. Such results were achieved thanks to the features of its development. Initially, the program was only supposed to demonstrate the capabilities of the new engine. As a result, the company was able to achieve economical consumption of PC resources.

Advantages:

1. Small requirements for PC resources, including a low amount of RAM.
2. Using the native Windows interface, which significantly saves time and resources spent on the interface.
3. High speed.
4. Good personalization options, and you don't need to use third-party extensions for this. Everything is arranged using macros. It will be difficult for a beginner to master, but you can figure it out in your free time.
5. There is a large selection of assemblies. You can choose an extension with the desired set of functions.
6. You can create multiple profiles for different users.

Flaws:

1. Quite a clumsy interface. If you compare it with the Top 5 leaders, then this browser has a too simple design.
2. Rarely, there are problems with displaying the Cyrillic alphabet, but the situation has been corrected in recent updates.

This is the best option for weak PCs. The browser will function normally on an old laptop running the Windows XP operating system. You will be able to enjoy comfortable Internet surfing. And it will work even better on modern hardware. Many professionals use it, considering it the best browser. This should not be surprising, because in some respects K-Meleon is superior to its competitors.

Internet Explorer

This is a free browser that comes with integrated Windows software. The development was carried out by Microsoft from 1995 to the present day. Therefore, the browser was one of the most popular in Russia, but then Chrome appeared. Now he has lost a lot of his position and ranks 5th in popularity. The reason can be considered the completion of its development. Along with Windows 10, the company's development, Spartan, was released.
Throughout the history of the browser, it was never considered the best; everyone knew about a large number of vulnerabilities that were exploited by various viruses. For a very long time it was the weak point of every computer running the Windows operating system. The situation changed for the better with the release of Internet Explorer 10, which is included with Windows 8. All the holes in it were corrected and, subject to certain rules, the browser was considered safe.
Version 11 appeared along with the Windows 8.1 update, it is the latest in the line. In terms of speed, it can be compared with its competitors, but is still slightly inferior to them. Now there is a privacy mode, a preliminary rating, and caching is also supported, which allows you to increase the speed of the browser. Despite successful innovations, the browser is only losing its position. In my work, I use Internet Explorer only to log into the web interface of my home router and other network equipment. There is a simple explanation for this: this is the browser developers use, so the markup is designed for it. It is better to use another browser to view Internet resources.

Now there are many browsers that we did not mention in our review. We've presented our picks for the best browsers, but everyone may have a different opinion. The review represents only those reviewers that I have encountered. They are completely free to download and use without any restrictions. The current version can be found on the official website. If you can suggest decent browsers that should be in the Top 5, then indicate your options in the comments.