The 8 Fastest Internet Browsers and How To Make Them Faster

When looking for internet browsers online, you won’t see speed ratings. Because of this, it's hard to find the fastest internet browser. Often, finding the fastest internet browsers comes down to experience with these browsers. 

Thankfully, we’ve run through the most popular browsers before, so you can find out which ones offer the best speed. Below, you’ll find a list of the 10 fastest internet browsers and tips to make them faster. 


Can your browser slow down your internet speed?

Having a data-intensive browser can slow down your internet speed. While companies have optimized many of these windows to the web for modern needs, some still drag a bit. 

Signs that your browser is slowing you down include…

  • Free internet speed tests show different rates between browsers (this can be tricky, as download speeds can fluctuate naturally).
  • Noticeable changes in speed on the same websites between different browsers.
  • Speed differences in your browser and internet-based computer applications. 

To look at your browser, you’ll want to run tests on the same websites. A great website for testing is Facebook.com because you know it’s from a well-known, consistent source. Regardless of what website you use, it helps to know how much internet speed you need

When testing against applications, slowdowns can come from other sources as well. For example, if you play video games, your computer might not have the performance requirements. 

The best application test is through sources like Zoom or Skype. The quality and speed of video conferencing provide a great consistency test. Zoom, in particular, has both browser-based options and an application, so testing both provides some excellent information.


Eight of the fastest internet browsers in 2022

Based on our findings, these are the eight fastest browsers:

  • Google Chrome 
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Safari
  • Vivaldi
  • Opera
  • Brave
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Ungoogled Chromium

Our testing mainly comes from personal experience across multiple operating systems. Below, you’ll find out what makes these browsers so fast.


1. Lightweight and customizable: Google Chrome 

  • What makes it fast? Incredibly lightweight, backed by the largest tech company in the world, can install ad blockers. 

Google Chrome is the undisputed champion of convenience and speed. This powerful browser is based on Chromium, an open-source platform designed by Google. The platform was so powerful that most of the browsers on this list use it, even Microsoft. 

Most people use Chrome for convenience. Google Chrome is available on all major operating systems. By creating a Google Account, you can sync your browser settings and bookmarks across multiple fronts. Logging in has virtually no impact on your speed. 

People avoid Google because of its data collection practices. However, you can go into your Google Account settings and control some of this. 

The open-source Chromium platform also lets users create plugins for it. These plugins block ads and hefty website scripts to make your browsing experience faster. Because of its widespread support, it will continue to be the most innovative browser. 


2. Built on a fast engine: Microsoft Edge

  • What makes it fast? Built on chromium, pretty lightweight, and includes speed-improving features like reading mode.

After 27 years, Microsoft has finally retired from the old-fashioned Internet Explorer. However, Microsoft Edge has been around alongside IE for many of those years. The browser is much more lightweight and faster, acting as an excellent replacement for IE users. 

Edge is based on the open-source Chromium system, a big reason it's so fast. However, Microsoft has made some of its own tweaks to improve upon that speed. Being another one of the world’s largest tech companies, Microsoft is not short on resources to keep this browser up-to-date. 

Much like Google, Edge allows you to sync between devices with your Microsoft account. Edge is also available across all major operating systems, including Windows Server. 

Edge also has unique features that include voice-activated tools through Cortana. Because of these features, Edge is slower than Chrome. However, the slowdown is not too noticeable. 


3. Only for Apple products: Safari

  • What makes it fast? Simple and easy interface, no plugins to slow it down, Apple’s flagship browser.

Safari is the native browser that comes from Apple products. iOS and macOS devices have been enjoying it for years. It had a short stint on Windows until 2012, until Apple decided against its continued support. 

What makes Safari fast is its overall focus on simplicity. You don't get to customize your browser like you can with Chrome or Firefox. The no-nonsense focus means the browser stays simple. 

Given Apple is another tech giant, it also keeps the browser up-to-date with some regularity. Although Apple is pro-business in its approach, meaning you don’t get the joy of ad blockers. 

Safari is the third most popular browser behind Edge and Chrome. This is mostly because you can install both browsers on Mac devices. Given both Edge and Chrome are faster, Safari doesn’t receive a lot of love. Regardless, it is still a clean and fast browsing experience. 


4. Known for speed and security: Vivaldi 

  • What makes it fast? Excellent ad blocking and anti-tracking features, no need to sync accounts, built on Chromium.

Vivaldi is a spin-off of the Opera browser (the number five on our list). What makes it faster than standard Opera systems is because of their focus on security. It turns out, when you are built to block ads and trackers, you get a better browsing experience.

Because Vivaldi comes from Opera, it comes from the lightning-fast Chromium system. Despite this, it has some unique features that come from Opera’s changed system. Namely, the ability to layer your tabs for faster use.

With multi-level tabs being a thing, you can experience more slowdown from the system. Speed isn’t Vivalidi’s number one priority. Instead, it is security. With this in mind, it isn’t the fastest browser you can download. 


5. Underrated and customizable: Opera 

  • What makes it fast? A turbo mode for boosting slow internet connections, a lighter browser (opera mini), and a fast interface.

Opera is the only reason Vivaldi exists, so the two are incredibly close regarding performance. In fact, Opera has a unique turbo mode that might make it closer to number four. 

