by Charles Miller

As I attempted to explain in this column last week, the internet browser you use to surf web sites is something over which you have more control than most users realize. The corporate giants of the computer technology world each have their own browser. If you have an Apple computer, tablet, or phone then it came with the Safari browser. If you use a Windows computer it came with Microsoft's Edge browser. And if you have an Android device, laptop or smart phone, then it came complete with Google's Chrome browser. For a lot of people that is the end of the story, but it does not have to be.

There are quite a few other browser programs available to install on your computer or mobile device, and many are cross platform; meaning that browsers such as Google's Chrome is available to be installed on Apple devices as well as Windows computers. So why would anyone want to install an alternative web browser?

The answers to that are many, but usually fall into the categories of enhanced privacy (i.e. fewer ads), avoiding the dominance of major companies like Google, Apple, or Microsoft, the need for special features, or simply wanting to have a "spare" web browser in case the default browser stops working. Most of the alternative browsers seem to focus on user privacy.

Tech people consistently say the best non-corporate browser program is Mozilla Firefox. The Mozilla Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization focused on promoting an open and accessible internet; the antithesis of the corporate giants. Firefox is available in versions for Apple computers and mobile devices, Windows PCs, as well Android computers, phones, and tablets.

A spin-off based on Firefox's open source code is Ghostery Private Browser. Ghostery takes ad-blocking, tracker-killing, and cookie deleting to a whole new level; to the point that some web sites no longer work. Expect to see some web sites display a message saying "We detect you are using an ad blocker. Disable or uninstall it to see all of our beautiful ads!"

The Opera browser created by an independent Norwegian software company has a long history of innovation, being the first to include tabs, and most recently an AI chat sidebar. There is a special version of Opera called Opera GX specifically designed for online gaming, so if you play games online and have been having any issues this browser might be worth trying. It is free and available for all platforms.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is LibreWolf. It is another modified version of the open-source Firefox browser that has been stripped down to a bare-bones interface that offers little in the way features aside from the standard bookmarks and tabs, but the point is to get rid of all the confusing features and options most users never use anyway. That could be just the thing for non-techie internet users. LibreWolf is available for both Apple and Microsoft computers.

K-Meleon is another lightweight browser with an emphasis on simplicity. There is even yet another browser named "Ungoogled Chromium" that takes the familiar Chrome browser then removes all dependencies on and connections to Google services, and boy did that make it faster!

I could go on except this column would be much too long. Instead I will recommend that you can do an online search for "best web browsers" to find articles titled "Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best" or "The 10 Best Web Browsers of 2025" and other such articles. The point to doing this is that because your internet browser is the software program you use the most, there could be a significant improvement to your online experience waiting for you in a different browser.

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Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant with decades of IT experience and a Texan with a lifetime love for Mexico. The opinions expressed are his own. He may be contacted at 415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.

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