Opera vs Vivaldi

Opera

• People who want an ad blocker and a VPN without installing extensions
• Keeping messengers and music in a sidebar next to the page
• Trying Opera AI, ChatGPT and Gemini from one browser

Vivaldi

• Power users who keep dozens of tabs open
• People who want mail, calendar and feeds inside the browser
• Those who like to customize shortcuts, themes and layout
• Users who want a browser without a built-in AI assistant

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.

Vivaldi

• Proton VPN for Vivaldi works only in the desktop browser, and faster speeds, more servers and extra devices need a paid Proton VPN plan.
• New installs come with partner bookmarks and search engines that earn Vivaldi revenue. They can be replaced.
• Vivaldi deliberately leaves out an AI assistant, so there is no built-in chatbot or page summarizer.
• The current Mac download requires macOS 13 or later.

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.

Vivaldi

Mail, Calendar and Feed Reader

A built-in email client handles several accounts, mailing lists and feeds in one inbox, next to a private calendar and a feed reader that does not rank items by algorithm.

Tab Stacks, tiling and Workspaces

Tabs group into two-level Tab Stacks, open side by side in a split-screen view, and sort into Workspaces for switching between categories of tabs.

Ad and tracker blocker

A blocker for ads and trackers is built into the desktop and mobile browsers, so no extension is needed to remove them.

End-to-end encrypted Sync

Browsing history, passwords, bookmarks, tabs and notes sync between desktop and mobile devices, protected by end-to-end encryption.

Proton VPN for Vivaldi

An opt-in VPN from Proton is built into the desktop browser. It is free with no ads or data limits after signing in with a Vivaldi account.

Customization and Command Chains

Shortcuts, themes and features can be personalized, mouse gestures trigger actions, and Command Chains run a custom sequence of commands from one keystroke or gesture.

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.

Vivaldi

• Free$0

  The full browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, including mail, calendar, feed reader, sync and the free tier of Proton VPN on desktop.