Users are increasingly choosing smartphones over desktop computers to surf the Internet. Therefore, choosing a good browser for mobile surfing is especially important. We decided to find out which one is the fastest and ran a series of tests.
How the tests were carried out
The purpose of our tests is to identify the browser that displays web pages the fastest. To do this, we have selected the 15 most popular web browsers:
- Google Chrome;
- Mozilla Firefox;
- Opera;
- "Yandex browser";
- UC Browser;
- Dolphin;
- Naked Browser;
- Puffin Browser;
- Samsung Internet Browser;
- Brave;
- DuckDuckGo;
- ghostery;
- Via Browser;
- Microsoft Edge;
- Kiwi.
The experiments were carried out on a smartphone running Android 9.0 Pie (MIUI Global 10.3.4). Before starting the test, the gadget was reset to factory settings. During testing, the smartphone did not have any third-party software except for the above browsers and the Simple System Monitor utility for measuring the amount of free RAM.
Before each stage of the test, the smartphone was rebooted, after which all data, settings, cookies and cache of the browser being tested were cleared. Checks were carried out with the screen on and sleep mode disabled. During the benchmarks, the smartphone display was not touched - for the purity of the experiment, since some Android devices slightly increase the processor frequency if you touch them. All tests were performed three times for greater accuracy.
Thus, we can talk about fairly clean experimental conditions in which the influence of extraneous elements was minimized.
What characteristics did we check?
The first test was the Sunspider 1.0.2 benchmark, which measures JavaScript performance in real-world scenarios in . Measurements are taken in milliseconds. The lower the value, the better.
In this test, the Puffin browser unexpectedly won by a fairly noticeable margin. Following it was a web browser from Samsung (installed by default on all smartphones from Korean vendors). Then comes the familiar Firefox.
Chrome, positioned as one of the fastest browsers, shows very modest results. But UC Browser, for some reason, failed the test, not displaying the final results even after many attempts.
After our first JavaScript speed test, we decided to run another one using an alternative tool. Kraken Benchmark is based on the SunSpider benchmark code, but Mozilla has modified it quite a bit. In their opinion, this is the only way to achieve the most accurate results, reflecting the speed of completing those tasks that occur in real life. Kraken Benchmark also displays results in milliseconds. The lower the value, the better.
And Puffin wins this benchmark. And again by a significant margin. Chrome suddenly found itself an outsider. This may be due to the fact that the benchmark was developed by Mozilla specialists, and they do not like Chrome.
BMark is a benchmark that tests how well your browser works with the Canvas 3D and WebGL standards. During the process, the web browser renders 3D graphics and is awarded points based on how well it does this. The bigger, the better.
And here Puffin is again ahead of everyone. It is followed by Yandex.Browser, slightly ahead of Chrome. Firefox and Opera show average results, and Ghostery comes in at the very bottom (it boasts , not its 3D graphics performance).
For this test we chose Basemark Web 3.0. It tests the speed of tasks that we encounter during daily surfing: loading a blank page, changing screen orientation, working with JavaScript, CSS, DOM, WebGL and Canvas. Points are awarded for all completed tests. The bigger, the better.
Takes the lead. Puffin, who had previously been among the best, failed the test. It got stuck on the fourth step (loading and rendering textures). Ghostery faced exactly the same problem.
Strictly speaking, the HTHL5Test benchmark is not used to measure browser speed, but to evaluate the accuracy of the implementation of the HTML5 web standards, the Web SQL database, and the WebGL standard. After all, speed is great, but pages must also display correctly. The more points the browser scores in this test, the better.
And Chrome is at its best again. However, other browsers are not much inferior to it. Puffin got lost in the middle class.
Consumption is an important characteristic, especially for those devices that have a small supply of it. In the first test, we used the Simple System Monitor app to measure how much RAM each browser required when opening a single empty tab.
Here, an unexpected victory was won by an outsider at all previous stages of DuckDuckGo. Obviously, because it does not try to show the user bookmarks, history and articles that may be of interest at startup. Just an empty search line - nothing extra. But UC Browser, overloaded with functions, is in last place here.
