Alternatives for Chrome in 2026

If you’re looking for the best alternatives for Chrome, there are plenty of options depending on your needs. Vivaldi is great for power users who want granular control over their browser, while Arc keeps things minimal and project-focused. Meanwhile, Firefox Tor, Brave, and LibreWolf put privacy front and center.

Below, I’ll take a closer look at all these browsers and what makes each one stand out. I’ll also cover why people are ditching Chrome (like high RAM usage or intrusive data collection), and which browsers would be a better fit in each case.

Criteria for choosing the top alternatives for Chrome

I looked at several factors when picking these browsers. You can find a full breakdown at the end of the article, but here are the key points:

• How well the browser protects your privacy and data
• The company behind it and its track record
• Speed, stability, and ease of browsing
• How much you can adjust the layout and features
• Availability across devices and syncing options
• Whether the browser is open-source and transparent

Best alternatives for Chrome in 2026

Here’s my list of the best alternatives for Chrome, with a little something for everyone.

1. Vivaldi

Vivaldi is a free Chromium-based browser that’s available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The layout feels familiar if you’re used to Chrome (you can even keep your extensions), but everything can be rearranged to match your workflow,

You can stack and tile tabs, assign mouse gestures, set custom keyboard shortcuts, tweak the UI colors and themes, and even modify context menus. It’s made for people who like to adjust every part of the browser to their liking.

Vivaldi has no built-in AI features, only collects minimal anonymized data to determine overall user count and general locations, and does not sell user data. Instead, the company is funded through partnerships with search engines like DuckDuckGo and Speed Dial bookmarks, as well as optional donations from the community. You can delete partner bookmarks at any time, or stick to Google search if you prefer.

Of course, no browser is perfect, and Vivaldi can feel overwhelming at first. The sheer number of options can confuse new users, and some features you really need to dig through the menus to find. Performance-wise, it uses slightly less RAM than Chrome, though the more UI elements you enable (like panels or tab stacks), the more memory usage increases.

Overall, Vivaldi is the best Chrome alternative if you enjoy optimizing your setup, turning off new features you may not care for, and prefer a more private browsing experience.

2. Arc

Arc is another option based on the Chromium engine, with apps for macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android. Its sidebar replaces the usual top tabs and menus, giving a cleaner, project-oriented workspace. It feels different at first, but the interface is designed to keep everything in reach without clutter.

One standout feature is Spaces, letting you organize tabs, bookmarks, and apps visually for specific projects or tasks. No more being tempted by fun bookmarks while busy or being reminded of work when it’s time to decompress.

It does come with a few AI features (most of them Mac-only), like 5-second previews to summarize webpages, Tidy Downloads to rename files automatically, or Tidy Tabs to sort recently opened tabs without affecting saved or pinned ones. AI features are opt-in, so you don’t have to enable them if you’re not a fan.

There’s one potential deal-breaker for the privacy-minded: you need to create an account to use the browser. But if that’s not on the list of priorities, and you’re more of a visual worker or creator, you’ll like what Arc has to offer. Still, it may take some time to adjust without the traditional tab bars.

3. Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is a free, open-source browser that’s available on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS. If you want to step away from Google’s engine entirely, this is the most established alternative.

The interface is pretty straightforward, so no need to relearn everything like with Arc, and you have the option to style the UI with CSS if you prefer. A bit more advanced than Vivaldi’s million toggles, but there are plenty of tutorials out there to make things easier.

While some Chromium extensions won’t carry over, you have plenty of Firefox add-ons to choose from that cover the same functionality. Moreover, Firefox will still maintain Manifest V2, meaning extensions like uBlock Origin, Tampermonkey, and others still work without restrictions.

Now, Firefox collects some technical and usage data by default, but you can review and disable telemetry in the settings. Meanwhile, Firefox Sync uses end-to-end encryption, so your bookmarks and passwords stay private if you ever want to move your data between devices.

That said, Firefox can feel slower on certain Chromium-optimized sites, and heavy extension use may increase RAM usage. The new Firefox CEO announcing AI features for the browser wasn’t met with too many cheers, either. Nothing you can’t fix with the “Block AI enhancements” toggle, though.

Still, if you want to break away from Google’s dominance, keep full extension support, and switch without relearning your workflow or digging through endless settings, Firefox remains one of the strongest Chrome alternatives.

4. The Tor Browser

The Tor Browser is a free, open-source project designed for anonymity and resisting browser fingerprinting and other tracking methods. It’s based on Firefox and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. iOS users need a separate app like Onion Browser, though it can’t offer the same protections as Tor Browser due to Apple’s restrictions.

