20+ Alternative Web Browsers for Smart Phones (2024)
Smartphones, we depend on them for everything, from staying on top of emails and browsing through social media to online shopping and handling our finances. And one app that we constantly find ourselves utilizing is undoubtedly the web browser.
Whether you’re an iOS user with Safari or an Android user with Chrome, these are often our first choices. However, did you know that there’s an entire universe of alternative web browsers out there that are just as capable and filled with features?
These browsers often aim to enhance specific aspects such as speed, privacy, readability, and some even offer their own VPN-like proxy services. To assist you in exploring these options, we’ve put together a thorough list of over 20 web browsers specifically designed for smartphones. So go ahead, download them, and give them a test run. Who knows, you might even discover your new favorite browser!
Dolphin
Dolphin Browser is available for both Android and iOS. It’s designed to enhance your online experience with its speed and customization options. Dolphin makes browsing efficient with features like multi-tab management, Android Flash support, and user-defined gestures for quick navigation. It integrates seamlessly with social networks and cloud storage services like Facebook, Evernote, and Box, making sharing and syncing effortless.
Additionally, it offers third-party add-ons for a personalized browsing experience, voice search capabilities through Sonar (a feature), and convenient sidebars for quick access to bookmarks and settings.
Features:
- Enjoy all-in-one browsing with multiple tabs.
- Navigate quickly with customizable gestures.
- Share and sync with popular social platforms.
- Personalize with third-party add-ons.
- Access bookmarks and options swiftly with side bars.
Download Dolphin for:
Opera
Opera is a swift and secure web browser that comes with an integrated VPN and ad-blocker for smooth, private browsing. It’s enhanced with AI to deliver personalized content and a distinctive browsing experience. Opera’s data-saving mode optimizes internet speeds while saving data and battery life. Fully adaptable, you can tweak settings to suit your needs, including a night mode to protect your eyes during late hours.
Features:
- Secure browsing with free VPNs.
- Ad-free and tracker-free experience.
- AI-powered personalized browsing.
- Customizable reading and search settings.
- Sync files across devices with Flow.
- Protect privacy with anonymous browsing.
Download Opera for:
Firefox Mobile
Firefox Mobile from Mozilla is a secure iOS browser that syncs your devices, allowing easy access to bookmarks, passwords, and history on the go. Its Enhanced Tracking Protection automatically blocks trackers and scripts, keeping your online activities private.
The browser features a private mode that wipes your history and cookies when you’re done. Firefox’s intuitive browsing tools help you quickly navigate to favorite sites and search efficiently. By setting it as your default browser, you support an independent tech company and ensure seamless browsing between your mobile and desktop.
Features:
- Enjoy fast browsing with optimal speed.
- Browse privately with erasable history mode.
- Sync your data across all devices.
Download Firefox Mobile for:
Firefox Focus
Firefox Focus, by Mozilla, is a mobile browser designed for quick, private searches without any complications. Ideal for quick look-ups you want to keep private, it features a clean, distraction-free interface for speedy searches. It doesn’t store history, previous sites, or tabs, ensuring your sessions remain confidential. With a single tap, you can erase your browsing history, passwords, and cookies. By blocking numerous ads and trackers, Firefox Focus not only enhances your privacy but also accelerates page loading for a faster browsing experience.
Features:
- Design promotes quick, distraction-free searches.
- History, passwords, cookies can be erased with one tap.
- Pin shortcuts on home screen for favorite sites.
- Ad and tracker blocking ensures faster browsing.
- Privacy enhanced with superior tracking protection.
Download Firefox Focus for:
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge, enhanced with AI and Copilot powered by GPT-4, is a mobile browser that revolutionizes your online experience. It provides detailed summaries, answers questions, and even creates images using DALL-E 3. Prioritizing your privacy, it features tracking prevention, InPrivate browsing, and Microsoft Defender Smartscreen.
Edge also makes shopping smarter with price comparison tools and coupon finders, ensuring a comprehensive and secure browsing experience.
Features:
- AI copilot offers comprehensive answers and summarizes pages.
- DALL-E 3 creates images from text prompts.
- Enhanced privacy with tracking prevention and secure browsing.
- AdBlock Plus blocks unwanted ads.
- Smart Shopping provides price comparison and cashback.
- Password monitoring for potential dark web threats.
Download Microsoft Edge for:
Puffin
Puffin Browser is a cloud-powered mobile browser that shifts computing tasks from your device to cloud servers for incredibly fast web page loading. This unique approach not only speeds up browsing but also saves up to 90% of bandwidth with its proprietary technology. Beyond speed, Puffin ensures secure browsing on all networks with encryption and enhances mobile gaming with an on-screen gamepad.
It’s also designed to minimize data usage, making it a fast, secure, and efficient choice for mobile internet users.
Features:
- Experience faster browsing powered by cloud computing.
- Save up to 90% bandwidth during regular browsing.
- Enjoy fast, secure browsing with enhanced encryption.
