As the browser wars heat up, here are the top alternatives to Chrome and Safari in 2025

The web browser market is currently dominated by Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari, with Chrome retaining a significant share due to the tech giant’s ongoing innovations, particularly in incorporating generative AI into its search functions.

However, users looking for alternatives will find a variety of browsers that aim to challenge industry giants.

To help navigate the competitive landscape of the browser wars, we’ve put together an overview of some of the best alternative browsers available today. This includes browsers that leverage artificial intelligence, open source browsers that promote personalization and privacy, and “conscious browsers” — a new term that refers to browsers designed to enhance user well-being.

AI-powered browsers

Guilty of confusion

Perplexity is the latest startup in the space to launch an AI-powered web browser. The company’s new product, called Comet, acts as a chatbot-based search engine and can perform actions like summarizing emails, browsing web pages, and performing tasks like sending calendar invitations. It’s currently only available to users with the maximum $200 per month Perplexity plan, but there’s also a waiting list where people can sign up.

Dia Browser Company

Browser Company, the startup behind Arc Browser, recently introduced Dia, its AI-focused browser that’s similar to Google Chrome but with an AI-powered chat tool.

Dia is currently available as an invitation-only beta, and is designed to help users navigate the web more easily. It is able to see every website a user has visited and every site they have logged into, enabling it to help you find information and perform tasks. For example, Dia can provide information about the page the user is currently on, answer questions about the product, and summarize uploaded files.

To gain early access to Dia, users must be an Arc member. Non-members can join the waiting list.

Opera neon

Another recent entry in the AI ​​browser war is Opera’s Neon browser, which has contextual awareness and can do things like search, shop, and write snippets of code. Notably, it can also perform tasks when the user is offline.

The neon is not yet available, but people can join the waiting list. It will be a subscription product; However, Opera has not announced pricing yet.

OpenAI Atlas

OpenAI recently launched its AI-powered web browser, called Atlas. The browser allows users to ask ChatGPT for search results and browse websites within the chatbot instead of directing them to external links. There is also a “Proxy Mode” for users to ask ChatGPT to complete tasks on their behalf.

Atlas was first rumored to be launching in July; However, it only became available on macOS in October. It is expected to arrive on Windows, iOS, and Android devices soon.

Privacy-focused browsers

brave

Brave is among the most popular privacy-first browsers, and is known for its built-in ad and tracking blocking capabilities. It also has a browsing gameplay, rewarding users with its own cryptocurrency called Basic Attention Token (BAT). When users opt in to serve ads and support their favorite websites, they receive a share of advertising revenue. Additional features include a VPN service, an AI assistant, and a video calling feature.

Duck, duck, go

DuckDuckGo is another browser that many people are probably already familiar with, thanks to its search engine of the same name. Launched in 2008, the company has recently made significant investments in its browser to remain competitive by offering generative AI features, such as a chatbot. It has also enhanced its fraud prevention tool to detect a wider range of scams, including fake cryptocurrency exchanges, malware tactics, and fraudulent e-commerce sites. In addition to blocking scams, DuckDuckGo blocks trackers and ads, and doesn’t track user data, resulting in fewer pop-ups for users.

Ladybug

Ladybird, led by GitHub co-founder and former CEO Chris Wanstrath, has an ambitious mission compared to other competitors: it aims to build an entirely new open source browser from scratch. This means that it will not depend on code from existing browsers, a feat that has rarely been accomplished. Most alternative web browsers are based on the open source Chromium project maintained by Google, which is the most widely used base for many browsers.

Like other privacy-focused browsers, Ladybird will offer features to reduce data collection, such as a built-in ad blocker and the ability to block third-party cookies. The browser has not yet been released, and an alpha version is scheduled for release in 2026 to early users, available on Linux and macOS.

Vivaldi

Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser created by one of the original developers of Opera. Its biggest selling point is its customizable user interface, which allows users to change the appearance and enable or disable features. One unique feature is that the browser window changes color to match the website being viewed. Other key features include ad blocking, a password manager, no user data tracking, and productivity tools like calendar and notes.

Specialized browsers

Opera Air

Opera launched Air in February, becoming one of the first mindfulness-focused browsers in the space. Although Opera Air works like a typical web browser, it includes unique features designed to support mental health. These features consist of break reminders and breathing exercises. Another feature called “Boosts” provides a selection of binaural beats to help improve focus or relaxation.

SigmaOS

SigmaOS is a Mac-only browser and features a workspace-style interface that emphasizes productivity. It displays tabs vertically, allowing users to treat it as a to-do list that can be marked as completed or postponed for later. Users can create workspaces — essentially groups of tabs — to better organize different activities, such as separating work from play.

This Y Combinator-backed browser has been around for a few years and has recently started offering more AI features, including the ability to summarize different elements of a web page, such as ratings, reviews, and prices. It also has an AI assistant that can answer questions, translate text, and rewrite content.

SigmaOS is free to use, but users who want more than three workspaces can sign up for a plan for $8 per month, which offers unlimited workspaces.

Zain browser

Zen Browser aims to create a “quieter Internet” with its open source browser. Zen allows users to organize tabs into workspaces, and offers Split View to display two tabs side by side, among other productivity-focused features. Users can also enhance their browsing experience with community-created plugins and themes, such as a tweak that makes the tab background transparent.

This story was updated after publication to include newly launched browsers.