# Alternatives to Chrome

Google's Chromium browser with the largest extension ecosystem.

Chrome ranks #10 of 14 in Browsers, with an Alt Score of 47. It is proprietary, free and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. 10 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/chrome/
Category: Browsers

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Anyone browsing the web on desktop or mobile who wants a fast, free browser with built-in Google integration; it scales from casual users to enterprise deployments.
- **What you get**: A Chromium-based browser with tab grouping, split-view, and memory/energy saver modes for managing many tabs. It syncs bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs across signed-in devices via a Google account, with built-in autofill and Google Password Manager. Security features include Enhanced Safe Browsing, Safety Check, and a Privacy Guide. Thousands of extensions are available through the Chrome Web Store, alongside optional Gemini AI features for search and task assistance.
- **How it works**: Download and install Chrome, then sign in with a Google account to enable sync across devices. Browse using the omnibox for combined search and URL navigation, install extensions from the Chrome Web Store, and manage settings like passwords, privacy, and themes from the browser menu.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: ?
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Vivaldi](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/vivaldi.md) | 93 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 2 | [Brave](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/brave.md) | 85 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [Waterfox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/waterfox.md) | 77 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 4 | [Orion](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/orion.md) | 74 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS |
| 5 | [Firefox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/firefox.md) | 70 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 6 | [Edge](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/edge.md) | 63 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 7 | [LibreWolf](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/librewolf.md) | 58 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 8 | [Opera](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/opera.md) | 58 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 9 | [Zen Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zen-browser.md) | 51 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 10 | [Arc](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/arc.md) | 44 | Proprietary | macOS, Windows, iOS |
| 11 | [DuckDuckGo Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/duckduckgo-browser.md) | 40 | Apache-2.0 | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| 12 | [Tor Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/tor-browser.md) | 36 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 13 | [Ungoogled Chromium](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ungoogled-chromium.md) | 25 | BSD-3-Clause | Windows, macOS, Linux |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Browsers checklist | Chrome | Vivaldi | Brave | Waterfox | Orion | Firefox |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Free | Free | Free | Freemium | Free |
| Starts at | ? | ? | ? | ? | $5/month | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 | Proprietary | MPL-2.0 |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Engine (Chromium / Gecko / WebKit) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in ad blocker | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Built-in VPN or proxy | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | No |
| Vertical tabs | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tab groups & workspaces | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extension ecosystem compatibility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sync (E2E encrypted) | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Battery / memory saver mode | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Privacy: fingerprinting protection | Partial | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Telemetry opt-out | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Profile containers | No | Partial | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reader mode | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Chrome. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.google.com/chrome/terms/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “These Google Chrome and ChromeOS Additional Terms of Service apply to the executable code version of Chrome and ChromeOS.”
- **Pricing model**: Free — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-chrome/id535886823> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Free · In‑App Purchases”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “64-bit Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, openSUSE 15.5+, or Fedora Linux 39+”
- **Status**: active — <https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2026/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_01162222768.html> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Stable Channel Update for Desktop”
- **Engine (Chromium / Gecko / WebKit)**: Yes — <https://developer.chrome.com/docs/web-platform/blink> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Blink serves as the rendering engine for Chromium-based browsers, including Chrome, Android WebView, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave.”
- **Built-in ad blocker**: No — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2765944> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “To prevent intrusive or misleading ads, change your site settings”
- **Tab groups & workspaces**: Yes — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2391819> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “When you create or edit a tab group, Chrome automatically saves and syncs changes across devices where you're signed in with the same Google Account.”
- **Extension ecosystem compatibility**: Yes — <https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/answer/2664769> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “You can customize Chrome on your desktop by adding extensions from the Chrome Web Store.”
- **Sync (E2E encrypted)**: Partial — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/165139> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “use Google's cloud to store your Chrome data without letting Google read it”
- **Battery / memory saver mode**: Yes — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/12929150> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Chrome deactivates tabs that you aren't currently using”
- **Privacy: fingerprinting protection**: Partial — <https://www.chromium.org/Home/chromium-privacy/privacy-sandbox/covert-tracking/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “enforce a limit on entropy collected by each site”
- **Telemetry opt-out**: Partial — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/96817> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “You can start or stop allowing these reports any time.”
- **Profile containers**: No — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2364824> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “With profiles, you can keep all your Chrome info separate, like bookmarks, history, passwords, and other settings.”
- **Reader mode**: Partial — <https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/14218344> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Customize your reading experience on Chrome with reading mode.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/