Hola

The Hola extension for Chrome is an ad-free VPN proxy service, which gives you a faster and more open Internet. With Hola installed you can access websites that are blocked or censored in your country.

The Hola browser extension helps you become invisible whilst browsing the web and also provides you with access to restricted resources, Hola can help with both these tasks without requiring any advanced proxy configuration knowledge. The extension sits behind a plain layout, yet it hides a powerful engine. It offers you a simple solution for accessing various blocked websites and enhancing your browsing speed.

Hola's navigation is fairly straightforward; simply pick one of the proxy servers that is provided neatly in the drop-down list. For best results, it is recommended that you pick one that is nearest to your country, as this will give you better browsing speed. After choosing the desired proxy, the extension changes your IP address and unblocks access to the domain.

Overall, Hola is quite useful for keeping your identity secret, thereby preventing tracking attempts, and it is also a reliable browser extension that helps you visit inaccessible websites. If you view lots of content on the web, then Hola is a great extension to use.

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Ghostery

The Ghostery extension for Chrome prevents advertisers, social media, and other online services from collecting and storing your online surfing and shopping habits.

Ghostery is a small but powerful extension that gives you more control of your online privacy and therefore makes browsing the web safer. It has a easy to view and understand design and colour scheme. The extension will alert you with a bubble that is slightly transparent and blends well with the webpage you are on, so as not to be interrupted.

In testing, Ghostery performed very well and notified us about numerous trackers scripts, images, and objects, from these it allowed us to select which to block. Ghostery is well configured and trackers which are blocked from from one website are then blocked from all.

Although Ghostery blocks links very well, this has the tendency to sometimes results in certain websites becoming not view-able. If this happens you may have to test each blocked tracker individually to ascertain what has caused the issue, and this obviously can take time. Overall, the Ghostery extension for Chrome provides a high quality security service that gives you good control over your browsing.

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Maxthon Cloud Browser

Maxthon Cloud Browser is a powerful web browser which has a highly customizable interface. The browser has multiple tools that make your web experience more enjoyable, such as resource sniffer, screen capture tool, night mode and cloud functionality.

Key Features Include

Unobtrusive UI: You can fully customize Maxthon Cloud Browser by adding, moving, swapping and changing the browser's tool bars, icons, menus, colours, skins, and layouts.
Built-in Ad Hunter: This tool will block harmful ads, images and pages. The Filter packs will screen out offensive Web pages too.
Plug-ins: More than 1,400 plug-ins are currently available for Maxthon Cloud Browser.
Cloud Syncing and Cloud Push: Maxthon Cloud Browser has the ability to synchronize your bookmarks, tabs, options and your address bar and new-tab links, throughout all of your computers and mobile devices running the app.

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K-Meleon

K-Meleon is an extremely fast, customizable, lightweight web browser based on the Gecko layout engine developed by Mozilla which is also used by Firefox. K-Meleon is free, open source software released under the GNU General Public License and is designed specifically for Microsoft Windows (Win32) operating systems.

Choose your desired bookmarking system

"Tabbed" browsing
Mouse gestures
Complete toolbar, menu, context menu, & keyboard shortcut customization
Block popup windows
Fast load time
Easy web searching
Themes & skins
Macros

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Firemin

Mozilla Firefox is a great web browser, however it does have drawbacks, namely it is loves to eat up memory. Firefox has always been affected by this issue and memory leaks are one of the issues that needs to be resolved in order to attract more users.

Firemin is a small app that runs from the system tray and tries to address the problems associated with Firefox’s memory hogging ways. It works with XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8, and runs on both 32 and 64-bit versions.

Due to Firefox’s memory leakage, Firemin runs the clean memory API call a few times per second, rather than Windows Memory Management which performs similar operations less frequently.

Many would argue that Firemin is not a proven app and the benefits of using it cannot be quantified. That being said, the app is Open Source and free to use, so if it works for you then great! If you would rather rely on Windows Memory Management to periodically scan running processes and request them to release unused memory, then simply choose Windows to manage it.

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Epic Privacy Browser

Security is a big issue, and your privacy is a large part of it. There are a plethora of ways that you can ensure your privacy remains behind closed doors whilst browsing the web. For instance, you can delete your history after each browsing session, or use your browser's private browsing mode. Adding a Do Not Track plug-in is also useful, as well as hiding your IP address by going through a proxy.

Epic Privacy Browser has been designed specifically with privacy in mind. It has been built on the Chromium platform and doesn't retain history, doesn’t allow plug-ins and it blocks third-party cookies. It comes with a built-in proxy to hide your IP address as well.

Key Features include:

Instant Proxy.
Secure Search.
Do Not Track.
Cookie Blocker.
The app also has some cool 'under the hood' security features too. Epic Privacy Browser blocks fingerprinting scripts and functions such as image canvas data accessing in order to protect you from being tracked.

