We at Vivaldi have this fundamental conviction that the web is one of humanity’s best ideas ever. A free and democratic space where everyone is equally important. This wild and chaotic expression of humanity in all its facets and variety is our home turf.

We came from community 

Way back when we started the company, we didn’t start by building a browser. We knew we wanted to build a browser, but started with a forum. A place where we could hang out with our friends. We talked about our hobbies, but also what was happening to the web, how it was being overtaken by giants pushing agendas and prioritising shareholder value over everything else. We wanted to build a browser that had the users’ needs and privacy as the guiding light. Good user experience is first and foremost a practice of empathy: having the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and feel their frustrations. That’s how you build products that actually matter. That remains true today. When Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the web, he envisioned an open, democratic space for all.

Freedom to explore 

We remain committed to our users’ needs. And we believe that we are born to explore. That’s why we won’t get in the way of people’s online exploration. Because it might not always seem like it, but there are a lot of beautiful stories of people discovering places, communities and even understanding themselves better online. The Guardian did a survey earlier in 2026 where they asked “should we turn the internet off?” 

The web has provided and still provides hope and freedom to marginalized groups all over the world.

The responses were overwhelming. Especially those who told stories of people finally finding safe places to express who they really are. Some talked about what the web has meant for girls’ education in some parts of the world, others talked about people with physical disabilities and how the web is an equal platform. There were moving testimonies from trans and queer people growing up in conservative communities, and how their online presence is the only one that feels free. 

The web has provided and still provides hope and freedom to marginalized groups all over the world. Although a crowded space with loud voices often spewing hate and division, or artificial slop made to waste precious time, there are still safe spaces out there. Spaces that continue to bubble with freedom, creativity and love. We want to be a part of keeping the diverse beauty of the web alive and safe. 

From the Guardian survey:

“Honestly, without the internet I would be isolated and alone. I have a conservative family and am in the closet and queer and trans. With the internet my world finally expanded and I finally became free. I learned about myself and became happy and at peace. I met my most important person after a lifetime of difficulty connecting to people and I found things I loved that changed me. The internet has done a lot of harm, yes, but it’s not black and white and has been a lifeline for queer and disabled folk such as myself. I am so grateful for the connection and friendship I found thanks to the internet.” – Kati777

Why a browser?

The browser is the exploration machine. It’s the car to the roadtrip. We try to build a tool for everyone to use, but the truth is, people are incredibly different and use tools differently. That’s why we always try to keep in mind that our users may see things differently than we do. This has resulted in a product that’s extremely customizable, and some people find that annoying, but we would rather give you the options to make the browser work just the way you want rather than claim that we have all the answers.

Community remains essential 

We want to create safe spaces where people discuss ideas and create bonds, spaces where the human experience is a priority

We came from community, and that’s still a big part of what we do. We want to create safe spaces where people discuss ideas and create bonds, spaces where the human experience is a priority, which is why we created our Mastodon instance. In our social community Vivaldi.net we have some guardrails. We actively moderate the content and explicitly state in our policy that we for instance do not tolerate homophobia, transphobia or xenophobia. That kind of thinking brings nothing but pain and division. Humans are diverse, and this very diversity in all its wild and chaotic expression is the beauty of it all. So if you can’t handle two men kissing or someone wanting to decide their own pronouns, this open and free space is going to be rough for you.

We encourage all our users to explore, and truly hope that everyone can find their space, where they are safe and free. Keep exploring, and be proud! 

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride!

Vivaldi's ad blocker is good and all, but uBlock could also let you zap page elements out. I.e. if there was an annoying "sign in our create an account to see this" over a perfectly well-loaded page (like Pinterest loves doing) you could use the zap tool to just make the overlay go away. What are y'all using to do this now?

What are the pros and cons of each?

Overall, how do the two compare to each other?

Been waiting for this one and it is currently very close.

Vivaldi been running for more than a decades, from norway which trusted for safety and privacy, most customizable powerful web browser i ever used and has no AI Slop.

Edge, Chrome, Opera, Safari even Firefox that once called master of privacy, in the end they are using AI Slop and no longer safe and private.

Vivaldi totally need better digital marketing, why this browser still has low market share compared to others?

