In a world dominated by Chrome and Edge, it’s easy to feel like all browsers are the same. While Arc browser tried to change the game, the company’s Windows offering is nowhere near its Mac counterpart. Here is where I came across Vivaldi, which felt like a breath of fresh air with the latest v7.0 update. From its unique, flexible UI and intuitive dashboard to built-in utilities like note-taking, email, and a calendar, Vivaldi puts you in control.
And that’s just the beginning. Imagine switching search engines on the fly, summoning commands with a few keystrokes, capturing screenshots with ease, and even watching videos in a pop-out window while you get the job done. Here’s why I made the switch and why you might want to as well.
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5 A beautiful UI with a dashboard
Eye-catching design and icons
One of the first things that drew me to Vivaldi was its stunning visual appeal. While Edge and Chrome aren’t bad by any means, Vivaldi took the UI and UX to the next level with the recent v7.0 update. The browser has adopted a rounded, modern aesthetic that feels refreshingly different. And the best part is, I can personalize it to my heart’s content with customizable themes.
I like how the rounded corners match perfectly with the Windows vibe. Microsoft was teasing a similar rounded look on Edge, but later dropped the idea without explanation. And I can’t stop raving about how robust the theme engine is. I can change the entire app's look and iconography with a single click. There is also a dedicated editor to tweak the app's look with minute details.
Dashboard is another neat add-on that Vivaldi introduced with the v7.0 update. You can add multiple widgets like sticky notes, tasks, bookmarks, privacy statics, webpages, RSS feeds, dates, and more to your homepage.
4 Change search engine on the go
Run those Wikipedia queries from the address bar
Let’s talk about search engines. We all have our favorites, but sometimes, you must use a different one for specific purposes. Instead of fiddling with endless menus in Settings, Vivaldi makes it incredibly easy with its on-the-fly search engine switching.
I can just type a simple nickname directly in the address bar, hit space, type the search terms, and Vivaldi instantly knows which engine to use. The default nicknames are set as g for Google, b for Bing, w for Wikipedia, and more. As expected, Vivaldi offers the flexibility to customize the nicknames and add or remove search engines.
3 Quick commands to fly through tasks
A Spotlight Search for Vivaldi
Quick commands is another productivity booster for power users. It acts as a universal command line for your browser. With a simple keyboard, Ctrl + E or F2, I can summon a robust overlay that lets me control almost every aspect of Vivaldi.
Whether I want to move between workspaces, open task manager to see which tabs are consuming abnormal power, access bookmarks, or even save all tabs as a session, all these options are just a step away from the Vivaldi home. It’s so addictive that you will wonder why other browsers haven’t copied it yet. I no longer need to navigate endless menus and toolbars to complete tasks in Vivaldi.
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2 Useful utilities built-in
Packed with productivity tools
Aside from being a web browser, Vivaldi offers a capable productivity suite to streamline your digital life. You can use built-in utilities like mail, calendar, and notes to access your inbox, manage events, and jot down those quick thoughts without leaving Vivaldi.
Pop-up video is another neat feature that I use all the time. Vivaldi lets me detach videos from their original tab and keep them playing in a resizable window when I need to watch a clip while working on something else. While I have ditched RSS for a long time, RSS users can stay up-to-date with their favorite websites and blogs with Vivaldi’s integrated RSS feed reader. You can even import an OPML file from your existing RSS service and move it to Vivaldi with a single click.
Since Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser, you can enjoy all your existing Chrome and Edge extensions.
1 Customizable keyboard shortcuts and gestures
Takes Vivaldi customization to the next level
Here is where Vivaldi puts you in control and lets you interact with the browser like a pro. Nearly every action in Vivaldi can be triggered with a custom keyboard shortcut. When you work on a Windows desktop and use a mouse, explore Vivaldi’s powerful gesture system to perform actions with simple mouse movements.
Need to close a tab? Just hold down the right button and draw L. As always, you can customize these gestures to match your preferences and create a personalized browsing setup. Yes, Vivaldi's custom shortcuts and gestures take some getting used to. But trust me, once you've experienced the power and freedom they offer, you'll never want to go back to the limitations of other browsers.
Beyond Chrome and Edge on Windows
It’s sufficient to say that Vivaldi has changed how I browse the web. It’s not just about opening tabs and clicking links anymore. With a neat combination of powerful features, customization options, and built-in add-ons, Vivaldi truly is a productivity booster. Like any software, it’s not perfect either. I would like to see better fluidity, more widget sizes on the dashboard, and feature parity with mobile apps.
These niggles aside, Vivaldi is incredibly powerful and definitely worth a try. See our separate guide if you are looking for more underrated browsers.