Opera vs Slimjet (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Opera grades higher than Slimjet: 3.6 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Opera grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. Slimjet grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Opera
Browser with a built-in ad blocker, free VPN and sidebar messengers
Free plan · from $4/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Opera if
- Fits if you want an ad blocker and a browser VPN without hunting for extensions
- Works for people with WhatsApp, Telegram or Slack open all day next to their work
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a start page with no sponsored tiles or promoted suggestions on day one
- Not for you if you need a VPN for your whole device or one country: the free one covers the browser and three broad regions
- Pricey if you want the full VPN: VPN Pro starts at $4 a month on an unstated term, and only for desktop and Android
- Too light for anyone on an iPad, where reviewers say basics are missing and news alerts need switching off
- Watch out: on a computer the ad blocker and VPN start switched off, and Android lists unnamed in-app buys of $5.99 to $29.99
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
| 3.6GPAOperaExcellent | 3.0GPASlimjetVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe browser is free with the ad blocker and a no-data-cap VPN in it, where Brave and DuckDuckGo want $9.99 a month for a VPN, and VPN Pro from $4 sits in this category's lowest-priced quarter. Opera pays its way with sponsored Speed Dials and promoted address-bar suggestions instead. | AFreeware with no registration, and donations are optional, so under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright: the ad blocker, a browser VPN with no data cap and no sign-up, Opera AI without a login, the sidebar, Flow and sync. In return the start page shows sponsored tiles until you switch them off. | AThe whole browser is free to use with no registration and nothing locked behind a plan. |
| Features | AA built-in VPN, free, with no data cap and no sign-up, though it covers the browser only. WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord and Slack in the sidebar. Then Opera AI beside ChatGPT and Gemini, Tab Islands, split screen, Flow, translation and a 5x volume booster. | 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 | A4.7 from about 260,000 App Store ratings, the top band for this category, and Chrome users say switching took little effort. Two things to know: there's a lot on the screen, and on a computer the ad blocker and VPN sit switched off until you find them. | BNo rating on record. You install a Chromium browser and it works, with the extras already in the toolbar. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, iPhone and Android, tied together by a free Opera Account, and the desktop builds run Chrome extensions. Computers and both phones is a B on our scale: the top mark also wants a web app, and a browser isn't one. | CWindows, macOS and Linux only. No mobile versions are listed, and no integrations. |
| Best for | a free VPN and ad blocker built in | 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: Opera and Slimjet. How we grade
Price against what you get
Opera starts at $4 a month and scores 3.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Slimjet has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Opera scores higher, and starts $4 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other browsers on the chart, 1 scores higher than Opera 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
- Opera also covers screenshots.
- Slimjet also covers ad and tracker blocking.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxWeb browser
At a glance
| Opera | Slimjet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $4 per month (VPN Pro; billing term for this rate not stated) | Free |
| Free plan | The browser is free to download and use on desktop and mobile, including the ad blocker, the browser VPN with no data cap and Opera AI with no login. | Freeware with no registration. Donations are optional. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Opera Norway | FlashPeak Inc. |
| Price read from | blogs.opera.com | slimjet.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Opera
- The free VPN protects the browser only. VPN Pro, which covers the whole device, is a paid subscription from $4 per month.
- Opera earns revenue from ads, sponsored Speed Dials and promoted address-bar suggestions. The sponsored items can be replaced or switched off in settings.
- The Android app lists in-app purchases of $5.99 to $29.99 per item on the US Google Play store, without naming them.
- Opera GX, Opera Air, Opera Mini and Opera Neon, an AI browser at $19.90 a month, are separate products; this entry covers the main Opera browser.
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
Opera
- Ad blocker and free VPN
- The ad blocker removes ads and pop-ups without an extension. The browser VPN is free, has no data cap, needs no subscription or login and follows a no-logs policy; on Android it offers three virtual locations.
- Opera AI, ChatGPT and Gemini
- Opera AI is free with no sign-up and can read the current tab or a group of tabs for context. ChatGPT and Gemini open in the sidebar, and an AI image generator is included.
- Tab Islands, workspaces and split screen
- Tab Islands keep related tabs together in groups that collapse and expand, workspaces separate tab groups, split screen shows several tabs at once and vertical tabs are available.
- Sidebar messengers and music
- WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Discord, Slack and Bluesky open in the sidebar, as do Instagram, X and a music player that works with services such as Spotify.
- Flow and sync
- Flow sends files, links and notes between a person's own devices, and a free Opera Account syncs open tabs, bookmarks and speed dials between mobile and desktop.
- Built-in utilities
- Extras include a snapshot tool for capturing and editing screenshots, video pop-out, page translation, a unit and currency converter, a battery saver and a volume booster of up to 5x.
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
Opera
Free$0
The full browser with the ad blocker, the free browser VPN, Opera AI, sidebar messengers, Flow and sync through a free Opera Account.
VPN ProFrom $4
per month; billing term for this rate not stated
Device-wide VPN for up to six desktop and Android devices at once, with servers in 48 countries. Sold on monthly or annual plans.
Slimjet
Free$0
Freeware with no registration. Donations are optional.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Opera or Slimjet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Slimjet is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4 a month for Opera. Opera starts at $4 per month (VPN Pro; billing term for this rate not stated), and Slimjet is free.
Which has a free plan, Opera or Slimjet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Opera and Slimjet have a free plan.
Which platforms do Opera and Slimjet run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Opera lists iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.