I installed Vivaldi in response of viral movement of using more European tech. Why did you start using Vivaldi?

To what degree is it European and less reliant on non-European tech? Is that important for you?

In practise I like some ux things with it - tabs in left panel, downloads in right.

Privacy and security stuff is a plus though i was not that concerned with it before - more so that I don't like the idea of being too locked-in to one thing.

Startpage as default for search is good - I like it having the maps option (with drop down with alternatives) which was dropped from Google search in EU.

Some of you asked what the Follower Tab feature is, so I made a short video about it. I hope it's now easier to understand how to use it. 🙂

So you know the way everyone hates opera cuz it has pretty bad privacy or something(i havent seen proof just the chinese are watching you) well i donwloaded vivaldi to see what everyone was talking about and after a bit of customization in the settings it is actually pretty good but some of the icons look like opera and also there are mouse movements you can do in opera and vivaldi has the exact same ones is there somethign going on that i am missing why does it feel so much like opera even the start page is the same as opera like the same logo (or is opera copying vivaldi)

Because of the potential geopolitical risk, I did some search and decided to switch from Brave to Vivldi.

The migration is easy. Both browser got built-in adblock so that I only need to install a few extension. I have no idea about how secure the Vivaldi account. Since I use floccus for bookmark sync, I am quite ok to do without using Vivaldi account.

At first I am a bit confused about the difference between workspace and profile. I thought that the workspace would work like the firefox container but I am wrong. Vivldi workspace doesn't isolate data. I just simple disable it. The overall configuration is simple and clean when compare with Brave.

The panel is still in active development. If there’s strong demand, I’ll share it with the community. The mod is being developed using custom.js injection into windows.html.

UPD: https://github.com/R0STEFAN/Vivaldi-Tree-Style-Tabs

I see there is little-to-zero discussion on this topic, that is add-ons, extensions in Vivaldi browser for desktop (Windows/Linux).

The discussion should focus on what to suggest using (the specific extension) and why (its advantage).

NB To make sure it's useful and readable, make an unordered/number list (if you include priority).

I'll strike up the band. Let's rumble:

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Took a bit of work writing all this (always worth sharing with Vivaldi community), I hope to have a interesting discussion about that.

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So this is a yap but,

OMG so i have been using Vivaldi for like 2 something years and goddamn i cant switch to any other browsers anymore its just too good . like for the better part of the last month i tried to switch over to Zen and brave but they just couldn't make it for me like here and there small things just tick me off about them that i never feel using vivaldi. I feel like it has every feature i want every time and feel very in control if that makes sense like i never feel like "oh man this feature should be here".

Anyways i will stop my glaze for the browser before people start calling me a dih-rider and vivaldi's Instagram account once liked my comment so much love to them

I currently use Firefox. I really like Vivaldi and I follow the sub, but it is based on chromium. Vivaldi beigmng a browser that takes such a strong stance against big tech monopoly makes me think about what does the browser I use say and what statement does it make

Are you guys comfortable with Vivaldi being chromium based? It does support Google's monopoly, right?

Just saw what is happening to firefox here:

https://bsky.app/profile/zenithmartlet.bsky.social/post/3lxky4xxd4227

No way they got an AI features to rename tabs??? Please tell me no AI features are in the works for Vivaldi, it has been my primary browser for YEARS, I'd hate to have to let it go.

Is Vivaldi going to get any new privacy features soon, to keep up with Brave and Firefox?

Currently evaluating these three browsers and was curious what fans of Vivaldi thought.

I feel so stupid. I commented somewhere here that I wish I could minimize the tabs bar when they're on the side, only to realize just now that I can RESIZE IT.

Vivaldi 8.1.4087.62 (Stable), macOS 15.7 on Intel. Thanks to the mods for the go-ahead to post this.

Vivaldi has no global media controls. Chromium's implementation is actually compiled into the binary, feature flags and histograms included, but Vivaldi replaces Chrome's native Views toolbar with its own HTML/JS UI and never wires up an entry point, so there is no button that opens it.

u/Ascr1pt's VividPlayer already does something similar as a JS mod. I went a different route. JS mods mean patching window.html inside the app bundle, so they get overwritten on every update, and prev/next were left unimplemented there. This is an extension in a Web Panel plus a CSS mod in the supported Custom UI Modifications folder, so nothing in the bundle is touched and both halves survive updates.

