Opera Browser Review

Opera web browser review: An Introduction to Opera

Norwegian company Opera Software, first released the Opera web browser in 1995 making it one of the oldest browsers still in development. Early versions of the web browser were notable for their speed and efficiency and the browser quickly gained a loyal following.

In recent years, Opera has continued to innovate and add new features, including a built-in VPN, ad blocker, and crypto wallet. Today, Opera is available on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

While it may not be as popular as other web browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Opera has a loyal user base and attracts millions of users around the world with its vast array of unique features. But before we get to the nitty-gritty of the features...

How to download the Opera browser

Downloading the Opera web browser is a pretty simple task. Just head to the Opera download page. Select the specific Opera browser you want (regular, gaming, crypto, Chromebook, or Mini) and then select the operating system you are using.

Scrolling further down the page will show download links for other Opera products, Beta builds, and archived browsers. These are really only for curious users looking to experiment with different (and often buggy) versions.

Once you select the browser version you want, click on the Download Now button and follow the onscreen instructions.

Opera web browser review: The features

Opera incorporates a wide variety of features that most other browsers leave to extensions or separate programs. The assortment includes a built-in Player, a video pop-out, and a screen Snapshot feature.

But really, the stars of the show are its built-in ad blocker, sidebar extensions for social media and messaging apps, file sharing capabilities, a free built-in VPN, and a pin board function.

Let's get this Opera web browser review on the road and open these up to see what they have to offer.

Built-in ad blocker

Opera's built-in ad blocker feature is designed to block those intrusive and annoying ads on websites to give a more streamlined browsing experience. This feature is enabled by default and can be easily configured in the settings menu.

Preventing ads from being displayed on websites results in faster page loading times and reduced data usage. This feature can also improve privacy by blocking some tracking scripts used by advertisers.

While that's a good thing, it's worth remembering that it's not a foolproof block and doesn't stop digital fingerprinting.

Sidebar extensions

Opera browser offers a feature called "Sidebar Extensions" that allows users to integrate social and messaging apps directly into the browser. This makes it easy for users to access their favorite social media and messaging platforms without having to switch between multiple apps or tabs.

When the Sidebar Extensions feature is enabled, users can access a sidebar by clicking on a small arrow on the left side of the browser window. This sidebar contains icons for various social and messaging apps, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Twitter.

Clicking on an icon opens a small window within the sidebar where users can interact with the app without leaving the browser.

Image source: Opera

This feature can be especially useful for users who frequently use social media and messaging apps throughout the day. Instead of constantly switching between different apps or tabs, users can access all their favorite platforms within the browser itself.

It's worth noting that not all social and messaging apps are supported by the Sidebar Extensions feature. The list of supported apps is limited to those that have built-in support for browser-based interfaces. However, Opera is continually updating and expanding its list of supported apps, so it's possible that more apps will be added in the future.

File sharing

Opera's My Flow feature is a built-in file sharing feature that allows users to easily share files between their desktop and mobile devices. My Flow can be accessed via a small icon located in the left-hand corner of the browser window.

To use My Flow, users must first connect their mobile device to their desktop browser. This is done by scanning a QR code displayed in the browser window using the mobile device's camera. Once connected, users can then drag and drop files directly into the My Flow window to share them between devices. Opera does state that the data sent is encrypted, but doesn't give much more detail as to the type of encryption used.

The feature does have some limitations in terms of file size and the types of files that can be shared. For example, there is a 10 MB limit on individual file sizes, and certain file types, such as executables and scripts, cannot be shared for security reasons.

Built-in VPN

Opera's free VPN is a built-in virtual private network (VPN) service that allows users to browse the web securely and privately. The VPN service is integrated directly into the Opera browser, can be enabled with just a few clicks, is completely free, and doesn't require users to sign up or create an account.

Users can choose from VPN servers located in three different countries, including the United States, Canada, and Germany. Which, some readers may notice, are all member countries of the 14 eyes surveillance alliance.

An in-built VPN might sound great and convenient, but free VPNs are usually best left avoided. You can always opt for the paid VPN at $3.99 a month, but if Opera is collecting and sharing your data with third parties anyway (skip to the privacy section below to know more), then it kind of defeats the purpose.

READ MORE: The Best VPN Alternative

Pinboards

Opera's Pinboard feature is a bookmarking tool that allows users to save and organize their favorite websites and web pages. With Pinboard, users can create collections of bookmarks and organize them by category or topic, making it easy to find and access their favorite websites.

Pinboard also offers some useful features to help users organize their bookmarks. For example, users can add tags to their bookmarks to make them easier to search and sort. Pinboard also allows users to create nested folders, which can be useful for organizing bookmarks into subcategories.

Image source: Opera

In addition to its bookmarking features, Pinboard also offers some social features. Users can share their Pinboard collections with others, and can also discover new websites and collections created by other Opera users.

Generative AI and contextual prompts

Opera is jumping on the AI bandwagon and has early access to a new feature allowing users to interact with generative AI while they browse. The contextual prompts will enable users to get a TLDR summary of long web pages or sections, get simple explanations of complex ideas, and use ChatGPT from the sidebar.

Opera might be better to wait and see if ChatGPT can sort out the privacy issues it's been having first before rolling this one out fully. Italy has already banned the chatty robot for alleged GDPR violations and at the time of writing Germany is considering the same action.

Opera browser review: The extras

As well as the features developed for the main Opera browser, there are specialist Opera browsers for gamers, crypto enthusiasts, Chromebook users, and even an Opera Mini, a data-light browser for mobile use. Let's take a look at what each has to offer.

Opera GX

Opera GX is an Opera web browser specifically designed for gaming and streaming. One of the main features is the built-in limiters for CPU, RAM, and Network usage. It also features built-in Twitch and Discord integration. Gamers can easily access their favorite Twitch channels and streams directly from the browser, and chat with their Discord communities from the sidebar.

Opera Crypto Browser

Opera has a dedicated crypto browser packed full of Web3-focused features. It goes far beyond the standard Opera built-in crypto wallet, which it of course has, but it also has the industry's first Wallet Selector. This allows users to switch between their Opera Wallet and wallet extensions, such as Metamask. It also has its own dedicated DApp store for easy Web3 exploration. If you want to have a go at minting your own NFTs, then Alteon LaunchPad, a tool only available in Opera Crypto Browser will let you do so right in the browser sidebar.

Opera for Chromebook

Opera for Chromebook is designed specifically to run on Chromebook laptops and is available as a free download from the Google Play Store. It has many of the same features as the regular versions of Opera, including a built-in ad blocker, crypto wallet, and free VPN. It's optimized for touch screens and includes support for keyboard shortcuts and can be customized with a variety of themes and extensions.

Opera Mini

One of the key features of Opera Mini is its data-saving technology, which compresses webpages before they are loaded onto the device. This reduces the amount of data used during browsing, making it an ideal option for users with limited mobile data plans or slow internet connections. It's available for free on both Android and iOS platforms and includes the Opera standard feature of a built-in ad blocker. It also supports offline browsing. Users can save webpages for offline viewing, allowing access to content when not connected to the internet.

What about privacy?

A Hoody Opera browser review would be incomplete if we didn't mention privacy. While all the features sound great on the surface, when you start to look under the hood, that's when things get interesting.

Take the social sidebar for instance, integrated with Facebook/Meta, or its search engine, powered by Google. You've got two of the biggest data-hungry giants in the tech world holding hands with Opera.

There is also the little issue of ownership of Opera.

In 2016, Opera Software sold the majority of its shares to a Chinese consortium which included Qihoo 360 Technology.

Qihoo 360 was just one of the tech companies that ended up on a US sanctions list in 2020 for supposedly “supporting procurement of items for military end-use in China”.

Whether there was any truth to it or not, in 2022, Opera bought those shares back. But, Qihoo 360 was not the only Chinese shareholder. So if a possible Chinese government connection is a real concern for you and your privacy, then Opera might not be the browser you're looking for.

Another privacy concern is the number of requests sent during Opera's setup phase. When a user downloads Opera and launches it for the first time, it makes a number of requests that give an indication of how the web browser deals with user data, privacy, and security.

Privacy-focused browser Brave did a comparison of the first-launch experiences of the most popular browsers. Out of the five browsers, Opera made the highest number of requests to third parties and also stood out for its odd approach to checking the integrity of navigation attempts by sending every URL to sitecheck.opera.com.

What about the Opera privacy policy?

Let's round off our Opera browser review by taking a look at what Opera has to say about its data collection practices.

If you head to Opera's privacy statement you'll see the standard information.

The data the company collects varies from product to product, from one purpose to another, and in some cases will be based on the user's location. Opera collects personal data such as IP addresses, device IDs, advertising IDs, and location.

However, it does specify that the data collection procedures are anonymized as much as possible. But then anonymized data can be reversed so this isn't a great comfort.

They also collect data that is necessary to perform certain services as described in the company's terms of service.

Opera also processes personal data based on so-called “legitimate interests”, such as monetization or ensuring that products work correctly.

In some cases, they state, it is necessary to process personal data to comply with legal obligations, such as detecting fraud or making sure users are who they say they are.

In addition, Opera also collects data from cookies for session management, retaining settings or preferences, and collecting visitor statistics. If you want though, you can reject third-party cookies by configuring the browser's settings.

So, when it comes to data collection, the Opera browser looks very much like any other data-hungry browser.

Opera browser review: The final verdict

Overall, in terms of functionality, Opera is a solid web browser that offers several unique features, including a built-in ad blocker, VPN, and cryptocurrency wallet. But all these fancy features can't detract from the fact that Opera's data collection policy is just the same as regular data-hungry browsers.

Is Opera the best browser out there? Depends on what you're looking for. If you want a fast reactive browser that has everything under one “roof”, then sure, Opera is great! But if you're looking for a more serious privacy-focused browser, then perhaps keep on looking. And maybe read our Brave Browser Review.