Non-Chromium browsers?

[Dakota Tebaldi]

This month Google is enforcing a change in Chromium's code that will severely reduce the capabilities of ad-blocking and tracker-blocking extensions and other content filters. They say the reason they're doing this is for "security and trustworthiness", but the real reason is obviously to handicap ad-blockers. The change will eventually make its way downstream to any browser that uses Chromium - and my browser of choice, Vivaldi, is one of those sadly. So when the negative changes become unavoidable in Vivaldi, I'm gonna have to switch to a non-Chromium browser for my main driver.

The big obvious choice is Firefox; and while I'm sure it's fine I'm not the biggest fan in the world of Mozilla for reasons I don't really wanna go on about; short story is I'll take them if there's no good alternative, but I would rather an alternative.

So, anyone have any suggestions for non-Chromium browsers besides Firefox? If you have experience with one or even use it as your secondary or main, that's even better.

 

[Essence Lumin]

So, anyone have any suggestions for non-Chromium browsers besides Firefox? If you have experience with one or even use it as your secondary or main, that's even better.

There's Safari but that is Apple. Under Windows I have not heard of any other choices. There was Opera, and early Edge . They are both chromium based now. I think Firefox is the only other option.

 

[Sid]

I'm on Firefox since a gazillion years already.
I still live a peaceful Internet life.

Since there is no such thing as a free lunch, all web browsers are in it for something I guess: Data mining.
That is the same with Google, Vivaldi, Mozilla, Microsoft, Safari, Brave... IMHO.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

I recently downloaded firefox again and need to set it up with all my favorites and sign ins. They do seem a bit less shady than Chrome overall.

 

[Essence Lumin]

I will be quite sad if this change deletes my favorite specialized chrome extension - Transpose . It does a perfect job of making loops around specified times in a music video, or changing the pitch or tempo for practicing. Their faq specifically says it does not work in non chromium based browsers including firefox.

I don't know how to tell if it is using v2 or v3. Is there a way to tell?

 

[Noodles]

I use Firefox and Unlock Origin.

I also pay $2/month to NextDNS and use it on ally devices and laptop.

NextDNS

The new firewall for the modern Internet

nextdns.io

I also use a PiHole for my home network and desktop.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

I also pay $2/month to NextDNS and use it on ally devices and laptop.

NextDNS

The new firewall for the modern Internet

nextdns.io

I also use a PiHole for my home network and desktop.

Now those things sound really interesting! I'm going to research them a bit for sure.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

I will be quite sad if this change deletes my favorite specialized chrome extension - Transpose . It does a perfect job of making loops around specified times in a music video, or changing the pitch or tempo for practicing. Their faq specifically says it does not work in non chromium based browsers including firefox.

I don't know how to tell if it is using v2 or v3. Is there a way to tell?

No idea, sorry - you'd have to go to the extension maker's github or forums if they have any to find out.

 

[Essence Lumin]

I will be quite sad if this change deletes my favorite specialized chrome extension - Transpose . It does a perfect job of making loops around specified times in a music video, or changing the pitch or tempo for practicing. Their faq specifically says it does not work in non chromium based browsers including firefox.

I don't know how to tell if it is using v2 or v3. Is there a way to tell?

I found the answer to my question this evening. If you go to chrome://extensions-internals/ and search the page for manifest_version if will show the version for each extension. Thankfully, Transpose is at v3. Then there is ublock origin which several articles indicate will be offered as ublock origin lite. I'll have to wait and see how good that is. There is Ghostery which I have never tried as an alternative. Then there is the Brave browser but they have implemented ad blocking internally. The only extension I really use that is not at v3 other than ublock origin.is Allow Right Click which either they will upgrade by November or so, or there is probably some other replacement.

 

[Imnotgoing Sideways]

Did something happen with Chrome opening links in new tabs? Suddenly ctrl+click and middle click stopped working this morning. I'm rebooting. Please say this is a glitch!
Edit: After reboot it at least it seems it only affects picture links. Hopefully only very specific to Youtube's front page...

 

[Free]

So there's a non-Chromium browser - or "browser" - that runs in the Serenity OS, a Unix-like hobbiest OS. When it was ported to Linux, the creator started thinking it might be worth some effort to make it a real, un-air-quoted web browser.

Well...

Ladybird

Ladybird is a truly independent web browser, backed by a non-profit.

ladybird.org

They're planning for an alpha release (Linux and macOS) around the summer of 2026.