Let's take a closer look at the most popular browsers for personal computers and laptops running Windows in the world and in RuNet, in particular. We will try to evaluate them as objectively as possible. advantages And flaws for the user. The main and most important characteristics are speed, ease of use, safety, functionality.

Before moving on to the review, let's turn to statistics, provided by leading web analytics companies.

The latest data on the share of users in the world at the beginning of 2017 was provided by the Net Applications agency. It is worth noting that these statistics have not undergone global changes for several years.

Several companies maintain statistics on Russian-language Internet users, including OpenStat, LiveInternet and HotLog.

As we see, confident leadership in RuNet and in the world beyond Google Chrome .

But these are just statistics. In order to fully experience the quality of the work of reviewers, it is worth trying them all in action, because everyone may have their own specific wishes and preferences.

Mozilla FireFox – free web surfing

If you prefer simple interface with minimum extra buttons and tabs, then this browser is definitely worth trying. At initial installation You will get a minimum of functions, which for some is even better - easy to use.

You can expand the functionality using numerous plugins And extensions, of which there is simply a sea (more than 100 thousand at the moment).

Features a high level security Your personal data and passwords. Easy to at a construction site.

An important advantage is blocking pop-up windows and RSS support. Updates independently, without user intervention.

High rates of development allow the observer to successfully compete with the leaders of the ratings, but it is still slightly inferior in performance the next browser in our review.

Google - Internet at the speed of Chrome

Chrome offers the greatest speed of work. The functionality is very well thought out. Features a very convenient multilingual interface, which all other browsers are trying to copy with varying degrees of success.

Browser automatically blocks pop-ups in search bar You can enter both the site address and the search query.

Extremely convenient quick page translation. Supports operating mode by several users.

It's more than just a browser - it's a platform for web applications. Built-in Flash player, it is possible to view PDF And DOC files directly in the browser window. For some it may be useful function turning on the mode incognita to disable tracking of your online activity and recording of your Internet activity.

Lots of extensions, unfortunately, not all of them are of high enough quality, since many are created by third-party developers. Because of them, there may be a decrease in operating speed, so you should install only proven plugins and extensions.

From shortcomings can be noted quite high loading random access memory when opening multiple tabs, as well as tracking your interests, location and displaying advertising based on this information.

However, in general, it is not for nothing that this reviewer occupies a leadership position in Russia and the world, so we can recommend it first of all.

Opera - convenient, safe, fast

The once most popular Internet browser in Russia is now losing more and more popularity every year. But its Mini version for smartphones is still used by the majority.

Among advantages should be noted comparatively fast work , will be very useful for low-power computers. The speed can be further increased by using the " Turbo».

Easy to configure, can install about a thousand extensions And plugins. Has a pleasant interface.

TO cons Considering the large amount of loaded RAM, some sites may not be displayed quite correctly.

Yandex Browser - fast with turbo mode

Recently, a Russian-made columnist has become increasingly popular. True, the same engine is taken as a basis Chromium, and therefore the interface is similar to Chrome, but it must be admitted that it is a little more adapted for Runet.

Among the differences, we note the unusual animated background Internet Explorer, which improves perception. Interface simplified to a minimum. Diverse panels take up less space, resulting in a 20% increase in site visibility. Services integrated Yandex disk, mail, online translator and other specialized ones.

For some, the simplified interface may be a disadvantage; it will take time to get used to it. If you do not connect to various Yandex services, the browser will work limitedly.

Tor Browser Bundle – incognito mode

Not represented in the rating, which is no wonder - the browser is intended for users who want hide your data, spies trying to work on the network in incognita.

Basically it's Thor modified Mozilla FireFox, with a similar interface and functionality. But with its use you can hide your IP address, location and other personal data.

However, the cost of protecting your information will be significant. decreased productivity. That is, pages will open slowly, since traffic will be redirected through servers in many countries. You will constantly have to enter a captcha in a search engine in order to be checked to see if you are a robot.

If you care about privacy online – we recommend trying Tor Browser.

Internet Explorer - always at hand

Explorer is the grandfather of all modern browsers. Now he has already lost his position significantly. In all respects - security, speed, convenience, it is quite weak.

However, in the latest version Internet Explorer 11 tried to get closer to the leading reviewers and level out a number of shortcomings.

However cons its use is still too a lot of, because few users give it their preference.