When you open five tabs with different sites, the picture changes. Naked Browser took up the least amount of memory. As the name suggests, this is an absolutely “bare” browser, without a beautiful interface and any unique functions. The favorite of the “speed” tests, Puffin, ended up in fourth place, but still consumes memory quite modestly. UC Browser took up the most RAM and ended up at the bottom of the list.
Results
The graphs of the results of the tests we conducted indicate that Puffin Web Browser claims to be the fastest browser for. The crowd favorite Chrome performs averagely everywhere, but takes first place in the web standards test. The fairly popular UC Browser did not perform well: it failed the first test, performed poorly in others, and turned out to be too memory-hungry. And the little-known Naked Browser is very mediocre in terms of processing speed of web pages, but it takes up little memory, so it will be useful to owners of old Android smartphones.
Why did Puffin turn out to be the fastest, and even show such a lead? Presumably, the reason is in the way it processes pages. Here's what its developers say:
Puffin speeds up browsing by shifting the load from resource-constrained mobile devices to our cloud servers. So resource-intensive web pages on your phones or tablets will run very quickly.
It can be assumed that on older and slower smartphones Puffin will show an even greater lead over its competitors. However, it cannot be called a dream browser, because it asks you to buy its paid version and is equipped with little useful functions like a built-in virtual gamepad for controlling games on web pages.
These are the results of our test. Personally, they surprised me. And you?
Standard browsers on Android devices often do not meet the everyday needs of demanding users. There are a lot of high-quality and functional Internet browsers on this operating system. We have collected the best browsers for Android in this article.
Firefox rightfully bears the title of one of the best mobile browsers on Android. Over the years of presence on this operating system, Mozilla's development has acquired a lot of functions and received an improved modern interface. Firefox for Android is a balance of functionality, convenience and speed of use. The mobile browser from Mozilla is inferior in speed to the same Google Chrome, but many of the features of Firefox are made much more pleasant and convenient.
Firefox's own Gecko engine supports almost all modern web standards, and there are also extensions for it with additional functionality, just like in the desktop version of the browser. Among the main functions of Fiefox: synchronization of all data between browsers using a special account, safe surfing, convenient start panel, a lot of extensions, reading mode.
The most popular browser not only on computers, but also on mobile devices is Google Chrome. Not surprising, since it is almost always pre-installed on the most popular mobile OS. Chrome has deservedly gained its popularity - it is fast, relatively functional, simple and convenient, and it is also well integrated with Google services and the desktop version of the browser (there is full synchronization of data and tabs). Integration with Google services can sometimes be useful, for example, translating text on pages using Google Translate or voice search.
Chrome also takes care of user safety - the browser has a built-in filter for sites that may be dangerous for Android devices. There is some kind of data compression technology. It is not as perfect as Opera's, but it still saves a lot of data transmitted both over Wi-Fi and the mobile Internet. There is an incognito mode for anonymously visiting sites. Perhaps the only drawback of Chrome at the moment is the lack of extension support. For those who want to try all the new features first, there's Chrome Beta and Dev. These browser versions are updated faster and more often - all innovations are tested in them.
Mobile browsers from the Norwegian company Opera are also one of the most popular, functional and fastest growing on the Android platform. Over the many years of their work, these guys have definitely been able to come up with a formula for an almost perfect Internet browser for smartphones and tablets. Opera has almost everything that an ordinary user needs: fast surfing, a convenient classic express panel, data synchronization with the desktop version, anonymous mode, convenient search with hints from the address panel, and one of the main features is traffic compression.
The guys from Opera have done their best with traffic saving technologies. Mobile Opera with Turbo mode activated can reduce mobile Internet costs by two or even three times. For those for whom traffic consumption is especially important, there is Opera Mini - in it, saving is enabled by default, but this sometimes affects the appearance of sites. Also, the mini version is much lighter and faster than regular Opera. Another strong point of the browser of the same name is its beautiful and pleasant appearance. Opera has always been famous for having one of the most stylish interfaces in browsers. If you want to compress all traffic on your device, then pay attention to the application.
Dolphin is an alternative browser for Android with a lot of additional features and functionality out of the box. Among these, it is worth noting support for Adobe Flash, which almost everyone has abandoned, but is still used in many places, the use of various themes to change the interface, support for unique add-ons, and control of convenient and simple gestures. All this is available immediately - no additional settings. Dolphin is also fast, secure, free and always up-to-date - the developers release browser updates almost every week.