Epic Privacy Browser is fast, simple and very secure. It has some good security features as standard. Overall, Epic Privacy Browser ensures securing your privacy is not an option, it is the default. With tools such as active Do Not Track, and a built-in Web proxy, this browser focuses on security and privacy to ensure you privacy remains intact.

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Cacaoweb

Cacaoweb is a free application and communication platform that enables you to store, access and search through your data. With Cacaoweb you can also communicate with your friends via instant messages, voice or video.

The Cacaoweb utility operates in a similar manner to BitTorrent clients, whereby it allows you to view a variety of content via your web browser. The application is very lightweight and is quick to install. Cacaoweb works with virtually any web browser, including Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Overall, Cacaoweb is a combination between a BitTorrent client and a web application. It is compatible with popular browsers, is lightweight and it has an easy to use interface.

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Brave Browser

Brave is the brainchild of Brendan Eich (co-founder of the Mozilla Project). It’s a ultra secure, open source web browser that is based upon Chromium/Blink engine, and it aims to block website trackers and remove intrusive internet ads. In doing so, it will replace them with ads that are sold by Eich's company.

The browser also aims to improve your online privacy by sharing less data with ad customers. It does this by targeting web ads via an analysis of users' (anonymous) browsing history. Brave opts to retain 15% of ad revenue for itself, pay content publishers 55%, ad partners 15% and, (this is the good bit) give 15% to the browser’s users’. You, the user, can then donate to bloggers and or other web content providers through a micropayment system.

Brave has been designed specifically to block ads and trackers, which slow your browsing speed down, spend your bandwidth, and try to access your private data. The developers want to show tailored, clean ads, in order to help fund website owners and other Brave users alike.

Brave does come with a few handy security tools built-in to help protect your privacy. For instance, by integrating HTTPS Everywhere, Brave ensures your connections to websites are always the securest they can be. The browser also blocks tracking pixels and tracking cookies, and you also can set your default search engine to Duck Duck Go, instead of Alphabet’s standard engine.

Overall, Brave is a really quick web browser that has a crisp, trimmed down interface, which is really easy to use, and joy to navigate the web with. Upon testing, we were able to navigate to our favourite websites in hardly any time at all, with no glitches in sight. The security tools are first rate, and the fact you can help out developers by giving back to the community is real bonus feature. All in all, Brave is definitely a browser to check out.

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Baidu Browser

Baidu Browser (formerly Baidu Spark Browser) is based on Chromium, the same engine which runs Google Chrome. Although Baidu Browser has a standard design, it does have some nice features such as changeable skins and a good user interface.

The app has a nice integration with Facebook as well as features for downloading videos, screenshot capture, torrent download, open downloads manager, and account protection.

One helpful feature is the sidebar. This gives you quick access to bookmarks and downloads, a zoom function to enlarge or shrink the page, and a widget for Facebook. The really cool feature though, is the ability to use gestures with the mouse to accomplish specific actions, such as closing or opening a new tab, or navigating forwards and backwards. The downside is that you can't create new customized gestures.

Key features include:

Media Downloader.
Browser Doctor.
Full-Page Screenshots.
Mouse Gestures.
Account Syncing.
Baidu Browser also has some nice security features. It comes with a built-in virus scanner and an adware block. There is also an extra function, which prevents other apps from modifying your existing security and privacy settings.

Overall, Baidu Browser is a good looking browser with some cool features such as the gesture controls and media downloader. The setup is very similar to Chrome and the Facebook integration works very well. The sidebar is also a useful tool that isn't too intrusive.

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1stBrowser

1stBrowser is another take on Google’s flagship Chrome browser. In fact, it has been built around Chromium, the same open-source code as Google Chrome, and as such 1stBrowser offers a familiar interface from which to begin your browsing. This may not be enough to tempt you, however, it does offer some additional extras to improve your browsing experience.

For a start 1stBrowser allows you to personalize it to match your specific style. You can change your theme and choose your icon. There are also some handy tools to play around with as well. 1stBrowser lets you save your favorite audio or video files into your browser in just a click. There is also a handy photo tool that lets you edit photos, apply filters and post them all from directly within the browser.

Key Features Include:

Custom Wallpapers and Icons. Fully customizable browser, with thousands of icons and colorful designs for you to choose from.
Easy access to favorites. Enjoy easy and super quick access to your most visited websites via a drop down menu presented with icons and popular listings.
Fast and secure. Surf the web safely without interruptions and risks. Your data is safe with 1stBrowser.
1stBrowser has been touted as the only browser to combine customization features with media management tools. Not only can you completely personalize your browser, but there are also tons of great features for sharing and storing videos, editing images and keeping tabs on your favorite social media sites.

