Vivaldi vs Wavebox
We give Vivaldi a 4.0 GPA and Wavebox a 3.2, out of 4.0. Vivaldi grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Wavebox
Desktop browser that keeps many web apps and accounts signed in
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
How we grade them
| 4.0GPAVivaldiExcellent | 3.2GPAWaveboxVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on desktop and phone, with no paid tier. Vivaldi pays its way through search and bookmark partner deals, a share of Proton VPN upgrades and donations, not by charging you. | BPro is $8.33 a month paid annually, which the help center puts at $99 for the year. That's about the going rate, and a bit more than Rambox Pro at $70 a year. The pricing page doesn't show what paying monthly costs. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe lot is free: mail, calendar, feed reader, sync and the ad blocker. On desktop you also get Proton VPN with no ads or data limits once you sign in with a Vivaldi account. New installs come with partner bookmarks, which you can replace. | BBasic is free but small: Work and Home spaces, 2 groups with 2 apps in each, 1 extension and 1 dashboard. Fine for a couple of Gmail accounts, not much beyond. New accounts get 7 days of Pro first, with no card. |
| Features | AAn email client for several accounts, a calendar, a feed reader and notes, plus an ad and tracker blocker. Tabs stack two levels deep, sit side by side and sort into Workspaces. Command Chains run a string of commands from one keystroke. | AApps grouped in a sidebar and split into Spaces, several accounts of one service signed in at once, unread badges, split panes and a tab strip per group. It takes Chrome Web Store extensions, with 20 or more built in, and the AI assistant can be disabled. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 4,400 App Store ratings. You can leave it as it comes, or change the shortcuts, themes and layout until it suits you. There's a lot in here, so give it an evening. | BNo App Store rating to go on. Apps are grouped much like the ones on your phone, and the Wavebox Mini menu lists what's new across accounts. It's a desktop app you install, and Focus Mode quietens it for a while. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone, with history, passwords, bookmarks, tabs and notes synced under end-to-end encryption. Proton VPN is built into the desktop version only. | BMac, Windows and Linux, with Chrome Web Store extensions. No mobile app is listed. The Mac version needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. |
| Best for | tab hoarders who like to customise everything | staying signed in to many accounts at once |
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: Vivaldi and Wavebox. How we grade
Where they differ
- Vivaldi is free. Wavebox starts at $8.33 per month, paid annually (Wavebox Pro).
- Only Vivaldi lists Android and iOS apps.
- Vivaldi is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Vivaldi also covers notes, calendar, email client, screenshots and rSS reader.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxWeb browser
At a glance
| Vivaldi | Wavebox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $8.33 per month, paid annually (Wavebox Pro) |
| Free plan | Vivaldi is free on desktop and mobile with no paid tier. The company funds itself through search engine and bookmark partner deals, a share of Proton VPN upgrades and donations. | Wavebox Basic: Work and Home spaces, 2 groups with 2 apps in each, 1 Chrome extension and 1 dashboard, with limited features. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Wavebox Pro on every new account, no credit card required |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Vivaldi Technologies | Bookry Ltd |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | wavebox.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Wavebox
- Virtual assistants and agencies working across many client accounts
- People who live in several Gmail, Slack or Teams accounts at once
- Teams that want a shared, pre-configured browser for new hires
Worth knowing
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.
Wavebox
- The free Basic plan stops at 2 groups with 2 apps in each, 1 extension and 1 dashboard.
- The pricing page shows annual-billing rates only; monthly billing is offered, but its price is not listed there.
- Wavebox is a desktop browser for macOS, Windows and Linux; no mobile app is listed.
- The Mac version requires macOS 12 Monterey or later.
Key features
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.
Wavebox
- Apps, groups and Spaces
- Web apps sit in a sidebar and are grouped much like apps on a phone, and Spaces keep separate setups for work, home or individual clients.
- Several accounts signed in at once
- Multiple accounts of the same service, such as Gmail, Slack, Microsoft Teams or Asana, stay signed in side by side without switching browsers or profiles.
- Unread badges and notifications
- Apps show unread badges and desktop notifications, the Wavebox Mini menu lists what is new across accounts, and Focus Mode silences them for a while.
- Split screen and tab strips
- Any app or tab can be split into resizable panes, including two accounts of the same type, and every group has its own tab strip.
- AI assistant on the page
- A chosen AI engine works in the context of the current app or tab, with ready-made skills in the right-click menu and custom skills. It can be disabled.
- Chrome extensions and team setups
- Extensions install from the Chrome Web Store, with 20 or more built in. Teams can share an app setup with encrypted passwords and manage the browser remotely.
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.
Wavebox
Basic$0
Work and Home spaces, 2 groups with 2 apps in each, 1 extension and one dashboard.
Wavebox Pro$8.33
per month, paid annually
For individuals: unlimited spaces, groups and apps, all extensions, cloud sync and unlimited dashboards. The help center puts the annual charge at $99.
Teams$12.50
per user / month; $150 per seat when paid annually
Everything in Pro plus Connect, shared dashboards, Wavebox Live, consolidated billing and an admin portal. Monthly billing is offered at a rate not shown.
Ways to pay less
Vivaldi
No public discounts listed.
Wavebox
- Education
70% discount for education
People in full-time education or working in education can claim 70% off by starting a 7-day trial with an education email address and then emailing support.
- Nonprofit
70% discount for non-profits
Non-profit teams and people working in the non-profit sector can claim 70% off by starting a 7-day trial with a .org email address and then emailing support.