Puffin is a mobile web browser that is similar in concept to Dolphin. Here, too, there is a beautiful and convenient interface, there are many possibilities, and Puffin is as fast as the “dolphin”. Basically, the Puffin browser is suitable for weak devices, since it provides a special technology for “lightweight” web surfing - pages are first uploaded to the Puffin cloud service, optimized there and then appear in a lightweight form on the device’s screen. At the same time, the quality and appearance of the pages practically do not suffer from broken layout or reduced quality.
Also worth noting in Puffin are a number of additional features:
- full Adobe Flash support for games (virtual joystick on the screen);
- traffic encryption via cloud service;
- mouse emulation;
- the ability to upload files first to the cloud and then to the device;
- installing extensions;
- interface themes.
The Russian company Yandex has succeeded in creating its own browser for Android mobile devices. Yandex.Browser for this platform is an excellent solution for users from the CIS. This Internet browser is absolutely imbued with integration with the services of Yandex itself and other local social networks/portals. For example, the search bar in the browser suggests the necessary sites and understands queries perfectly, and inside the application you can also view information about the weather and traffic jams.
The large diagonal screens of modern smartphones make them an excellent tool for browsing the web. Of course, this aspect of functionality is very important for mobile application developers, which is why there is an active struggle for new users in the Play Store. So that you can understand all this diversity, we decided to determine who deserves the title “Best browser for Android 2017-2018-2019”.
#10 - UC Browser
The first launch of the application can confuse the user with the abundance of widgets, icons and news feeds. The UC Browser start page is nothing like the minimalist panel in Google Chrome or Opera. However, this cannot be called a disadvantage; the arrangement of elements on the start page can be customized so as not to waste time navigating to other sites. If you still don’t like this design, you can remove the start panel in the UC Browser settings.
Almost all main actions in the application are performed by swiping - a slight movement to the left opens a list of pre-saved sites, a swipe down closes the current tab, and a swipe up, on the contrary, opens a new page. Individual user navigation preferences can also be set in the UC Browser settings.
Conclusion: a convenient and fast browser, an excellent alternative to the popular solution fromGoogle. There is a built-in ad blocker.
#9 – Dolphin Browser
This browser has been on the market for quite some time – over five years. Since the first version, Dolphin Browser has added many interesting options. Firstly, the browser can be completely personalized, from the application theme to the color of the bookmarks. Secondly, the browser supports the Dolphin Connect system, which allows you to synchronize tabs, downloads and browsing history across multiple devices at once.
Dolphin Browser runs on the WebKit engine. During testing, we did not notice any problems with scrolling or video playback; everything happens very smoothly. In the Play Store you can find an extended version of Dolphin Zero, which is focused on a high level of protection of the user’s personal data.
Conclusion: Dolphin Browser takes first place in performance tests, the application is perfect for users who like advanced options for personalizing their programs.
#8 - Lightning Browser
Lightning Browser is designed for fast web browsing, even with a low Internet connection. The secret to the application's performance lies in the intuitive system for effectively using Internet traffic. Lightning Browser loads the most important information first, and then displays various CSS plugins.
Before downloading the application, you should take into account that the program has rather narrow functionality. This was done so that Lightning Browser works quickly even on smartphones with a small amount of RAM (after installing the .apk file, Lightning Browser takes up only 200 KB of the device’s internal memory). In synthetic tests, this rating nominee even exceeds Google Chrome in speed.
Conclusion: Lightning Browser is an ideal candidate to download if you need a browser that supports a minimum set of all the most necessary functions.
#7 – Via Browser
If UC Browser has a cumbersome interface on the start page, then Via Browser, on the contrary, impresses with the absence of almost all unnecessary details in the application design. This program will definitely appeal to lovers of minimalism. Via Browser is equipped with a smart data saving system that limits the loading of advertising banners and pop-up notifications to save precious megabytes.
The browser also supports a wide range of additional plugins that significantly expand the functionality of the application. Initially, it is equipped with a built-in QR code scanner, a page translator from different languages into Russian, and an increased anonymity mode. Additional extensions can be downloaded from the developer’s company store.
