The Best Free Web Browsers for Windows

If you’re looking for a fast, free web browser, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from. Today’s most popular web browsers are packed with features. Not only are they faster than older web browsers, they are also safer and more secure. The following are the top 5 web browsers in terms of speed, features, customization and security.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a fast JavaScript web browser that runs under Windows XP, Vista and 7. Chrome supports apps, extensions and themes, thousands of which are available for free in the Chrome Web Store. It supports Adobe Flash Player, as well, so you can play online games and watch videos online. Chrome also features in-browser translation without the need for any plugins or extensions. It also has an Incognito Mode which allows you to surf the web without recording your activities in the browser history. Chrome is safer and more secure than other web browsers, using warning messages, sandboxing and automatic updates to keep you safe online. It’s also a stable web browser. Each tab in Chrome is independent of the others, so that if one crashes, you don’t lose all your other tabs as well.

Mozilla Firefox

The Firefox web browser uses the TraceMonkey Javascript engine to make web surfing faster. Firefox supports private browsing and protects against malware and phishing site. It integrates with anti-virus software for increased security. It also includes parental controls to keep your kids safe online. You can customize Firefox with themes, add-ons and toolbars. Supported add-ons include Adobe Flash Player, Java, Quicktime, Real Player, Shockwave and Windows Media Player. Firefox makes web browsing easier with offline browsing, an RSS reader, optional browser geolocation, session restore and search suggestions. It has a built-in download manager with pause and resume functions. It supports open audio and video formats without an additional add-on or plugin. It blocks pop-ups and pop-unders and supports a pop-up whitelist of allowed sites. The Bookmarks Toolbar lets you place quick links to your favorite sites on the Firefox toolbar.

Internet Explorer

The latest version of Internet Explorer has more features to make web browsing faster and easier. It runs under Windows XP, Vista, Windows Server 2003, Server 2008 and Windows 7. Internet Explorer 8 features search suggestions in its handy search box. It also provides visual search for sites such as Wikipedia, eBay and Photobucket. You can add more search providers to the search box for free in the Internet Explorer Add-Ons Gallery. Internet Explorer 8 now has an enhanced find tool that highlights all instances of a search term on the active web page. You can easily search your web browsing history from the address bar.

Internet Explorer 8 now also supports accelerators that let you quickly search the web, find maps, send email, find translations or blog with any text selected on the page. There is a compatibility view button which helps to properly display pages designed for older web browsers. The old “Links” folder in the favorites menu is now the “Favorites Bar.” Any favorite placed in the favorites bar folder appears in a toolbar across the top of Internet Explorer. New security features include InPrivate Browsing and Filtering, which let you surf the web freely without leaving any tracks. A SmartScreen filter automatically blocks websites and downloads known to be unsafe. As always, Internet Explorer features a robust and fully customizable pop-up blocker that can be disabled for any website you like.

Opera

Opera is a fast, lightweight JavaScript web browser that runs on Windows PCs, Macs and Linux-based machines. If you like Internet Explorer but are looking for faster, cleaner browser with more features, Opera is for you. Opera supports skins, which can customize the look of your web browser. It has a Bookmarks Bar which like Internet Explorer’s Favorites Bar allows you to put shortcuts on your browser toolbar. With Opera, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts and use mouse gestures as shortcuts. Opera will pause and resume file downloads and supports BitTorrent downloads. Another helpful feature of Opera is Opera Widgets, which let you do things like check the weather or the time, play games, read ebooks and play music from your browser. In addition to a pop-up blocker, Opera also includes a “Block Content” feature which disables annoying web page elements such as ads and videos. Security features include private browsing, website checking and automatic updates. Opera, like Chrome, supports playing games and watching videos in the latest version of Flash Player.

Safari

Safari isn’t just for the Mac. There’s also a version available for Windows XP, Vista and 7. Safari uses the Nitro Javascript engine for faster web browsing. It supports extensions for things like reading the news, checking your email and posting to social networking sites. Extensions can be downloaded in the Safari Extensions Gallery. The Safari toolbar is fully customizable. Safari protects against phishing sites and malware and integrates with your anti-virus software. Additional security features include a private browsing mode, parental controls, automatic updates and a pop-up blocker. It has a built-in RSS reader with a search function. Safari supports plugins such as Quicktime, Flash and Shockwave, and includes Java support. One of the features that makes Safari stand out against the competition is its accessibility features. It supports Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) to make web pages more accessible to people with disabilities. You can zoom the entire page or just the text on a page with Safari. Safari also supports closed captioning for HTML5 videos.

For more information on this topic, read The Best Free Internet Download Speed Tests Online.