Chromium vs Slimjet (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Slimjet grades higher than Chromium: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Slimjet grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Chromium
Open-source browser project, with builds for testing and development
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Chromium if
- Fits if you build or study the browser source
- Makes sense if you need one specific build to check a bug fix
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a browser that updates itself, since Chromium builds do not
- Not for you if you want a build that matches a Chrome release, as snapshots come from arbitrary revisions
- Watch out: the download page offers no Android or iOS installer
- Too light for everyday use: the site says Chrome builds suit most users
Pick Slimjet if
- Fits if you want an ad blocker and proxy switcher without hunting for extensions
- Works for downloading streaming video from inside the browser
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want the Mac build to match Windows: the Mac download is version 45.0.1.0 from January 2025, Windows and Linux are at 51.0.3.0
- Not for you if you need a phone version, as none is listed
- Watch out: the ad-blocking and privacy claims are the vendor's own
- Tight if you want a paid support route: the company asks only for donations
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAChromiumGood | 3.0GPASlimjetVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download, with no paid edition listed anywhere on the project site, so nothing here costs money. | AFreeware with no registration, and donations are optional, so under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | ASnapshot builds and Chrome for Testing builds cost nothing and have no usage cap. | AThe whole browser is free to use with no registration and nothing locked behind a plan. |
| Features | CSource, build docs and an issue tracker, but the builds are aimed at testers and the site says they suit checking a fix. | CAd blocker, proxy switcher, form filler, video download and screenshots, but the ad-blocking and privacy claims are the vendor's own. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. Builds do not auto-update and come from arbitrary revisions, so you fetch each new one by hand. | BNo rating on record. You install a Chromium browser and it works, with the extras already in the toolbar. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux builds only. The page offers no installer for Android or iOS. | CWindows, macOS and Linux only. No mobile versions are listed, and no integrations. |
| Best for | building or testing the Chromium source | a free Chromium browser with built-in extras |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Chromium and Slimjet. How we grade
Price against what you get
Chromium has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Slimjet has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Slimjet scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Chromium for less, and none scores higher than Slimjet for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Chromium is open source, according to its own site.
- Slimjet also covers ad and tracker blocking.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxWeb browser
At a glance
| Chromium | Slimjet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Chromium builds are free. The project site lists no paid plans. | Freeware with no registration. Donations are optional. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The Chromium Projects | FlashPeak Inc. |
| Price read from | chromium.org | slimjet.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Chromium
- Chromium builds do not auto-update, so users have to fetch new builds themselves.
- The download page says Chrome builds auto-update and suit most users; Chromium builds suit checking a fix.
- Builds come from arbitrary revisions and do not necessarily match a user-facing Chrome release.
- The page offers no installer for Android or iOS.
Slimjet
- The Mac download listed on the download page is version 45.0.1.0, dated January 2025, while the Windows and Linux stable release is 51.0.3.0.
- No mobile versions are listed.
- The ad-blocking and privacy claims are the vendor's own.
Key features
Chromium
- Open-source code
- The site describes Chromium as an open-source browser project and links to the source tree, build instructions and contribution guides.
- Chromium snapshot builds
- Builds are made on a best-effort basis from arbitrary revisions for Mac, Windows, Linux and ChromiumOS, with a point-and-click download page.
- Chrome for Testing
- A flavor of Chrome made for testing, released for every Chrome release across channels and downloadable with the @puppeteer/browsers command-line tool.
- Developer documentation
- Design documents, architecture overviews, testing information and debugging guides for Windows, OS X, Linux and Android.
- Bug reporting and release calendar
- The site links an issue tracker, discussion groups, a release calendar and security contact details for people who work on the code.
Slimjet
- Built-in ad blocker
- Blocks ads without plugins or setup, according to the vendor.
- Chromium base
- Rebuilt from the open-source Chromium project, with the vendor saying it sends no usage data back to Google.
- QuickFill and autofill
- A form filler that opens a page and signs in in one step, plus autofill from stored identity information.
- Proxy switcher
- Define several proxies, including SOCKS5, and switch between them from the browser.
- Video download and screenshots
- Downloads streaming videos with an option to extract the audio, and saves a screenshot of an entire page.
- Customizable toolbar
- Toolbar buttons can be added or removed for quick access to features such as translation and weather.
Plans
Chromium
Free$0
Chromium snapshot builds and Chrome for Testing builds, with no paid edition listed.
Slimjet
Free$0
Freeware with no registration. Donations are optional.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Chromium or Slimjet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Chromium and Slimjet are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Chromium or Slimjet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Chromium and Slimjet have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.