Conclusion: a simple and convenient application for web surfing. It captivates with its minimalistic interface style and high level of performance.
No. 6 - CM Browser
The application for cleaning your smartphone from garbage Clean Master is probably familiar to most smartphone users. CM Browser is another program from the same developer. A key feature of CM Browser is its system for countering phishing attacks on smartphones. When opening suspicious sites with inappropriate content, the browser blocks the content and warns the user about the possible danger.
Like most similar solutions, CM Browser is built on the WebKit engine. In performance tests, the application is only slightly behind Google Chrome in terms of page loading speed. Additionally, the functionality of the browser can be expanded by installing third-party plugins. Flash player supported.
Conclusion: a good browser from a well-known developer has an increased level of security.
#5 - Safari
Safari reveals the top 5 most famous browsers. At one time, this application began its journey in the depths of Apple; Safari was initially supported only on macOS and iOS. Within a few years, the application left its “native waters” and became available for other platforms. Users warmly welcomed the new product; Safari received thousands of positive reviews for its speed and pleasant design.
The browser can easily be put on a par with other iconic solutions on the market (such as Google Chrome). The program supports the latest HTML5/CSS3 standards, built-in search tools, QuickTime integration and Cover Flow functionality. The Web Inspector option, which allows you to view the DOM of web pages, is very popular among developers.
Conclusion:Apple before its peak of popularityInternetExplorer has proven that it can make the perfect browser. Safari remains the best solution foriPhone and other platforms.
#4 - Mozilla Browser
Firefox ranks first in popularity among desktop browsers. It is not surprising that Mozilla decided to turn its attention to the smartphone market quite a long time ago. Mozilla Browser managed to occupy a large share of the audience thanks to several main advantages: high speed, fast synchronization with other devices, a large number of updates and an increased level of security.
The start screen of Mozilla Browser is called the smart screen - it displays the user's most visited sites and bookmarks. You can swipe left and right to move between desktops. The application runs on the proprietary Gecko engine, which has very high results in synthetic performance tests.
Conclusion: A successful interpretation of the popular desktop browser, the application has a very wide range of functions.
#3 - Opera Mobile
The first Opera mobile browser clients were widely used back in the days of push-button phones. The Opera Mobile client is an ideological continuation of a fast and convenient browser. Recently, the application has received support for built-in VPN, which makes it much easier for users to protect their anonymity and private data.
Opera Mobile is also equipped with proprietary web page compression technology. Among all the nominees in our rating, it is in this browser that traffic saving works most effectively. The system allows you to filter advertising banners, block phishing sites and much more.
Conclusion: Opera Mobile's third place was not in vain - the browser showed some of the best results in our testing.
No. 2 - Yandex Browser
The domestic Yandex Browser is developed based on the Blink engine. When looking at the design of the application, you can see that the developers were clearly inspired by browsers for Windows Mobile. It has almost the same interface with large icons and simplified site logos. For navigation, swipe controls are enough, which is very convenient.
Yandex Browser supports “Turbo” mode, which significantly speeds up loading web pages. Individual features of its use can be adjusted in the settings. The only drawback of the application is the inability to view websites offline. Most likely, the developers will fix this in the next program update.
Conclusion: perhaps one of the best software solutions on the domestic software market. Yandex Browser is equipped with everything necessary for comfortable everyday work on the Internet.
#1 - Google Chrome
The ranking of the best browsers on Android is headed by Google Chrome. Several years ago, the computer version of the program was considered a rather controversial decision, since it was much inferior in performance to other competitors on the market. Now Google Chrome is considered the standard in absolutely everything related to web browsing.
Google Chrome is one of the first mobile browsers to support voice search. To start entering information into the address bar, just say “Okay, Google” and the browser will begin recording the information spoken by the user. The Android version of the famous program has the highest performance in our test.
Conclusion: the best option at the moment in terms of balance. The application almost regularly receives fresh updates that fix minor bugs in its operation.
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We will not only collect statistics on browsers for 2017 in the hope of choosing the best, but we will also note the DISTINCTIVE features of each.
