Vivaldi

Vivaldi is a feature-rich, privacy-focused web browser developed by Vivaldi Technologies in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 2015 by Jon von Tetzchner, the co-founder and former CEO of Opera, Vivaldi was created specifically for users who felt abandoned by the increasingly simplified and data-hungry direction of mainstream browsers. Where Chrome, Edge, and even modern Opera have converged toward minimalist interfaces that prioritize simplicity over capability, Vivaldi takes the opposite approach -- offering an extraordinary depth of customization, built-in productivity tools, and uncompromising privacy protections that give users complete control over their browsing experience.

As a Norwegian company operating within the European Economic Area, Vivaldi is subject to GDPR and strong European privacy laws. The company has been vocal about its stance on user privacy, explicitly stating that it does not track users, does not profile users, and does not sell user data. This is not merely a policy statement but a fundamental part of the company's business model, which relies on revenue from search engine partnerships and default bookmark placements rather than advertising or data monetization. For European users who want their browser to be a tool rather than a surveillance mechanism, Vivaldi represents one of the most principled options available.

Customization and Interface Design

The level of customization Vivaldi offers is genuinely unmatched in the browser market. Nearly every aspect of the interface can be modified: toolbar positions, tab bar location (top, bottom, left, or right), color schemes that automatically adapt to the website you are viewing, custom keyboard shortcuts for virtually every browser action, mouse gestures for quick navigation, and configurable quick commands that function like a command palette. Users can create multiple custom themes and even schedule them to change throughout the day -- for example, a light theme during work hours and a dark theme in the evening.

The Start Page is a customizable dashboard with Speed Dials (bookmark tiles), a customizable background, and widgets. You can organize Speed Dials into folders and groups, creating a personalized launch pad for your most-visited sites. While this level of configurability can feel overwhelming for casual users, power users and professionals who spend significant time in their browser will find that the investment in setup pays dividends in daily productivity. The browser remembers your configuration across updates, so you only need to set things up once.

Tab Management and Workspaces

Vivaldi's tab management capabilities are among its most celebrated features. Tab Stacking allows you to group related tabs by dragging one on top of another, creating collapsible groups that keep your tab bar organized. Tab Tiling lets you view multiple tabs side-by-side in split-screen layouts -- particularly useful for comparing documents, monitoring dashboards, or referencing material while working. The two-level tab bar provides an additional organizational layer, showing stacked tabs in a secondary row for easy access.

Workspaces, a more recent addition, take tab organization to the next level by allowing you to create separate browsing contexts. You might have a "Work" workspace with project-related tabs, a "Personal" workspace for social media and shopping, and a "Research" workspace for long-running investigations. Switching between workspaces instantly swaps your entire tab set, keeping different activities cleanly separated. Tab Hibernation automatically suspends inactive tabs to free up system memory and reduce CPU usage, addressing one of the most common complaints about Chromium-based browsers.

Built-in Privacy and Security

Vivaldi includes a built-in ad blocker and tracker blocker that work without requiring any extensions. The tracker blocker uses curated blocklists to prevent third-party tracking scripts from loading, while the ad blocker removes intrusive advertisements from web pages. Both features can be configured globally or on a per-site basis, giving you fine-grained control over blocking behavior. Unlike Chrome, which has moved to limit the capabilities of ad-blocking extensions through its Manifest V3 changes, Vivaldi's built-in blocker is unaffected by these restrictions.

The browser's privacy protections extend beyond blocking. Vivaldi strips Google-specific tracking mechanisms from the Chromium codebase, preventing the silent data collection that occurs in Chrome. The sync feature uses end-to-end encryption, meaning Vivaldi's servers cannot read your synced data -- bookmarks, passwords, history, and settings are encrypted on your device before transmission. For users who need even stronger privacy, Vivaldi supports private browsing windows and can be configured to clear all data on exit.

Built-in Productivity Suite

Vivaldi goes beyond basic browsing with a suite of built-in productivity tools that eliminate the need for several standalone applications. Vivaldi Mail is a full-featured email client supporting IMAP and POP3 accounts, with a unified inbox that manages multiple email addresses in one view. The Calendar integrates with CalDAV servers and syncs with your email for event invitations. The Feed Reader monitors RSS and Atom feeds, keeping you updated on news and blog posts without visiting separate websites or relying on third-party services.

Web Panels pin websites to a sidebar for quick access, functioning like lightweight web apps within your browser. You can have a messaging app, task manager, or reference site always available without occupying a regular tab. The built-in Notes tool lets you capture text, screenshots, and links with optional Markdown formatting, attached to specific web pages for contextual reference. The Capture tool takes full-page or selection screenshots that can be copied or saved directly. Together, these tools create an integrated workspace that reduces context switching and keeps your focus within a single application.

Performance and Resource Usage

Vivaldi's Chromium foundation ensures excellent web compatibility and competitive rendering performance. Pages load quickly, and JavaScript execution is on par with Chrome and Edge. The browser's resource management is generally efficient, particularly when Tab Hibernation is active, which can significantly reduce memory usage compared to keeping all tabs fully loaded. However, the rich feature set does mean Vivaldi uses slightly more memory and disk space than more minimal browsers when all built-in tools are active.

Battery consumption on laptops is an area where some users report that Vivaldi uses more power than Chrome or Edge, likely due to the additional UI layers and built-in services running alongside the browsing engine. Vivaldi Technologies has been working on performance optimizations in recent releases, and the difference has narrowed, but users who prioritize battery life above all else may want to test this on their specific hardware. For desktop users connected to power, the resource trade-off for the extensive feature set is typically negligible.

Platform Availability and Sync

Vivaldi is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, covering all major platforms. The desktop versions offer the full feature set, while the mobile versions provide a streamlined but still feature-rich experience with tab syncing, built-in ad blocking, and the Speed Dial start page. End-to-end encrypted sync keeps your data consistent across all devices, and the sync process is handled through Vivaldi's own servers in Iceland, an EEA country with strong privacy laws.

The Linux support is particularly notable, as Vivaldi has cultivated a strong following in the Linux community. The browser integrates well with various desktop environments and respects system theming conventions. For organizations running Linux workstations, having a fully featured, privacy-respecting browser with enterprise-capable features like managed bookmarks and policy support is a genuine differentiator that few other browsers offer at the same level.

Business Model and European Values

Vivaldi's business model deserves attention because it directly impacts its privacy posture. The company generates revenue from default search engine partnerships and pre-installed bookmark tiles to sites like eBay, Amazon, and Booking.com. These partnerships pay Vivaldi when users click through, but no personal data is shared with partners -- the revenue comes from aggregate traffic, not targeted advertising. This model allows Vivaldi to remain completely free while maintaining its no-tracking commitment.

As a company headquartered in Norway with servers in Iceland, Vivaldi operates entirely within the EEA's strong privacy framework. The company has been outspoken about digital rights, surveillance legislation, and the importance of user autonomy online. For European users and organizations that want their software choices to reflect European values around privacy and digital sovereignty, Vivaldi represents one of the most aligned options in the browser market. It is a genuinely European product built by a team that considers privacy a fundamental right rather than a marketing feature.