Opera also has a strong security element to it, coming with a built-in Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN hides your traffic logs from peering eyes (criminals and your internet service providers). Even the best internet service providers like to peer in sometimes. 

The problem is that a VPN ‌makes your connections much slower. So this feature is great, just not ideal if you want to focus on speed.

Opera supplements this slowdown by offering a turbo mode and a mini browser. The turbo mode speeds up websites by using page compression, something that shrinks the sizes of pages you visit. You can also get this same service through opera mini, the lightweight version of the Opera browser. 


6. Built for privacy: Brave

  • What makes it fast? Strong privacy tools, comes from Chromium, and ad blocking/anti-tracking features.

Brave is unique because it focuses on security, but is clearly based on Chrome. The two use identical features and interfaces, making them unmistakable. Because Chrome is fast, Brave is fast.

Brave also focuses on security, meaning it comes “out of the box” built to block trackers and some ads. Because it comes from Chrome, you can improve this by installing ad blockers. You can even activate a Tor mode that hides your browsing data (similar to a VPN). Much like a VPN, Tor slows you down. 

If you like to earn while you browse, Brave also offers earnings to advertise to you. So instead of relying on these tracking ads, you can rely on other ads. However, loading ads can still slow you down, which is why Brave is so low on this list. Thankfully, this feature is optional.

Brave also includes cryptocurrency features, something not expected from a browser. The extra features are, again, optional. However, the browser encourages it, clarifying that Brave doesn’t focus on speed. 


7. Many customizations and tools: Mozilla Firefox 

  • What makes it fast? Awesome security features, fast system, customizable with performance improvements.

Mozilla Firefox is one of the few browsers on this list not built on Chromium. Because of this, it’s a unique browsing experience. However, Firefox is noticeably slower than Chrome, Edge, and Opera.

Firefox focuses on building a more powerful browser. Firefox was one of the first browsers to offer plugins. It has a robust number of add-ons you can get through its store. Much like Chrome, those plugins work to improve the performance of your browser.

For those who are tech-savvy, you can work to customize your browser to be just as fast as Chrome. Much of this comes from tweaking advanced settings. 

Firefox is likely the best browser for security, as they are independent of large companies like Microsoft and Apple. However, given Mozilla’s focus on another kind of user, it doesn’t create a fast browsing experience. 


8. A simple browsing experience: Ungoogled Chromium 

  • What makes it fast? Chrome without the accounts, bare-bones system, no allowance for plugins.

Ungoogled Chromium is an unusual browser because it has given up the Google Account. This means there is no browser syncing, making it inconvenient for some. However, the barebones approach to browsing makes this browser blazingly fast. 

Chromium uses the same system that five out of seven of these browsers use. So with that knowledge, you know it can be fast. 

Chromium’s biggest problem is that you can’t install performance-enhancing plugins easily. Instead, take extra steps to get the file to install your extensions. Some extensions might not work because Chromium is handled by a smaller team. 

Regardless of these inconveniences, speed is simplicity. With a good ad blocker, Ungoogled Chromium can easily become your browser of choice for speed.


How to make your browser faster 

If you have any browser on this list and it’s still slow, it might not be the browser. Instead, it could be an issue you can fix while keeping your current browser. Below are some tips you can use to speed up your current one.


Clear your cache and cookies

Your cache and cookies include a history of the sites you browse and your remembered logins. While handy, too many of these cookies and internet history chunks can slow down your computer. To clear your cache, go to your settings and find an option to clear browsing data. On Google, this is under “Privacy and security.”


Remove unnecessary plugins 

A high number of plugins can make your browsing experience unique. However, having too many browser plugins can slow your system down. Take the time to right-click on some of them and hit the “remove” button. Think of the plugins that slow you down or those you don’t use often. 


Get an ad blocker

If there is one plugin you need to add, it should be an ad blocker. Ad blockers (like Adblock Plus) prevent you from seeing annoying pop-ups and advertisements. When too many advertisements show up on screen, it can slow your browsing experience to a crawl. 


Get a performance-optimizing tool 

A performance-optimizing tool closes unnecessary programs and cleans your browser in one go. These are incredibly popular on smartphones, but are also available on mobile devices. CCleaner offers one option that works across both platforms.


Avoid websites with too many ads or a chunky interface

If you want to avoid browser slowdown, avoid bad sites. Websites with too many advertisements slow your computer down. Even an ad blocker might not catch them all, so be careful about the websites you visit to avoid slowdown. Sometimes, websites just have chunky interfaces, so you might find alternative options. 


Get a better internet service provider 

Sometimes, the browsing experience has nothing to do with the browser. Instead, you might have a bad internet service provider.

To find a good internet service provider near you, check out InternetAdvisor’s “Find a Provider” tool. This tool lets you find a great internet provider near your area by entering your zip code. You can also sort by speed, ensuring that any internet you pick will meet your household needs. 

InternetAdvisor Team

We are passionate about aggregating large, accurate data sets and providing it all to our users in an easy-to-use format. Simply put, shopping is easier for the consumer when he/she knows all available options. We are not beholden to any single provider and therefore are dedicated to transparency and giving you unbiased information on all providers.

Follow us on Twitter: @InternetAdvisor