After all, in essence, they all look the same and are intended exclusively for opening Internet pages, watching videos, downloading files and several other tasks.
List how quickly this or that browser starts and opens pages - pointless, because the indicators will always be different. It all depends on the power of the device, the current load of the system, the speed of the Wi-Fi connection in the seconds being tested, and a number of other indicators.
We have selected 5 browsers that are approximately equal to each other in terms of speed, stability and other parameters.
Let us repeat that we will choose the best browser for Android in 2017 based on the presence of interesting and useful features + overall rating. Go!
When purchasing a smartphone/tablet on the Android platform, the browser is initially installed along with other Google products.
Downloaded: up to 5,000,000,000 (billion) times
Reviews: 6.000.000
Rating: 4.2
Distinctive features:
- Incognito mode—leaves no traces of you on the Internet or on your device;
- automatic traffic compression - pages open faster;
- Convenient voice search and translation of pages into your native language.
Everything is simple and concise. No additional plugins, for example, like the desktop version, nothing superfluous. For the average user, this simplicity is perhaps even annoying.
It is preferable more for the Russian-speaking audience, although it has gained great trust overseas. Has many different settings and additions.
Downloaded: up to 50,000,000 times
Reviews: 600.000
Rating: 4.5
Distinctive features:
- anti-shock - blocks shocking, obscene and dangerous advertising;
- storing data on an external card (SD) - convenient when the smartphone has a small amount of memory;
- Protect - checks downloaded files for viruses;
- encrypts the connection via public Wi-Fi points - your data will not be stolen;
- Zen - shows sites that you are sure to like on the tab page;
- Background - it is possible to change the background of the main browser page;
- reading mode, convenient line, synchronization and other useful features.
WOW! I would like to say about the browser from Yandex. There are so many settings, additional interesting features, and most importantly, it takes care of us: wi-fi encryption technology and ad blocking are cool!
For both desktop and mobile systems, Mozilla develops its own engines (control system) for its browsers.
Downloaded: up to 500,000,000 times
Reviews: 2.600.000
Rating: 4.4
Distinctive features:
- opening closed tabs - others don’t have this function, but sometimes it’s necessary when you accidentally closed a tab;
- choosing a search engine for quick access to the desired content;
- privacy at a new level - turn it on and no one will keep track of you;
- the ability to install additional plugins and configure them;
- function of displaying the smartphone screen on the TV screen.
This is perhaps the only browser for the Android mobile OS that allows you to expand its functionality by installing third-party plugins from a free store with customization options. And outputting content to TV is generally fine.
We all remember the good old Opera on the computer. Some were so accustomed to its design that they were in no hurry to switch to the cooler and new Google Chrome and remained faithful only to Opera.
Downloaded: up to 500,000,000 times
Reviews: 2.000.000
Rating: 4.3
Distinctive features:
- smart news feed, something similar to Zen in Yandex;
- video compression will save a lot of megabytes, especially if mobile traffic is used;
- Comfortable reading mode allows you to change the background and font size;
- built-in ad blocking, but it’s not clear on what principle it works;
- confidential web browsing and much more.
Opera is probably chosen because of its recognizable design and excellent set of useful tools. In the pursuit of the best browser on Android, Opera may not be a leader, but it is quite an alternative.
What conclusions can be drawn about choosing the best, or maybe even the best, browser for Android in 2016?
- Personally, we don’t like Google Chrome - it’s too simple, there are no settings, characteristics, or a full-fledged menu. Everything here is concise and simple. For those who need simple surfing, Chrome is the best choice.
- But among other browsers, Yandex.Browser pleasantly surprised me. It has almost everything that a modern user needs. Turbo mode, Wi-Fi protection (others don’t have this), high-level ad blocking and much more. The design is simple and convenient. Works without brakes.
- Those who, for some personal reason, do not want to use Yandex or Chrome, can take a closer look at Firefox with a unique engine and interesting features, as well as Opera.
Where is the 5th participant in the test of the best browsers for Android? 🙂
Everything is in order, here he is - a flush and the speed of his dignity.
Distinctive features:
- large-scale support for Flash Player in online games and Flash sites;
- compresses absolutely any traffic: video, pictures, text - sends content from its server.