- Control data usage by adjusting streaming and image quality.
Download Puffin for:
Ghostery Privacy Browser
Ghostery goes beyond typical ad-blocking; it’s a comprehensive privacy tool available on all browsers and devices. It offers a suite of features to enhance your online privacy, including the ability to block ads and trackers and a private search engine. Built on the reliable Firefox platform, it ensures a secure browsing experience with its private browsing mode and unbiased search options.
Features:
- Blocks trackers and intrusive ads on all browsers.
- Prevents cookie pop-ups across all browsers.
- Integrated private search within the browser.
Download Ghostery for:
Brave Browser
Brave Private Web Browser stands out with its integrated Adblock, VPN, and independent Brave Search. Known for its speed, it cuts down page load times and boosts performance. Brave ensures your privacy with advanced features like HTTPS Everywhere, script blocking, and cookie control, offering a secure and efficient browsing environment.
Features:
- Ad-free and tracker-free browsing.
- Your privacy is protected with enhanced features.
- Use Brave Search for private, track-free searching.
- Earn rewards while browsing with Brave Rewards.
Download Brave for:
Ecosia
Ecosia is a Chromium-based browser with a mission: to plant trees using its search revenue. It provides all essential features like tabs, incognito mode, and bookmarks while ensuring fast browsing with an ad blocker. Ecosia’s commitment to the environment is evident as it funds global tree planting initiatives, fights climate change, and supports communities.
It respects user privacy by not tracking location or selling data and encrypts searches. As a carbon-negative option, Ecosia produces more renewable energy than it consumes, making it an eco-friendly choice for conscious users.
Features:
- Browsing without ads with the integrated ad blocker.
- Combat climate change by planting trees through search revenue.
- Your privacy is protected, they don’t track nor sell data.
Download Ecosia for:
Kiwi Browser
Kiwi Browser, based on Chromium and WebKit, offers a familiar and fast browsing experience. It’s known for its speed and includes a robust pop-up blocker and extension support. Unique features like unlocking Facebook Messenger without the app, customizable night mode, and a bottom address bar enhance usability.
Kiwi also allows for homepage customization and provides a comfortable browsing experience tailored to user preferences.
Features:
- Powerful pop-up blocking.
- Night mode offers comfortable reading.
- Privacy is prioritized, blocking trackers.
Download Kiwi for:
Stargon Browser
Stargon Browser is a compact, swift Android browser featuring a powerful ad blocker and video download capabilities. It enhances your browsing with gesture controls, dark mode, DNS VPN, and an integrated video player. Focused on privacy and ease of use, Stargon includes a QR code scanner, file manager, and safe browsing options, making it a convenient and secure choice for mobile users.
Features:
- No ads for cleaner browsing.
- Download videos directly.
- Save images easily.
- Enjoy low-light browsing with dark theme.
- Read distraction-free with reading mode.
- Browse privately with incognito mode.
Download Stargon for:
Surfy Browser
Surfy Browser is a private web browser designed for an efficient and unique mobile experience. It offers password-protected browsing, customizable themes, and data-saving features. Built for a different kind of mobile web journey, Surfy reduces data usage while providing secure, full-screen reading and browsing sessions, catering to users seeking both privacy and practicality.
Features:
- Lock browser or sessions with a password.
- Personalize with favorite colors and images.
- Listen to content with the voice engine.
- Navigate tabs with a simple swipe.
- Unlock app or bookmarks using a fingerprint.
Download Surfy for:
Tor Browser
Tor Browser, from the Tor Project, is synonymous with extreme privacy and freedom online. It ensures truly private browsing by isolating each website you visit, blocking trackers and ads, and clearing cookies after each session.
Tor defends against surveillance and resists fingerprinting by making all users look the same. It employs multi-layered encryption as your data moves through the Tor network, keeping your activities confidential and allowing access to sites blocked by your local ISP.
Features:
- Blocks trackers for private browsing.
- Safeguards against surveillance.
- Protects identity through fingerprint resistance.
- Provides multi-layered encryption.
- Enables access to blocked websites.
Download Tor for:
Vivaldi Browser
Vivaldi is a feature-rich browser designed to enhance productivity, creativity, and safety. It offers advanced tab management, allowing you to organize and handle tabs efficiently. Vivaldi prioritizes your privacy by blocking trackers and ads and includes a range of tools like note-taking, page translation, and full-page screenshots to streamline your browsing experience.
Features:
- Experience safer browsing with enhanced privacy protection.
- Smart tools like note-taking and translation.
- Advanced tab management features for easy organization.
- Keep screens tidy with two-level tab stacks.
- Access tools like history and downloads in split-screen.
- Personalize settings and explore new features.
Download Vivaldi for:
Aloha Browser
Aloha Browser combines a sleek interface with a host of powerful features. It guarantees private browsing with no activity logs and includes an unlimited VPN for secure, anonymous internet access.
