We all wish our browsers could do things better, but we generally stick to mainstream options like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge because we're stuck in their ecosystem and put faith in their abilities. Still, variety is the spice of life, and it's worth trying some forgotten browsers to check out their unique features and design choices, which might surprise you.

Opera GX was released in 2019, and it didn't impress me enough to leave my Google Chrome comfort zone. I recently decided to revisit it to see what's changed, and its stylish interface and feature-packed design blew me away. I now think Opera GX is one of the best web browsers, and if you haven't tried it, here are 10 reasons why you should.

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10 It has a built-in VPN

No need for third-party apps

Opera GX has a free built-in browser VPN to hide my location and prevent tracking. It's easy to enable the VPN in the settings menu, and an icon appears in the top left corner of the browser window to inform you when it's running. You also get convenient sliders to enable or disable other settings, like connecting to the VPN when starting the browser and adding bypass rules.

The VPN will connect to the optimal location by default, but you can change it to Europe, Asia, or the Americas, depending on your preference. Opera claims the free VPN service offers over a hundred servers in these three locations. The subscription-based VPN Pro package unlocks more locations and device-wide protection.

9 RAM Limiter

Monitor and optimize performance

I usually have countless Google Chrome tabs open in multiple windows, and my laptop slows down because of the RAM it consumes. Opera GX solves this issue with the RAM limiter tool. This handy tool is only a click away and lets you set a limit on how much memory the browser can use to prevent freezing and lag. The same menu includes a network limiter with a drop-down menu, allowing you to select how much bandwidth the browser consumes, which can be helpful if you have a limited internet package.

The Hot Tabs Killer is another performance monitoring tool that displays the tabs consuming the most RAM and CPU resources and lets you close them with a single click. If you want to optimize Opera GX's performance, you can also use the CPU limiter to define how much processing power it needs to run.

8 Easy access to Google Workspace

You won't lose your productivity apps

I use Gmail, Google Docs, and Sheets daily and need quick access to them in my browser. Opera GX makes it simple with the Google Apps extension, which sits in the top right corner and provides shortcuts to all the apps I require. I can also choose which out of Google's vast range of apps I'd like to access. I can add useful ones like Maps and Photos and leave out the ones I seldom use, like Finance and Hangouts.

Signing in to my Google account is another way to gain access to my go-to apps on Opera GX. After signing in, I can access all my apps on the Google homepage without requiring an extension.

7 Customizable Sidebar

Choose what you want to see

Opera GX's customizable sidebar is one of my favorite features because of its outstanding utility. It's a simple vertical strip running down the left side of the browser window with shortcuts to all my favorite apps, services, and settings. All the shortcuts to messenger apps, AI tools, and other features are categorized for easy access and don't get in the way of my browsing because of their discrete positioning.

The Sidebar Setup menu makes customizing the shortcut list easy. It lists all the options and lets me decide whether to add them with simple tick boxes. For example, I've selected Instagram, WhatsApp, and X as my default messaging apps. With a simple click, I can easily disable them or swap them for other listed options, like Telegram or Discord. I do the same with the AI tools, browser tools, and other settings to create a bespoke browsing experience.

6 Built-in ChatGPT

AI tools you can disable anytime

Nowadays, no browser is complete without an AI assistant, and Opera GX has three baked into its interface. Aria is the browser's proprietary AI tool based on Opera's Composer infrastructure and the GPT engine. Chatsonic lets you choose various text-generation models, like GPT 4.0, Claude Opus, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, depending on your use. Most users will probably stick to the standard Chat-GPT because of its familiarity.

What I like the most about Opera GX's AI integration is that the apps are easy to access and have simple sliders in the sidebar menu to enable or disable them. This lets me choose which AI tools I want to use at any given time or turn them off whenever I like. I hope other developers take note and add this feature because we're all tired of having AI shoved down our throats and would prefer having some control over it.

5 Mods

Takes customization to another level

Tinkerers and power users wanting to customize their browsing experience will love Opera GX's Mods interface. It allows in-depth customization of nearly every browser aspect, so you can add various themes, wallpapers, app icons, fonts, and more to give it a unique look and feel. The wide range of visual customizations covers video games, anime, abstract art, and countless other categories, so you'll never get bored and always find something new.

It might not be my thing, but many themes include custom keyboard and browser sound effects, which might appeal to other users. I tried the Cyberpunk 2077 theme, and it played robotic sounds when I typed opened or closed tabs. Turning them off was easy because the audio settings have convenient sliders like everything else in Opera GX. When I'm done customizing the browser, the intuitive graphical interface displays all my installed mods and effects on a single page, making them easily manageable.

4 GX Corner

A gamer's paradise

The GX Corner feature in Opera GX offers several gamer-friendly features that most players will appreciate. This feature opens a window with gaming and tech news and editorial articles. It includes a release calendar with all the major titles coming out this year, so you can plan what you want to play in advance.

GX Corner also offers shortcuts to the latest paid and free Steam titles and includes fun gaming-related videos and trailers to keep you entertained. The deals aggregator is another useful feature that helps find the best bargains on PlayStation, Ubisoft, and other stores.

3 Access to Chrome extensions

All your favorites are available

Extensions are vital to any browser experience and offer productivity tools, editors, and other valuable functions. To meet the demand, Opera has an add-on page with a proprietary ad-blocker and other popular extensions you may wish to try. Its extensive list is decent but can't compare to Google's offerings.

Fortunately, Opera GX is built on the Chromium platform, and can access most of Chrome's extensions. The browser will automatically search its database for any extensions you want. If it doesn't find them, it will redirect you to the Chrome Web Store, where you'll be sure to find what you're looking for.

2 Includes an ad-blocker

Stop unwanted content

It might not seem like a big deal, but I like the fact that Opera GX has an integrated ad blocker, so I don't need to download third-party extensions. Opera Ad Blocker is easy to enable with a slider and offers numerous security options in its simple interface.

One of its best features is the tracker blocker, which prevents harmful scripts and other data collection methods to protect your privacy and security. It also lets you create exception lists of trusted sites to browse safely without any worries.