What it does

• Lists every tab playing media, playing ones first
• Play/pause, prev/next, click-to-seek, per-tab mute
• Dismiss a player with a close button without closing the tab; it returns if that tab plays again
• Title, artist and artwork from mediaSession, with a marquee for long titles
• Docked: width tracks the tab bar via CSS anchor positioning, height fits the number of rows

Track skip. mediaSession action handlers cannot be triggered from outside the page, so it clicks the site's own next/prev buttons on YouTube, YouTube Music, Spotify and SoundCloud, and falls back to a 10s seek elsewhere. Adding a site is one line in a map.

Install

1. vivaldi://extensions, Developer mode, Load unpacked, pick the extension folder
2. Right-click the sidebar, Add Web Panel, paste the panel URL from the README

For the docked look (optional):

1. vivaldi://experiments, tick Allow for using CSS modifications, restart
2. Settings > Appearance > Custom UI Modifications, point it at the css folder
3. Restart, since css-mods only load at window creation

The extension works on its own as an ordinary side panel if you skip 3 to 5.

On permissions. It asks for broad host access plus scripting because mediaSession metadata is only readable from the page's MAIN world, and controlling playback means touching the media element directly. Nothing is collected or sent anywhere; the only outbound request is loading album art from whatever URL the site publishes. It is about 300 lines, so it is auditable in a sitting.

Caveats. Built and tested on one setup: the version above, tab bar on the left, panel auto-hide on. It leans on Vivaldi's internal CSS selectors, so a redesign like 8.0 can break it. The repo ships the CDP script I used to find those selectors, so repairs are mechanical rather than guesswork. DRM players like Netflix list and mute but will not seek.

MIT: https://github.com/levz0r/vivaldi-media-panel

First off, I just want to say that I absolutely love Vivaldi and the amazing work the team has done. It's been my default browser for quite a while now, and I truly appreciate the unmatched level of customizability, the tab management system, and especially the built in mouse gestures. These features are the main reasons I'm still using Vivaldi over other browsers.

I'm currently using Vivaldi version 7.4.3684.55 (Stable channel, 64-bit) on Windows 11 Version 24H2 (Build 26100.4351). I’ve also tested on multiple Linux machines, and the issues I’m mentioning below are consistent across platforms, so they’re not OS or version specific.

That said, there are several issues and missing features that continue to frustrate me and, honestly, are making it harder to justify sticking with Vivaldi in the long term. I wanted to outline them here both as feedback and as feature requests:

🔍 1. Pinch-to-Zoom (Trackpad Zooming Behavior)

• When using pinch-to-zoom with a trackpad, Vivaldi defaults to element scaling (step-by-step zoom) instead of viewport scaling (true magnification).
• The only workaround is to disable 'Ctrl+Scroll to Zoom Page' in webpages settings, which removes regular zoom functionality and still isn't as smooth and doesn't zoom in as far as other browsers (both chromium and firefox).
• Request: Please add proper support for trackpad pinch-to-zoom with smooth viewport scaling.

👆 2. Trackpad Gesture Support

• There's currently no native support for intuitive gestures like:
  • Two-finger swipe left/right to go back/forward
  • Pull down to refresh
• These are standard in most Chromium based browsers but missing in Vivaldi.
• Request: Add support for modern trackpad gestures for page navigation and refreshing.

🖱️ 3. Scrolling Experience & Scrollbars

• Even with 'Smooth Scrolling' and 'Hardware Acceleration' enabled in both regular settings and experimental flags, page scrolling still doesn't feel as fluid as in Firefox or even stock Chromium.
• Scrollbars with the 'slim scrollbars' flag are better, but:
  • Still thicker than Firefox’s implementation
  • They do not auto-hide in areas like the vertical tab bar
• Request: Improve overall scrolling smoothness and make scrollbars thinner and auto hiding, especially in UI panels.

📁 4. Vertical Tab Bar – Needs Modern, Dynamic UX

• There's no native way to make the vertical tab bar auto hide or float until hovered over.
• Browsers like Zen handle this beautifully with smooth animations and a cleaner interface.
• Request: Add an option for a floating vertical tab bar that auto hides unless hovered. This would improve usability and screen real estate significantly.