In any case, Tor runs your traffic through the volunteer-run Tor network, which encrypts it across multiple nodes while hiding your IP and location. It also comes with NoScript, uBlock Origin, and other privacy protections enabled by default.

Its anti-fingerprinting features standardize things like window size, fonts, and browser settings so every Tor user looks similar online. This makes it much harder for websites and other snoopers to track you individually, letting you “hide in plain sight” among millions of other users.

Because Tor focuses on privacy first, it’s slower than typical browsers, especially for media-heavy sites. Some websites will block Tor exit nodes, and you’ll run into a lot of CAPTCHAs, which can be irritating for everyday browsing.

Still, if your main goal is privacy and evading surveillance rather than speed or convenience, the Tor Browser is the best Chrome alternative for anonymity.

5. Brave

Brave is an open-source Chromium-based browser with apps for all popular systems, from desktops to mobile. The browser’s “Shields” feature automatically blocks ads, trackers, cookies, and more, which makes it a popular option to watch YouTube without ads.

Naturally, this also speeds up page loading and reduces clutter while browsing, without the need for extra extensions. You can adjust protections on a site-by-site basis, just in case any pages break due to more aggressive blocking settings.

Like Tor, Brave is strong against many fingerprinting techniques, as Shields blocks font and language fingerprinting, while also randomizing (or sometimes disabling) browser features that sites can use to track you. Besides that, private windows let you connect through the Tor network for additional anonymity.

Now, despite these impressive privacy features, I couldn’t ignore the laundry list of controversies behind Brave. Some examples include its intrusive crypto rewards system, integrating its Leo AI assistant into the UI, the premium Brave VPN being installed on some platforms without consent, and an affiliate link incident where Brave added default affiliate referral codes for certain search services without disclosing it to users.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Brave isn’t secure. And—to Brave’s credit—you can disable most of those features if you don’t want them. However, it’s still worth mentioning if you prefer a more transparent browser and fewer surprises.

6. LibreWolf

LibreWolf is a Firefox fork available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It strips out telemetry, background services, and auto-update prompts by default, giving you a leaner, more privacy-focused browsing experience right out of the box.

Once again, the browser ships with uBlock Origin, it has aggressive tracking protection, and Resist Fingerprinting is enabled by default to make every LibreWolf user appear the same online. LibreWolf also strips tracking parameters from URLs, enforces strict cookie policies, and disables WebGL (though this can break some web apps that rely on 3D graphics).

Because it’s a Firefox fork, most of its extensions work without issue, including popular tools for ad blocking, password management, and productivity. You keep the flexibility of Firefox without some of the default clutter.

The real reason LibreWolf isn’t higher up is that there’s no official mobile app, so syncing across phones and tablets requires pairing with Firefox (or other forks like IronFox or Waterfox) or exporting your data manually. Moreover, the interface is minimal, which some may find too barebones compared to Vivaldi or Arc.

On the plus side, LibreWolf gives you strong privacy protections without the hassles that come with Tor. You won’t have to deal with the slower speeds, constant CAPTCHAs, or sites blocking your connection, so you get a more seamless browsing experience while still keeping trackers and browser fingerprinting in check.

Best alternatives for Chrome on Android and iOS

Most of the Chrome alternatives listed above have Android and iOS apps that work well for daily use. You can sync your data, block trackers, and customize your browser without Google getting in the way.

The only notable exception is LibreWolf, which is desktop-only. Consider pairing it with Firefox, since the layout and features will feel familiar. And while Firefox Sync is disabled by default for privacy reasons, LibreWolf lets you re-enable it using overrides so you can keep your data consistent across devices.

Why are people ditching Chrome?

People are leaving Chrome for a mix of reasons. Some complain it slows their computers, while others don’t like how it tracks everything you do, constantly changes features, or how Google made many popular extensions (such as ad-blockers) less effective.

I’ll go through the main issues below and highlight which browsers handle things better in each case.

Chrome is a resource hog

Memes about Chrome’s excessive RAM usage are aplenty, and for good reason. Benchmarks show Chrome uses up to 2 GB of RAM with 20 tabs open, compared to the average of 1.5 GB for other Chromium-based browsers like Brave, Vivaldi, or Microsoft Edge.