Microsoft Edge– new fromMicrosoft

Microsoft does not give up and in 2015 creates a browser that is rapidly increasing the number of its fans. It replaced Internet Explorer in Windows 10.

Increased number of supported extensions, operating speed increased thanks to the use of the new EdgeHTML engine. Fully integrated in Windows 10, it cannot be used in other versions. We also worked on security.

From shortcomings– some sites may not be displayed correctly, the menu is not functional enough, and it is difficult to customize for specific tasks.

No user can do without one of the most important computer programs- browser. It is a kind of conductor between the user and worldwide network The Internet allows you to access information. Their list is not limited only to well-known names. There are several dozen more interesting web browsers.

: Waterfox, Pale Moon, SeaMonkey, Avant Browser, Lunascape, Chromium, Comodo Dragon.

Every year new, more advanced versions of browsers are released. To choose the fastest, most secure, interactive web browser, you need to start from the tasks you are solving. Here we will consider browsers from the following points of view, from the point of view of ease of use and from the point of view of security. The more we pay attention to simplicity, the less secure the browser will be, and vice versa, the more attention we pay to security, the more complex the use of the browser will become. Here I will try to prioritize and find. By security I mean not only the impossibility of an attacker from hacking your data, but also personal anonymity on the network. In turn, the issue of anonymity on the Internet is strongly intertwined with security and is a fairly significant criterion for the holistic security of personal data. And anonymous for whom? For your neighbor? Friend on VKontakte? Or for Google or FSB?

It is from this position that I will approach choosing the best browser for Windows. We could go on and on about the merits of each browser, but modern browsers have almost the same functions, so I think this information is the same for all browsers and can be omitted. Let's focus specifically on the fundamental differences between each of the browsers that may be of interest to us.

Let's start with the fact that almost all the most popular browsers are based on the Chromium browser engine. This includes Google Chrome, Yandex Browser, Opera and other well-known browsers. WITH full list can be found on Wikipedia. That is why I did not consider many of the browsers that differ only in appearance and some unimportant functions. There are, of course, pleasant exceptions, such as Firefox, a browser developed by a free community of programmers, and the Tor browser, which is not such a mass product, but is very famous for its function of anonymizing the user’s IP address.

Is it good or bad to use the Chromium engine as a basis? OK good. Many people are working on the project, testing and updating the engine occurs constantly, almost every minute. You can read more about testing new functions and adding them to the browser engine. There are other engines, but Chromium is currently the most popular, and therefore requires the closest attention.

Internet users in the CIS and Russia vote for the reliability of browsers with their security. The statistics look like this:

You can view the latest browser usage statistics in the Liveinternet service at this link.

As you can see, almost all of Russia trusts the Chromium engine. 120 million people have entrusted their electronic wallets, numbers bank cards, passwords and other personal data for Google Chrome, Yandex Browser, Opera and other not so popular browsers.

Also from the above data we can draw a small but very important conclusion. Popular browsers are under constant load from users, and even more so under constant attacks from criminals who want to take over your payment data. And these browsers cope very well with such attacks, of course, if you are not frivolous and do not succumb to the actions and provocations of villains. Next, I will make a short description of the most popular browsers and one narrowly focused one, designed primarily to ensure anonymity on the Internet.

In terms of personal data security Google users There is no need to worry about Chrome; in any case, the default settings there do not contribute to the leakage of your personal data. It’s another matter if you post your personal information yourself, select the same passwords and succumb to the provocations of attackers.

To ensure anonymity here, of course, you will have to work. There are many additional plugins for automatic cleaning history, to block java script on the site, etc. Not only can these tools make you anonymous, but they will generally improve your online safety.

Chromium

Almost completely identical Google browser Chrome. New versions appear first in Chromium, in others, including Google Chrome later. Differs from Google Chrome in the absence of the Google Update process and service automatic sending statistics. In theory, if you don’t want Google to know even more about you, use the Chromium browser. However, there is data confirming that statistics are still sent to Google servers. You can read more about this. And for Windows at the office. On the site you can download an assembly for developers, so errors in the browser may occur.

To secure your personal data and ensure the proper level of anonymity, you can use any extensions from the Google application store. In general, this is the same browser, only less commercial and practically does not send any statistics to Google servers. Plus, you will receive browser updates earlier than updates to other Chromium-based browsers.

