Summary of "Which browser should you use right now?"

Summary of “Which browser should you use right now?”

This video provides an in-depth analysis and review of the current browser landscape, focusing on technological concepts, product features, user experience, and the state of browser development. The speaker shares personal experiences, critiques, and recommendations based on extensive hands-on use of many browsers.

Key Technological Concepts and Browser Features

Browser Engines and Open Source Bases

Most modern browsers are Chromium-based (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Helium, Comet).
Firefox and Zen are based on Firefox’s engine, with Zen being a Firefox-based alternative focusing on user experience.
Safari and Safari-based browsers (Orion/Orian) use WebKit, with iOS browsers essentially being Safari wrappers due to Apple’s restrictions.

Vertical Real Estate

A major concern for the speaker is vertical screen space, preferring browsers that minimize UI chrome at the top (tabs, URL bar).
Zen and Helium excel at preserving vertical real estate, shaving off unnecessary UI space.
Browsers like Chrome, Vivaldi, Safari, and Comet take up more vertical space, negatively impacting content visibility.

Privacy and Data Handling

Chrome/Chromium is open source but Google Chrome itself is heavily maintained by Google with a focus on web standards and ecosystem dominance.
Helium is highlighted for strong privacy measures, including mirroring extension downloads to avoid Google tracking.
Firefox used to be the privacy champion but recent licensing and funding changes suggest it is less privacy-focused now.
Brave is criticized for aggressive crypto promotion and causing compatibility issues due to its fingerprinting protections.
Zen is more private than Firefox currently, with an open-source model and community-driven development.

Customization and User Experience

Vivaldi is the most customizable Chromium-based browser but still has bugs and UI issues, especially with vertical real estate and sidebar reliability.
Zen offers the best sidebar experience with customizable hotkeys, hover behavior, and the ability to place the sidebar on the right side (preferred by the speaker).
Command+Shift+C (copy URL shortcut) is a must-have feature introduced by Arc and adopted by Zen, but missing or hard to customize in most browsers.
Helium is less customizable but polished with attention to subtle UI details and speed.

AI Integration in Browsers

Google Chrome is integrating AI features (Gemini) but the implementation is poor and largely unused.
DIA (from the Arc team) attempted an AI browser but failed due to poor functionality and bad vertical real estate management.
Comet (from Perplexity) is the most functional AI browser, capable of actual browsing and data processing, but has a clunky onboarding and is poorly maintained.
The speaker warns about security risks of agentic AI browsers that blindly follow hidden page instructions.

Browser Ecosystem and Market Dynamics

Google heavily funds Chromium and Firefox to maintain a healthy web ecosystem.
Microsoft’s Edge is a Chromium-based browser with some UX improvements but little customization.
Opera and Arc are dismissed as either sketchy or dead.
Ladybird is an experimental, minimal browser aiming to prove a new browser can be built but not focused on usability.

Manifest V3 and Ad Blockers

Manifest V3 enforcement in Chrome was intended to reduce malware and improve security by limiting extension permissions.
This change has made ad blockers less powerful but more performant.
Firefox still supports Manifest V2, allowing more powerful ad blockers.

Browser Reviews and Recommendations

Zen (Firefox-based)
- Favorite browser of the speaker.
- Open source, community-driven, highly polished UI.
- Best sidebar experience and vertical real estate.
- More private than Firefox currently.
- Some Firefox engine-related issues (memory, battery, dev tools).
- Active development and receptive maintainers.
Helium (Chromium-based)
- Strong privacy focus, especially around extension installs.
- Very polished UI with lots of small improvements.
- Excellent vertical real estate management.
- Lacks mobile support and tab sync (seen as a feature by the speaker).
- Still in development, expanding to Windows and Linux.
- Recommended for Mac users wanting a Chrome alternative without Google bloat.
Chrome (Google)
- Industry standard, best web compatibility.
- Heavy investment in web standards.
- AI features (Gemini) poorly implemented.
- Privacy concerns due to Google data collection.
- Manifest V3 reduces malware risk but weakens ad blockers.
Vivaldi (Chromium-based)
- Most customizable Chromium browser.
- UI bugs and vertical real estate issues.
- Not open source.
- Good for users wanting customization but not the best experience overall.
Edge (Chromium-based)
- Simple, stable, slightly more private than Chrome.
- Microsoft’s replacement for Internet Explorer.
- AI features (Copilot) present but not recommended.
- Suitable for users who want a default Chromium browser on Windows/Mac.
Brave (Chromium-based)
- Aggressive privacy and crypto features.
- Causes many compatibility issues.
- Poor sidebar and UI experience.
- Not recommended by the speaker.
Comet (Chromium-based, Perplexity)
- AI-focused browser capable of real browsing and data extraction.
- Clunky onboarding and performance issues.
- Only AI browser that “works” in a meaningful way.
- Poor maintenance and usability.
Safari and Safari-based browsers (Orion/Orian)
- Safari is the default on iOS, energy efficient but limited.
- Orion is a Safari wrapper with broken Chrome extension support.
- Not recommended due to poor extension support and closed source.
Ladybird
- Experimental browser aiming to build a browser from scratch.
- Not usable or recommended.
- More a proof of concept than a product.
Arc and DIA - Arc is dead, DIA is a failed AI browser. - Both not recommended.

Additional Notes

The speaker emphasizes the importance of supporting small open-source browser projects like Zen and Helium to ensure their survival.
The video includes a sponsored segment for Mobin, a UI reference search engine for designers and developers.
The speaker frequently references personal preferences such as keyboard shortcuts, vertical real estate, and dislike for tab syncing.
The speaker has contributed financially to Zen and Helium and encourages viewers to support them.

Main Speakers / Sources

Theo (primary speaker and reviewer): Provides detailed personal insights, hands-on testing, and opinions on browsers.
Mentions developers and teams behind:
- Zen (small open-source Firefox-based browser team)
- Helium (Waco and JJ, Chromium-based, privacy-focused)
- Google Chrome (Google)
- Perplexity / Comet (Perplexity startup)
- Microsoft Edge (Microsoft)
- Brave (Brave Software)
- Vivaldi (Vivaldi Technologies)
- Ladybird (experimental open-source project)
- Orion/Orian (Safari-based browser by Kaggi team)

Summary Recommendation

For users wanting the best overall web experience with privacy and UI polish, Zen and Helium are the top recommendations.
Chrome remains solid and compatible but has privacy trade-offs and some questionable AI integration.
Vivaldi is good for customization enthusiasts.
Avoid Brave, Arc, DIA, and Orion due to usability, privacy, or development issues.
Use Safari on iOS as required but be aware of its limitations.

This video is a comprehensive guide and review for anyone looking to understand the current browser ecosystem, with a focus on privacy, user experience, and future directions.