Every great invention has a story, and Opera’s began long ago, in 1994, in the country of Norway. It started as a research project inside a large telecommunications company called Telenor. Two computer scientists, Jon von Tetzchner and Geir Ivarsøy, saw the brand-new World Wide Web and knew it was going to change everything. They decided they could build a better, faster, and smarter vehicle to explore it. A year later, in 1995, their project grew into its own company, Opera Software ASA, and one of the world’s oldest web browsers was born.

Early Innovations

From its earliest days, Opera was a pioneer, introducing features that were years ahead of their time. The first version, called MultiTorg Opera, was one of the very first browsers to have tabbed browsing. This meant people could open many webpages in the same window, which was a revolutionary idea that made browsing much easier. Before Opera, explorers of the web had to open a brand-new window for every single page. Opera also introduced Mouse Gestures, which let people control the browser with simple swishes of their mouse, like a magician waving a wand. These early inventions established a pattern that would define Opera for decades: it was a browser built by innovators who were always thinking about what users would need next.

The Big Engine Swap

For many years, Opera ran on its own, custom-built engine called Presto. A browser’s engine is like the engine in a car; it’s the core piece of technology that does all the hard work of turning website code into the beautiful pages seen on the screen. Building its own engine allowed Opera to be unique and create special features that no one else had. However, as the internet grew, most websites were being designed to work best with the engines used by the most popular browsers. For a smaller company like Opera, it became a massive and constant job to make sure its Presto engine was compatible with every new website and technology.

This created a difficult choice. Opera’s engineers could spend all their time tinkering with their unique engine just to keep up, or they could make a big change. In 2013, they made a bold decision: they switched from their own Presto engine to Blink, the same powerful engine that runs Google Chrome. This might seem like giving up, but it was an incredibly smart move. It was like a custom car company deciding to use a super-popular and reliable engine that every mechanic in the world already knows how to work on. This freed up Opera’s inventors to stop worrying about basic compatibility and focus all their energy on what they do best: adding amazing new gadgets and user-friendly features to the browser. This strategic pivot transformed Opera from a company focused on underlying technology to one dedicated to creating the best possible user experience.

The Modern Era

In 2016, Opera was acquired by an investment group, a detail that becomes relevant when discussing the browser’s pros and cons. The browser continued to evolve, adding more and more built-in features. Then, in 2023, the company launched Opera One, a complete redesign of the browser built from the ground up to be centered around its new native AI assistant, Aria. This marked the beginning of a new chapter for Opera, one focused on integrating artificial intelligence directly into the fabric of web browsing.

No browser is perfect for everyone. Opera has some truly amazing strengths, but it also has a few weaknesses that are important to consider. Here is a fair and balanced report card to help users decide if it’s the right choice for them.

Pros (The Awesome Stuff)

• Packed with Free Features: This is Opera’s biggest advantage. It comes with a free, unlimited VPN, a powerful Ad Blocker, a built-in AI assistant, and integrated messengers. In most other browsers, getting this level of functionality would require installing multiple third-party extensions, some of which might cost money.
• Fast and Light on Resources: Numerous tests have shown that Opera often uses less RAM and CPU power than its main competitor, Google Chrome. This can make the entire computer feel faster, especially on older machines or when many tabs are open.
• Excellent for Organization: Features like Tab Islands and Workspaces are game-changers for anyone who struggles with tab clutter. They provide powerful, intuitive ways to keep browsing sessions neat and focused, which is something many other browsers lack.
• Highly Customizable: Between themes, a customizable start page, and the ability to pin different apps to the sidebar, Opera offers a high degree of personalization. Users can truly make the browser their own.

Cons (The Not-So-Good Stuff)

• Ownership and Privacy Concerns: This is the most significant concern for many users. While Opera began as a Norwegian company, it is now owned by a consortium of investors with its parent company based in Beijing, China. Even though Opera states that it is headquartered in Norway and follows strict European privacy laws (like GDPR), some people worry about the potential for data collection under its current ownership structure. The browser’s own privacy policy notes that it may share user data with third parties for targeted advertising.
• Fewer Extensions: Opera is compatible with most extensions from the Chrome Web Store, which is a big plus. However, its own native add-ons store is much smaller than Chrome’s or Firefox’s. This means that for very specific or niche extensions, users might have fewer options.
• Occasional Website Glitches: Because Opera has a smaller market share than browsers like Chrome or Safari, some web developers may not test their sites as thoroughly on it. This can lead to rare instances where a website might not display or function perfectly.
• The VPN Slowdown: While the free built-in VPN is an incredible feature for privacy, turning it on can significantly reduce internet connection speeds. Tests have shown that download and upload speeds can drop dramatically when the VPN is active, which can make streaming high-quality video or downloading large files difficult.