Aloha comes with a built-in crypto wallet, an ad blocker for uninterrupted browsing, and full Web3.0 support for blockchain games and platforms. It also features a robust media player, background music play, data saver mode, secure private tabs, and a QR code reader, making it a comprehensive tool for modern internet users.
Features:
- Assures privacy with no activity logs.
- Offers unlimited secure VPN browsing.
- Provides a wallet for multiple cryptocurrencies.
- Blocks annoying ads for clean browsing.
- Supports Web3 for blockchain game access.
Download Aloha for:
Orion Browser
Orion Browser by Kagi is a fast, free, and privacy-centric web browser tailored for iPhone and iPad users. It ensures a smooth browsing experience free from ads and telemetry. With its robust anti-tracking technology and built-in ad-blocker, Orion is dedicated to protecting your online privacy and providing a secure browsing environment.
Features:
- Clean browsing without data collection.
- Ensures your data remains private.
- Blocks ads for smooth browsing.
Download Orion for:
Search All
Search All browser aggregates multiple search engines, including giants like Google, Yahoo, and Wikipedia, allowing you to search a single keyword across these platforms simultaneously. This feature not only saves time but also broadens your search results, giving you a more comprehensive understanding of your query.
Features:
- Combines Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia for search.
- Offers simultaneous multi-engine searches.
Download Search All for:
SPIN Safe Browser
SPIN Safe Browser offers a secure and filtered web experience, automatically blocking inappropriate content and other undesirable materials. With the SPIN+ subscription, users gain more control by customizing their browsing experience, allowing or blocking specific domains, setting a passcode, and syncing domain lists and bookmarks via iCloud.
The browser is easy to use with no configuration needed and enforces strict safe search across popular search engines and YouTube’s Restricted Mode, making it a reliable choice for safe browsing.
Features:
- Blocks inappropriate content automatically.
- Browsing is customizable with SPIN+.
- Filters searches on popular search engines.
Download SPIN Safe for:
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo, known for its private search engine, also offers a browser app focused on secure and private browsing. It comes with built-in private search, tracker blocking, and encryption enforcement.
Beyond standard features, it provides advanced protections like email tracker blocking and app tracking protection. The Fire Button allows users to instantly clear their browsing data, and the Global Privacy Control communicates your privacy preferences to websites, ensuring a comprehensive privacy-first browsing experience.
Features:
- Prevents tracking cookies.
- Stops website trackers.
- Enforces site encryption.
- Blocks email trackers.
- Protects privacy with Fire Button.
Download DuckDuckGo for:
Phoenix
Phoenix browser is all about speed, safety, and data efficiency. It loads web pages twice as fast as standard browsers while saving up to 90% of data usage. Known for its rapid download capabilities across various formats, Phoenix ensures a smooth experience even on slow networks.
It features a smart video downloader and player, WhatsApp Status Saver for social media fans, a powerful file manager, ad block capabilities, and a data saver mode, making it a versatile choice for efficient and optimized browsing.
Features:
- Browse and download quickly with multi-format support.
- Download and play videos with a single click.
- Save data while streaming and downloading.
Download Phoenix for:
APUS Browser
APUS Browser caters to Android users looking for a fast, safe, and private browsing experience. It excels in quickly downloading videos, providing the latest news, and supporting private browsing with its incognito mode. Designed for speed and safety, APUS ensures a streamlined browsing experience while keeping your activities private and secure.
Features:
- Private browsing with incognito feature.
- Fast downloader for easy video download.
- Save data with ‘No Image’ mode.
- Manage multiple tabs with ease.
Download APUS for:
Wize Browser
Wize Browser from Fulldive Co. is not just a browser; it’s an opportunity to earn money, cash rewards, and gift cards while doing everyday online activities like listening to music, chatting, and watching videos. It’s a social browser that allows users to chat and comment on any webpage, creating a sense of community.
Wize integrates your social media and news feeds into a personal all-in-one interface for a seamless experience. It also prioritizes privacy with an ad blocker and incognito mode, ensuring your browsing is smooth and private.
Features:
- Earn rewards through online activities.
- Integrates various social media platforms.
- Access trending news from lockscreen.
- Browse fast and securely with adblocker.
Download Wize for:
Mint Browser
Mint Browser by Xiaomi is a sleek and efficient web browser for Android, designed to deliver speed, privacy, and a quality user experience in just a 10 MB package. Known for its rapid launch speed and minimal storage requirements, it’s ideal for devices with limited space.
Mint Browser safeguards your privacy with features like incognito mode and optional data-sharing controls. It enhances your browsing with user-friendly functionalities such as ad blocking, video downloads, night mode, and data-saving options, making it a versatile choice for modern users.
Features:
- Launches quickly and requires minimal storage.
- Automatically blocks ads for clean browsing.
- Easily detects and downloads videos.
- Offers private browsing with no history.
- Night mode for eye comfort in darkness.
- Saves data by blocking ads and images.
Download Mint for: