Opera
By Opera Software
Opera is a web browser developed by Opera Software that runs on the Chromium project and Blink rendering engine. It is distinguished from other Chromium-based browsers by a set of built-in features such as a free integrated VPN, an ad…
Definition
Opera is a web browser developed by Opera Software that runs on the Chromium project and Blink rendering engine. It is distinguished from other Chromium-based browsers by a set of built-in features such as a free integrated VPN, an ad blocker, and a sidebar with messaging app integrations, aimed at reducing the need for third-party extensions. Opera is available across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, and also ships specialized variants for gaming and browser-based crypto use.
Overview
Opera has one of the longest histories among modern browsers, originally released in the mid-1990s with its own proprietary Presto rendering engine, which it used for nearly two decades while pioneering features like tabbed browsing and mouse gestures that later became standard across the industry. In 2013, Opera abandoned Presto and rebuilt the browser on Chromium and Blink, trading engine independence for broader web compatibility and reduced engineering overhead. Mechanically, since the switch, Opera renders pages using Blink and executes JavaScript with V8, the same engines used by Chrome, which means its core web-compatibility behavior is essentially identical to Chrome's. Opera's differentiation instead comes from the layer Opera Software builds on top: a built-in, no-subscription VPN service that routes traffic through Opera's own servers, a native ad and tracker blocker enabled without an extension, and a persistent sidebar that embeds messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram directly into the browser window. Within the browser landscape, Opera occupies a similar architectural position to Brave, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge as a Chromium derivative competing on features rather than rendering engine, though its free built-in VPN is a distinguishing feature not matched by most competitors, who either omit VPN functionality or charge for it as a separate product. Its ownership by a Chinese consortium since 2016 has also drawn scrutiny distinct from other Chromium-based browsers. In practice, Opera is used by people who want built-in privacy and convenience tools without configuring separate extensions, and by users in regions where a bundled VPN is valued for accessing geo-restricted content or adding a layer of network privacy. Its gaming-focused variant, Opera GX, also carved out a niche among gamers wanting a browser with system resource limiters. Opera's trade-offs include that its built-in VPN, while free, is a proxy service rather than a full VPN with the security guarantees users might expect from a dedicated VPN provider, and that as with other Chromium derivatives, its market share is small enough that it is rarely a primary target for web-compatibility testing, though Blink compatibility mitigates most of that risk. Opera also maintains a cryptocurrency wallet built into its browser and has periodically bundled crypto-adjacent features into its default installation, a direction some long-time users see as scope creep away from Opera's original identity as a fast, feature-dense general-purpose browser. Even so, Opera has retained a loyal user base in several international markets where its data-saving compression features and bundled tools have historically been valued on slower or metered internet connections.
Key Features
- Built on the Chromium project and Blink rendering engine
- Includes a built-in, no-subscription VPN-like proxy service
- Provides a native ad and tracker blocker without extensions
- Offers a sidebar with integrated messaging app access
- Supports Chrome extensions via the Chrome Web Store
- Includes a battery saver mode to reduce power consumption
- Provides Opera GX, a variant tailored for gamers
- Features built-in currency converter and workspace tab organization