You’ll find no shortage of users reporting that their laptops heat up faster, the battery drains quicker, and are experiencing slower performance overall—even on mid-range builds. If you’re looking for a less resource-heavy browser, the best Chrome alternatives on my list are:

• LibreWolf: Removes telemetry, background services (like auto updates), and the speculative preloading and prefetching found in regular Firefox builds.
• Brave: Blocks ads and trackers by default, meaning fewer scripts load on each page. Stop the heavy tracking on most websites, and you’ll see less RAM and CPU usage, especially with a lot of open tabs.
• Arc: Manages memory by suspending inactive tabs more aggressively than Chrome and running background tasks at a lower priority.

Ad/extension changes (Manifest V3)

With the switch to Manifest V3, Google basically crippled ad-blockers and other extensions on Chrome, including popular options like uBlock Origin (uBO), Tampermonkey, and more. Unfortunately, this change affects most Chromium browsers as well.

If you still want to use uBO, user-script extensions, and other tools that rely on Manifest V2, your best bet is to switch to Firefox or its forks, like LibreWolf or the Tor Browser. The latter even has uBO installed by default, among other privacy protections.

Looking for a browser that blocks ads but still want to keep Chromium compatibility? Then Brave and Vivaldi may be more up your alley.

Google’s extensive data collection

Google knows a lot about you thanks to data they gather from its myriad of “free” services, including Chrome, YouTube, Google Maps, and so on.

Ever seen an ad for something you’ve only thought about, not even mentioned in passing? Well, it’s no voodoo magic; just heaps of search, browsing, voice, and other data allowing Google to predict what you might be interested in next.

Browsers like LibreWolf, Tor, or Brave are the best Chrome alternatives if you’d rather not send usage data to Google or other companies. Firefox works too, though you’ll have to tinker with privacy settings to turn off telemetry and usage reporting.

UI changes and feature bloat

Chrome and other browsers keep adding new features, panels, and redesigns, usually with no way to turn off new changes. Not to mention peddling generative AI at every turn, though Firefox, Arc, and Brave also have their own AI features (which you can disable).

If Chrome keeps messing with your workflow and you’re tired of AI everywhere, give Vivaldi a shot. It usually lets you switch off new additions without messing with Chromium flags. Though, admittedly, you can get lost in the settings sometimes for this exact reason.

Arc is another great alternative for its clean interface and ways to simplify workflow, such as Spaces. This lets you organize tabs in a visual, project-oriented way instead of juggling groups, stacks, containers, and pins. AI is there, but it’s totally optional.

Alternatives offer better customization

Some people ditch Chrome because they want more control over how their browser looks and works. Now, if you know what you’re doing, you can use CSS to customize the layout of Firefox and LibreWolf for some neat results.

On the other hand, Vivaldi’s built-in settings let you customize everything from toolbar layouts to keyboard shortcuts, and even remove buttons you never use from right-click menus to keep things clean. If you can’t find what you need, you can style things manually with CSS.

For instance, I used CSS to make sound-playing tabs turn red after losing track of YouTube Music one too many times.

Preference for open-source software

While Chrome is built on an open-source Chromium base, Google adds proprietary components (like Sync and built-in codecs) on top. If you value transparency, you’re better off switching to Firefox, LibreWolf, The Tor Browser, or even Brave.

All of these options publish their source code, letting you check what the browser does behind the scenes. Anyone in the community can inspect the code to offer fixes and see that it’s not up to anything shady.

Methodology: How I rated Chrome alternatives

Here’s a more detailed look at how I tested and chose the best Chrome alternatives:

• Privacy and security: I looked at how each browser blocks ads and trackers, handles passwords, and protects your data (like with HTTPS-Only Mode, end-to-end encrypted syncing, or the Tor network).
• User trust and company reputation: I also checked past controversies and each company’s privacy policy to ensure they don’t log or sell your info without permission. Not every team is clean, but trustworthy ones scored higher.
• Performance and ease of use: Presumably, you don’t want a Chrome alternative with even more bloat and RAM usage. I compared performance, responsiveness, and how intuitive menus and workflows are while browsing.
• Customizability: Browsers that let you adjust layouts or features without digging too deep or resorting to advanced methods scored higher. Of course, I didn’t detract from those that want to keep things straightforward.
• Device support and sync: With the exception of LibreWolf, I chose browsers that have solid apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. I also tested syncing bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs between devices to make sure switching between desktop and phone is seamless.
• Open-source projects: Bonus points for browsers that make their source code public so people can audit and improve it themselves.

Chrome alternative FAQs

Further reading: Best free browsers for privacy and security