Vivaldi: when to install it, and when not to
Vivaldi is the power-user Chromium browser: tab stacking, tiling, mouse gestures, a command chain system, and built-in mail, calendar and RSS clients if…
The short version
Vivaldi: For people who want everything at once: tab stacks, side panels, split view, built-in mail and calendar. No telemetry, no ad business. The trade-off is a busy interface you have to set up before it feels good.
| Licence / price | Free · Closed source |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| Category | Browsers — 4 programs |
| Official download | https://vivaldi.com/download/ ↗ |
What it is for
Vivaldi is the power-user Chromium browser: tab stacking, tiling, mouse gestures, a command chain system, and built-in mail, calendar and RSS clients if you want them. Almost every pixel is configurable, which makes it the best fit for people who resent how locked-down mainstream browsers have become.
When to pick something else
That flexibility is a learning curve. New users open it, see a wall of options, and leave. It is heavier than Brave or Firefox on modest hardware, and because the team is small, some platform features lag behind Chrome. If you just want it to work, this is more browser than you need.
How it compares in Browsers
These are the alternatives we would consider for the same job. The notes are the same ones used on the main list, so there is no separate ranking hiding on this page.
| Program | Licence / price | Platforms | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefox Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | The safest default for most people. It runs its own engine instead of Chromium, blocks trackers out of the box, and carries extensions the Chromium side is busy removing. Slightly rougher on a handful of Google properties. |
| Brave Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Chrome's speed with the ads and trackers already stripped out. The strongest built-in blocker you can get without installing anything. Its optional crypto features are easy to ignore, and you should ignore them. |
| Google Chrome Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Closed source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Install it only when a work tool refuses to run anywhere else. It is the most compatible and the most invasive: it reports to Google by default and is the engine everyone else is forced to follow. |
Practical notes
- Start with tab stacking and workspaces before touching command chains.
- Map a few mouse gestures; they pay off faster than they take to learn.
- Keep the built-in mail/RSS off unless you actually intend to consolidate there.
Questions people ask
Is Vivaldi open source?
The interface is open source; some backend services are closed, which privacy purists note.
Does it run on phones?
There is a mobile version that syncs with the desktop via a Vivaldi account.
Why not just use Chrome with extensions?
You can, but you will never get tiling, gestures and command chains without fighting the platform.
Where it appears in our guides
See the full Browsers explainer for the other 3 programs in this category.
How to read this page. How to read this page. Platform, licence and publisher details come from our directory data. Where an independent review, audit or survey is mentioned, it is summarised in our own words with the source named and linked; our /sources page sets out that policy. The recommendation, the trade-offs and every 'skip it if' line are our editorial judgement. We do not run benchmarks, publish measured performance figures or host installers, and every download link goes to the publisher's own site. If a detail is out of date, our About page explains how to tell us.