What is Opera used for?

Opera is a free browser that bundles a VPN, ad blocking, messengers in a sidebar and an AI assistant, with versions for desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for browsing with a built-in VPN and ad blocking, keeping chats open beside web pages, and organizing many tabs by project.

Is Opera open source?

No. Opera is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Opera include Zen Browser, Brave Browser and Firefox.

What are some alternatives to Opera?

Opera competes with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Opera alternatives.

Opera: features, pricing and alternatives

About Opera

Opera is a web browser that bundles features many people otherwise add through extensions, including a built-in VPN, an ad blocker and messengers that can be used from a sidebar. It also offers Tab Islands for keeping groups of tabs organized by context.

The current Opera One browser includes Opera AI, which users can chat with for free, and a modular interface. Opera also publishes related browsers for different audiences: Opera Air, Opera GX, Opera Neon and Opera Mini. On mobile, the Android and iOS apps carry a free VPN, ad blocker and browser AI, and the company offers both a free and a Pro VPN.

Opera is a proprietary desktop and mobile application rather than a hosted or self-hosted service. It suits people who want privacy and convenience tools included by default instead of a stock system browser.

Key features

Built-in VPN with free and Pro options
Built-in ad blocker
Messengers available from the sidebar
Tab Islands for grouped tabs
Opera AI chat assistant
Android and iOS mobile apps

Good fit for

→Browsing with a built-in VPN and ad blocking
→Keeping chats open beside web pages
→Organizing many tabs by project

Tags: web-browser; vpn; ad-blocker; privacy; opera; ai-assistant

Opera: questions and answers

What is Opera used for?: Opera is a free browser that bundles a VPN, ad blocking, messengers in a sidebar and an AI assistant, with versions for desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for browsing with a built-in VPN and ad blocking, keeping chats open beside web pages, and organizing many tabs by project.
Is Opera free?: Yes. Opera is free to use.
Is Opera open source?: No. Opera is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Opera include Zen Browser, Brave Browser and Firefox.
What are some alternatives to Opera?: Opera competes with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Opera alternatives.