Microsoft Edge vs Opera

March 12, 2025 | Author: Adam Levine
16
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is the only browser that lets you take notes, write, doodle, and highlight directly on webpages. Features vertical tabs for improved organization and easy navigation of multiple open pages. Offers a built-in (PDF) reading mode that simplifies web pages for distraction-free reading.
13
Opera
The Opera browser is a fast, simple and safe way to get around on the web. Features a built-in VPN for enhanced privacy and security while browsing. Offers a customizable sidebar for quick access to social media and messaging apps.

Microsoft Edge and Opera, despite their vastly different upbringings, seem to have evolved into eerily similar creatures—both shaped by the great Chromium tide that swept across the browser landscape. They boast built-in ad blockers because, frankly, who actually wants ads? They come with tracking protection, because if someone’s watching your every move, it should at least be a benevolent AI rather than an aggressive shoe retailer. They’ve even both squeezed in VPN services—Opera’s a bit more generous, while Edge doles it out in cautious spoonfuls like an elderly librarian guarding the last surviving copy of How to Browse Anonymously for Dummies. And naturally, both are available on every conceivable device because, in the end, no one wants to be left out of the endless joy that is browser updates.

Edge, birthed in 2015 from the mind-hive of Microsoft (which itself hails from the distant, mythical land of the United States), initially tried to be different but eventually surrendered to Chromium’s gravitational pull. It is deeply embedded into the Windows ecosystem, much like a barnacle clinging to a particularly stubborn rock. It flaunts Bing AI (now rebranded as Copilot in a desperate attempt to sound less like an overenthusiastic search engine) and it desperately wants business users to love it—offering collections, vertical tabs and efficiency modes like a keen intern who’s read too many self-improvement books. Its most impressive feature, however, is its ability to quietly reappear as the default browser whenever Windows updates, regardless of what you thought you had set before.

Opera, on the other hand, has been lurking around since 1995, like an eccentric uncle who never quite left the party. Born in Norway, it has always been the quirky one—offering an AI assistant named Aria (who presumably writes better poetry than Bing), a gaming-centric Opera GX version that glows ominously and an integrated sidebar filled with social media messengers for those who can’t possibly go five minutes without checking WhatsApp. Its pièce de résistance is a free, unlimited VPN, because privacy should be a basic right and not a privilege unlocked by corporate loyalty points. It remains the browser of choice for those who prefer a bit of flair, a touch of rebellion and the possibility that at any moment, something delightfully unpredictable might happen.

See also: Top 10 Web Browsers
Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email [email protected]