Overall, 1stBrowser is a good all round browser. It has a familiar interface and some really useful tools, such as the photo tool, which is very handy. For those users who love to tweak things, the browser is also extremely easy to customize. There is a downside however. There are some Chrome extensions that are not compatible, and this alone may put some users off.

1stBrowser is available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and German.

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Avast Secure Browser

Avast Secure Browser strives to offer a ‘private, fast and secure’ service for Windows users. Simply put, this product has been built for privacy by security experts. It boasts an array of features to make sure that all cybersecurity bases are more than covered.

When describing their creation, Avast has defended the birth of ‘another browser’. The inventors have passionately told their audience that they need a browser that is built with their ‘best interests in mind’. It will not follow the user each time they click a link, search or buy something online.

Moreover, Avast Secure Browser assembles all of the necessary privacy and security tools needed and brings them together in one familiar place. Not content with just delivering ‘the world’s leading antivirus’, Avast now say it has created a ‘dream browser’.

Key features include:
Stay anonymous.
Avast Antivirus.
Secure personal information.
Bank Mode.
Browse faster.
Password managers.
Adblock.
Anti-Phishing and Anti-Tracking.
Stealth Mode and Extension Guard.
Flash Blocker.
Friendly interface.
Video downloader.
Your identity and digital footprint will be hidden, thanks to the product’s built-in privacy features – meaning no one can track you. It will mean that your posts, emails, searching and browsing history are yours, and yours only. Avast Secure Browser also provides all the features needed to prevent identity theft, malware and phishing scams.

What’s more is that you will also be able to browse faster with this product. This is because it automatically blocks ads, meaning with less to load it becomes a quicker task. All of your tools are also contained in a Security and Privacy Center, which can easily be customised to your personal preferences.

The Security and Privacy Center is home to several top features and hacks, all designed to improve your browsing experience and safety. Avast SecureLine VPN and Avast Antivirus can be managed here, as well as other safety features like HTTPS Encryption and Privacy Cleaner. As if these features were not enough, Avast has also included its Video Downloader feature – allowing you to save your video and audio files from streaming websites, all with a single click.

Overall, Avast Secure Browser pledges to go further than other browsers in terms of privacy, speed and security. As well as its far-reaching features and the fact it essentially allows you, the user, to be in control – it is also incredibly straightforward to use. A warm and friendly interface, coupled with handy tips and tutorials, makes Avast Secure Browser not only a safe experience, but an enjoyable one too.

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Google Chrome

Google’s game changing web browser Chrome combines sophisticated technology with a simple UI, to create a faster, safer and easier browsing experience. Launched in 2008, Google Chrome quickly dominated the web browser market to become the most used web browser globally within 4 years of its public release. Google’s rapid and continuous development cycle ensures the web browser continues to compete with the other most popular and advanced web browsers available.

Speed

Perhaps the area Google invested most of its development time to differentiate from other web browsers. Google Chrome launches extremely quickly from your desktop, runs applications at speed thanks to a powerful JavaScript engine and loads pages rapidly using the WebKit open source rendering engine. Add to this quicker search and navigation options from the simplified UI and you have a web browser that is pretty hard to beat on speed, especially if gaming is your thing.

Clean, simple UI

Google Chrome’s most striking feature and a substantial factor in its popularity - the simple UI hasn’t changed much since the beta launch in 2008. Google focused on trimming down unnecessary toolbar space to maximise browsing real estate. The web browser is made up of 3 rows of tools, the top layer horizontally stacks automatically adjusting tabs, next to a simple new tabs icon and the standard minimize, expand & close windows controls. The middle row includes 3 navigation controls (Back, Forward & Stop/Refresh), a URL box which also allows direct Google web searching and a star bookmarking icon. Extensions and web browser settings icons line up to the right of the URL box. The third row is made up of bookmark folders and installed apps. Easily overlooked now, this clean UI was a breath of fresh air compared to the overcrowded toolbars of popular web browsers pre-2008.

Privacy

Another hugely popular feature, Incognito mode allows you to browse privately by disabling history recording, reducing traceable breadcrumbs and removing tracking cookies on shutdown. Google Chrome’s settings also allow you to customize regular browsing privacy preferences.

Security

Google Chrome’s Sandboxing prevents malware automatically installing on your computer or affecting other web browser tabs. Google Chrome also has Safe Browsing technology built in with malware and phishing protection that warns you if you encounter a website suspected of containing malicious software/activity. Regular automatic updates ensure security features are up to date and effective.

Customization

A vast selection of apps, extensions, themes and settings make your browsing experience unique to you. Improve productivity, security, navigation speed, pretty much anything you can think of with apps and extensions from the Google Chrome Store. Install themes created by top artists or make your own using mychrometheme.com. Sign in with your Google Account to back up your contacts, preferences, history as well as access all your Google tools with a single login

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