Opera browser, built by Norwegian Opera Software, is very much similar to the popularly used Chrome browser built by Google. Both browsers are available to download free of cost and are compatible with most of the latest operating systems.
In 2013, Opera Software’s gave up the use of their own rendering engine and migrated to Google’s Blink, the same that is used by Chrome.
So if Opera now uses Google’s code, why use a third-party application instead of Chrome? Here’s why you should bother supplanting Chrome for Opera.
Ditch Google
It is no secret that Google keeps a tab of browsing history and other intricate information when users use its Chrome browser. A lot of users do not appreciate Google’s lack of privacy and, hence, resort to other browsers like Mozilla Firefox.
If you are one of those that dislikes using Google’s services, you could opt to use Opera to douse your concerns on privacy. You’ll never find yourself signed-in forever with your Google account, like you would on your Chrome browser.
Off-road mode/turbo mode
Previously available as ‘Turbo Mode’, now ‘Off-road Mode’; allows you to activate server-side compression which helps you load data-heavy pages faster. This is especially useful on a mobile where you do not want to expend too much battery or network usage while skimming through the internet.
‘Off-road Mode’ ensures the use of encrypted servers which also increase the privacy as well as the security of information exchanged through your Opera browser over the Internet, making it twice as safe.
Extensions and customizability
Opera comes along with compatibility for most of the extensions that the Chrome browser supports.
Along with that you’ll find an additional list in Opera’s add-on gallery. Most of these add-on’s and themes available in the add-on gallery are personally tested and de-bugged by Opera employees before they are rolled out to the public, reducing the risk of malware or vulnerabilities to your computing systems greatly.
Apart from selecting custom themes, Opera also allows you to sync your browsing history, bookmarks and preferences across all your devices (desktops, tablets and smartphones) just like with Chrome.
We should also note the fact that the company incorporated a native Ad-Blocker, that promises enhanced page loading, as well as unlimited free VPN at your disposal.
Although Opera has a smaller ‘browser’ market, its products speak of revolutionary improvements, much before competitors lay their hands on such ideas.
Opera has been known to have first-introduced features like tabbed browsing and speed dial to their browsers before any other provider, enabling them to bring improved experiences to users. These features were then added to other browsers later on.