Mozilla Firefox

A non-commercial browser, it has endless possibilities when using additional extensions. Including from the point of view of the security of personal data and anonymity, this is probably best browser. Here you can completely customize everything for yourself. Firefox is developed by the non-profit organization Mozilla and is distributed under a free license. Anyone, if desired, can improve the program code and customize the work as they personally need.

Firefox, thanks to its flexible settings, is capable of almost any task. From surfing the Internet to watch videos, to super anonymous access anywhere. At least to the Pentagon. It is so flexible in configuration, there are such a large number of extensions in the extension store that, depending on the level of knowledge, you can do anything with this “magic” tool with the right hands.

Yandex browser

Thanks to its active advertising of the browser, Yandex has achieved quite good popularity - almost 15 million users now use Yandex Browser daily. The browser is based on the fast and flexible Chromium engine and has a very nice interface.

There is no support for Google Chrome plugins. Additional extensions are downloaded from the Opera server. Therefore, everything that is available from extensions for Opera browser compatible with Yandex Browser. Appearance It’s not bad here, the interface is beautiful, by and large it’s a browser with tight integration of Yandex services. Actually, just as Google Chrome integrates well with Google services, Yandex integrates its services into its browser. If you actively use Yandex disk, mail and other search engine services, the browser will be like your own. Otherwise, I think you won’t like the browser, even if it’s so heavily promoted. Safety with a “head on your shoulders” is ensured perfectly. The browser is excellent and suitable for the everyday tasks of any user.

I also think everyone understands that the browser collects user statistics no less than other browsers.

Opera

The browser is based on the Chromium engine. It has a large number of built-in functions to ensure connection security. Browser features include:

• Built-in ad blocker;
• Built-in VPN service;
• Large extension store.

Compared to Google Chrome Opera is a small island next to the continent. Opera is used by no more than 2% of users worldwide; in Russia and the CIS this figure is higher – 3.5%. However, with all this, Opera is an excellent alternative to Chrome. Both from the point of view of interface simplicity, and from the point of view of functionality and security.

To ensure greater anonymity and security, you can download additional extensions and configure the browser for the necessary tasks.

Tor

A well-known browser for anonymizing IP addresses on the Internet. Known primarily for its ability to open prohibited sites. Due to the triple change of IP addresses, the communication channel is greatly narrowed and the speed decreases many times. That is why this is not a browser for watching videos online and downloading movies in torrents.

Designed based on Firefox browser commissioned by the US government. Then, to identify errors in the code and correct them, the browser code was posted in open access For everyone.

When surfing the Internet, subject to certain conditions, you can be almost 100% anonymous; the possibility of de-anonymization tends to zero. This way you can work on absolutely any site. The conditions under which this degree of anonymity is possible can be found on the official website of the developer; the information is available in English; if you really want to read it, use a translator.

Overall this

• Don't download torrents;
• Do not use browser plugins;
• Access websites only using the HTTPS protocol;
• Do not open documents downloaded via Tor: torrents, PDFs, videos, programs.

Read more about correct setting You can look at Tor and how the browser works.

Brief conclusions

All browsers described in this article collect usage statistics and send them to their creators. At least Tor, at least, I think it’s not a problem. When installing the browser, you can agree or refuse to send statistics; after installation, you can change the sending settings in the browser settings. Statistics are used to improve the browser, correct errors and, of course, to make money for you and me.

How to find this golden mean between safety and ease of operation? For everyday tasks: watching movies, communicating online, it is enough to use basic principles - a head on your shoulders. A browser is a window to the Internet; downloading it with a virus or with modified code in the “most necessary places” is the same as giving criminals your money, your payment details and other personal information. Moreover, it is very easy to do this by being frivolous and thinking that “I have nothing to hide and I don’t owe anyone anything, so everything will be OK.” Having accidentally given your personal email address to unscrupulous persons, sent a copy of your passport and other documents, while thinking that “I’m giving the documents to a Sberbank employee,” you can later regret that you were not careful. In general, any browser will be suitable for safe Internet surfing. verified time and hacking attempts. For simplicity, we will classify the most popular browsers as tested. They can be trusted, naturally within reasonable limits, since they can also be hacked.

And finally, I would like to note that you only need to download the browser from the official website or from trusted sources. Therefore, be vigilant when choosing a browser and be careful on the Internet. Thank you for your attention.