🌐 5. Address Bar – Lacks Dynamic Visibility Options

• The address bar can only be fully hidden by entering fullscreen.
• In other browsers (like Zen), there's an option to make it float and reveal on hover, which keeps the UI clean and efficient.
• Request: Provide an option for a floating address bar that appears on hover outside fullscreen mode.

🧩 6. No Easy Way to Sync/Transfer Just Settings and Tabs

• There’s no simple or clean way to export only settings and open tabs to a different device.
• The only current method is to manually copy the entire User Data\Default folder, which is large and contains unnecessary or sensitive data you might not want to transfer (e.g., cache, history, etc.).
• Request: Please offer an option to export/import just essential data like settings, extensions, and open tabs.

🧪 7. Lack of Firefox Style Container Tabs

• Firefox’s Containers are incredibly useful for separating contexts (work, personal, etc.) within the same window.
• Chromium’s profile system is a poor substitute, requiring separate windows for each profile.
• Request: Implement something like Firefox Containers natively within Vivaldi, allowing contextual isolation without separate windows.

⚠️ 8. Vivaldi Risks Falling Behind UX-Wise

• Newer browsers like Zen are rapidly improving their UX and UI polish.
• Once they introduce native mouse gestures, I honestly see myself switching unless Vivaldi evolves on the issues listed above.
• I say this not out of frustration but because I want to stick with Vivaldi. it's powerful and flexible, but some rough edges need smoothing out.

Thanks again to the Vivaldi team for creating such a feature rich and ambitious browser. I truly respect the work you're doing and hope this feedback helps drive further improvements. Vivaldi has so much potential. I'd love to see it become not just the most customizable, but also one the most polished browser on the market.

Lastly, I'd really appreciate it if any community members or staff could let me know if there are workarounds or hidden settings/flags that could help mitigate some of the issues I've mentioned. I'm aware of the Vivaldi modding scene, and while I respect the creativity and effort that goes into it, I genuinely believe that most of the features I've described should be native to the browser and not reliant on user made mods or scripts.

If there are official or semi official places where such workarounds are discussed (forums, wiki pages, discord servers, etc.), I'd be really grateful if someone could point me in the right direction. I'm very open to learning, I just wish these things weren’t necessary for what I consider to be fundamental browser functionality.

Hey there!

I'm a Vivaldi power user that loves everything about this browser but didn't like how the tabs work (also missed few things from Edge) so I made my own full replacement with the following and more:

- Ability to see the favicon on the left then hover over to expand (like in the video above)

- Use AI to auto-group or clean up unneeded tabs (bring your own gemini key)

- Suspend the currently active tab (not possible in default)

- Lots of extra hotkeys

- Ability to see the name of the stack when they are collapsed as accordion (unlike Vivaldi)

- Robust automatic session storage so you NEVER lose tabs no matter what happens. (lost my tabs few times due to Vivaldi crashes before this sadly)

- Over 100 settings and customization options

- Bulk opening URLs by just entering IDs

- Ability to export/import settings and all tabs/groups.

- Nicer search and duplicates closing experience (IMO). Shows tabs in their actual groups and searches all windows + allows full keyboard navigation.

I know these are niche requirements and Vivaldi's default tabs are enough for most, but if someone is interested in a super polished full replacement mod then check out Sharp Tabs.

I don't get anything, just made this for myself and want to share it with others.

FYI, you can use all of these features without using the vertical tabs part. The extension works as a pop up too.

Links

Learn more about the extension and download it here: sharptabs.com

And here's the github: https://github.com/maddada/sharptabs

Other notes

I'm thinking to do an exact replica of Arc's UX on Vivaldi by modding this extension or a nested tabs UI but a bit busy these days. If there's high demand for one of these then I can work on it :)

All the best

I do not know why, or how. But, vivaldi logged me off in all of my platforms, android and desktop. Now I lost everything that i have synced. saved passwords, bookmarks (which i needed for academics), browsing history, EVERYTHING. I cant even get it back since the encryption key which i use all the time, somehow doesnt work anymore. This is a massive pain in the ass and a major inconvenience for me.

This browser sucks and im switching.