Group test: what's the best web browser?

5. Opera 10.53

• Reviewed on: 7 May 10
• RRP: Free
• Rating:

Opera is a very fast, secure and standards-compliant browser. Its very power is also something of a hindrance as some users may find the wide range of preferences too bountiful to easily tweak to suit. Mac users may prefer to wait for some bugs to be ironed out if they’re used to the stability of Safari or Firefox. In the highly competitive world of web browsers, Opera is a name to watch, and emphatically a browser worth trying.

4. Apple Safari 5

• Reviewed on: 15 June 10
• RRP: FREE
• Rating:

When it comes to speed, Safari's at the head of the pack - at least, on the Mac. Its new Reader feature is unique among browsers; as a result, for reading long web articles, Safari is the best browser. However, even though Safari now supports extensions, at the moment there are few available, so it's far behind Firefox and even Chrome in this area. Its Address Bar is the least functional of all the browsers, and its bookmarking, which is no different from the last version, is still very basic and leaves something to be desired. As for HTML 5 support, there are so few HTML 5-enabled sites and features these days, it's not yet particularly useful. The upshot is that anyone who already uses Safari should upgrade immediately to Apple Safari 5. Those who have yet to use Safari may well want to download it as well, if only to check out the Safari Reader for reading long articles, and for experiencing speedy web browsing.

3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 9

• Reviewed on: 23 March 11
• RRP: FREE
• Rating:

If you've stopped using Internet Explorer because of speed problems or a tired-looking interface, you should give IE9 a try. You'll be surprised by its dramatic speed improvements and slicker interface. Improved adherence to Web standards is a plus as well, as are new features such as a double-duty address bar and the Performance Advisor. Existing IE users will want to upgrade right away -- it's hard to argue against a faster, cleaner-looking browser with a host of other nice extras.

2. Firefox 10

• Reviewed on: 28 February 12
• RRP: FREE
• Rating:

A point upgrade rather than a major revision, Firefox 10 nonetheless helps Firefox address some recent concerns about memory management, while adding new features.

1. Google Chrome 10

• Reviewed on: 25 March 11
• RRP: Free
• Rating:

Chrome may have only around 10% of the browser market by recent figures, but this version may help change that. If you don't yet use Google Chrome, you may want to try it out for the speed improvement alone. The new Options tab and the ability to sync passwords are the icing on the cake.