Choosing the best web browser is a crucial phase in shaping your online experience. Opera, with its rich history of reliability, is often the go-to browser for those prioritizing security. In terms of customization and user-friendliness, it stacks up impressively against other browsers. However, is Opera browser safe? We’ll examine critical information you need to know before downloading.
Overall features of Opera
Sometimes, switching to a new browser means overhauling your entire online routine. Browsers can be very different from each other, and therefore, certain features are less widespread. However, Opera is built on Chromium, an open-source web project powered by Google. This means if you’re already using other browsers using this framework, like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, etc., you can expect the same basic outline and features with Opera. You will easily be able to migrate bookmarks, keychains, specific settings, and more. Is Opera browser safe because of this? It is a trusted framework used by many.
However, Opera has more up its sleeve than the average browser. Firstly, since Chromium powers Opera, you will have full access to the extensions available on a typical Chrome browser. This gives you even more flexibility with your features and allows you to use the software you’ve already come to rely on. We should also mention that it is entirely free to download on desktop and mobile, and you can sync information across devices regardless of whether you subscribe to their premium plan.
Opera considers itself a “faster, safer, and smarter” browser than the ones that may come preloaded onto your device. To prove this, they offer a built-in AI called Aria that seamlessly integrates into the browser along with ChatGPT. These models help each other, as ChatGPT is an increasingly trusted AI model considered one of the best in generative responses, where Aria has up-to-date information (much like Bard) to compensate for ChatGPT’s knowledge cutoff. With Opera, you will no longer have to navigate to your favorite AI — it’s built-in.
Apart from this, Opera offers many security-focused features. This includes ad blockers, tracking blockers, and password managers, all fully loaded and ready for deployment as soon as you download the browser. These features help you protect your privacy by preventing your most identifiable data from being collected by advertisers who may use it to manipulate you. It also allows you to maintain unique passwords on every site you use, which is necessary for digital security. Opera offers a free VPN, too, which we will dive into shortly.
See also: Choosing the best web browser for you: an ultimate guide
All about Opera speeds
According to a test done by HighSpeedInternet.com, Opera was the third fastest browser of the ones they tested. The browser has a battery-saver option that reduces bulky graphics and reduces power being drawn in the background, which could make the browser perform better speed-wise while turned on. Comparatively, is Opera browser safe? You may be tempted to go with the fastest option, but currently, the fastest option is Chrome, which has a history of selling user data and inviting ad trackers galore. At face value, it is nowhere near the best choice for your privacy.
Opera has many built-in features, however, that may make your browsing experience faster for your needs. As we mentioned, there is a built-in AI to cut out the time it would require to navigate to one in the first place. Likewise, the browser contains many social media shortcuts, which may be ideal for those who use their browser to access social media frequently. To those with family and friends in other countries who use WhatsApp to keep in touch, it is already integrated into the browsers.
Overall, Opera has some of the top speeds and comes close to the fastest on the market. However, there are many things you should consider when choosing a browser, not just speed. With Opera’s impressive line-up of security features, integrations, and extensions, you may find that it is the perfect browser for you regardless of its legitimate speed.
What does Opera being free mean for the user?
Whenever software is offered for free, you must ask the essential questions surrounding how it may affect your data. Especially when asking is Opera browser safe. Opera makes money through two primary sources: advertising and search royalties. This may seem contradictory, considering Opera has built-in ad blockers, and it is said to do everything to protect your privacy. This is precisely why it is essential to vet browsers despite their claims.
Opera reportedly made almost 50% of its revenue from advertising in 2021. Although they say one thing about their commitment to an ad-free experience, there is also clear evidence that supports their motivation for keeping ads present somewhere on the platform.
Monetizing with an ad model doesn’t inherently mean they partner with nefarious companies or sell individual user data; those are problems you would encounter on another browser. But it doesn’t support the idea of an ad-free experience either.
Is Opera browser safe if it offers a free VPN?
This is where things get tricky. Opera is one of the only major browsers that offers a VPN for free, available to use upon download. You may salivate at the idea of digital privacy VPNs available at no cost and jump to this browser solely on that notion. But we advise you to take a second look, as free VPNs are almost never as capable as paid VPNs for a few glaring reasons.
Many experts have claimed that Opera’s branding of their VPN is straight-up misleading based on what the service is capable of. From our perspective at IPVanish, we scowl at some of these pitfalls that negate the purpose of using a VPN. Despite AES-256 encryption and ease of use, Opera VPN lacks fundamental controls and even makes money with an intrusive logging policy that will make your data vulnerable.
It doesn’t even use a widely trusted protocol or have a kill switch to protect your data in case of a connection failure. This is especially bad for Opera VPN because it has a particularly small server network, which is historically prone to failure across other free VPNs.
This doesn’t necessarily affect the answer to our overarching question: is Opera browser safe? Because the browser itself has many features that can help you stay more private online. But you should be wary of any software that is offered for free or makes misleading claims.
A VPN that is dedicated
You can secure yourself online with confidence by using a paid VPN like IPVanish. We are committed to giving you an unmetered, no traffic logs experience. We offer many known and trusted VPN protocols and have a network of 2,200+ servers in 75+ global locations, giving you many options to choose from. In the event of a connection failure, our Kill Switch will ensure that none of your data is leaked through our encrypted tunnel. These features alone should give you much more confidence than a free option like Opera VPN.