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mastodon - Link to source
I've finally switched to the @Vivaldi browser. I've been using Firefox for as long as I've been on the internet, but the focus on AI means it's no longer the browser for me. Thankfully unlike Chrome, Vivaldi supports the uBlock Origin extension which is the most important extension for being able to browse the web nowadays.
@Vivaldi Browser
in reply to Eugen Rochko

schnedan
mastodon - Link to source
schnedan
• •
well, as long as one can disable whatever AI means with about:config, it might not be a problem?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Anthropy
mastodon - Link to source
Anthropy
• •

i hate to be that guy but, why not something like waterfox? mastodon.derg.nz/@anthropy/115…

Anthropy

2025-12-17 12:38:46

mastodon - Link to source

i can't believe how many people are flocking to closed source chrome forks like Vivaldi in the light of Firefox's AI stuff, when stuff like Waterfox is right there

For the record, Waterfox has said not to use AI: waterfox.com/support/ai-chatbo…
"Waterfox does not include a built‑in AI chatbot integration. If you want AI assistance in the browser, you can install a compatible extension from Firefox Add-ons."

if you want to actually keep using Firefox and not some closed source Chrome fork, try Waterfox



AI Chatbot in Waterfox - Waterfox Support

Waterfox

in reply to Anthropy

Eugen Rochko
mastodon - Link to source
Eugen Rochko
• •
I'm not familiar with Waterfox and the team maintaining it, but I am familiar with the @Vivaldi team and I like their anti-AI stance.
@Vivaldi Browser
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Anthropy
mastodon - Link to source
Anthropy
• •

hm, i guess that's fair if you know people on the team personally (unless I misunderstood).

but, there are a lot of direct firefox forks that also have a strong anti AI stance.
it personally feels weird to switch to 'closed source chrome' away from firefox when there are open firefox forks too.

as mentioned in the post i quoted, Waterfox points users to addons if they want AI things and says they won't have these features built in. ( waterfox.com/support/ai-chatbo… )


AI Chatbot in Waterfox - Waterfox Support

Waterfox
This entry was edited (23 hours ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Mike Stone
mastodon - Link to source
Mike Stone
• •

Good choice. I've been using #Vivaldi for years and years now, and it's always been great.

@Vivaldi

#Vivaldi @Vivaldi Browser
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Derek Teague
mastodon - Link to source
Derek Teague
• •
I just wish I could easily sync profiles between computers, but not rely on their cloud to do so.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Walter Tross
mastodon - Link to source
Walter Tross
• •
I think I'll switch to #Vivaldi as soon as they implement multi-account containers
(forum.vivaldi.net/topic/25289/…)

Multi-Account Containers

This is a web-extension by Mozilla for Firefox. This extension allows the user to create containers where the cookies are kept separated from other container...
Vivaldi Forum
#Vivaldi
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Григорий Клюшников
smithereen - Link to source
Григорий Клюшников
• •
I've been using Vivaldi since 2016. Switched after Opera got terminally enshittified. Its main advantage is that its UI doesn't change unless changes are genuinely required for new features. Even when they did a redesign a year or so ago, I was only mad for 10 minutes until I discovered a setting to undo it 😁
There are occasional annoying bugs and performance regressions, and the feedback on bug reports could've been better, but overall, I like it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺
mastodon - Link to source
GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺
• •
Yep. Going to make the same move. As long as there's one non-enshittified product available, I'll choose that.
@Vivaldi
@Vivaldi Browser
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Dawid Wiktor
mastodon - Link to source
Dawid Wiktor
• •

Vivaldi is good browser and very customizable.

As for Firefox, Mozilla's leadership still has no idea how to choose the right direction for the project. The browser is behind competitors, Mozilla depends on Google's funding, there is no clear vision and goals for Firefox and Mozilla.

I'm not saying it because I don't like Firefox as long time ago I was using it for years, but there are problems that put a lot of doubt over the project's future.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Open Risk
mastodon - Link to source
Open Risk
• •

vivaldi also autodiscovers #rss feeds on a page (small detail yet speaks volumes about their value system).

It will be heartbreaking to part ways with firefox after decades, but alas mozilla does not seem to have a way out of its enshittification predicament. Pacts with the Devil eventually extract their pound of flesh.

#RSS
in reply to Eugen Rochko

pjrm
mastodon - Link to source
pjrm
• •
I also installed Vivaldi yesterday. I am about to set up Linux Mint on an old Mac Mini and Vivaldi was the recommended browser. So far it looks very good.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Barry Cook 🇨🇦
mastodon - Link to source
Barry Cook 🇨🇦
• •
- Vivaldi good, if you want to use a Chromium browser (I’m not sure I do).
Still on Firefox here (despite the increasingly bad news), albeit it with the Betterfox user.js file, to limit much of the damage.
Another option for the Mac crowd is the Orion browser, which uses Safari’s guts, but actually makes that browser useful by allowing for most of Chrome and Firefox’s extensions.
This entry was edited (10 hours ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Vile Lasagna
mastodon - Link to source
Vile Lasagna
• •

I'm still on Vivaldi and love it but they have said more than once already that they do plan to drop support for manifest v2. Once they do I'll be spinning the Firefork roulette so... Maybe don't get too attached?

We cannot, in fact, have nice things

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Frdl
mastodon - Link to source
Frdl
• •

Or you can use Librewolf.

librewolf.net


LibreWolf Browser

A custom version of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and freedom.
librewolf.net
in reply to Eugen Rochko

infinite love ⴳ
mastodon - Link to source
infinite love ⴳ
• •
but like chrome, it uses the blink engine and reinforces google's monoculture over web standards, which is ultimately far more disastrous for everyone than whatever "ai" means for firefox. i would hope @Vivaldi uses a different web engine or builds their own, if they care about the future of the web.
@Vivaldi Browser
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Bart Champagne ON6BC
mastodon - Link to source
Bart Champagne ON6BC
• •

If memory serves me well, my first browser was Netscape - guess my age 😉
Briefly used Mozilla and Opera but Firefox has been my dominant browser after Netscape ever since.

I'm not liking certain decisions within the Mozilla group, including the AI hype, but so far I'm sticking to it.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

ppw
mastodon - Link to source
ppw
• •

The question is how much longer browsers dependent on Chromium upstream will still be able to support uBlock Origin against Google's will.

The better choice would have been a Firefox-based browser like Waterfox, which takes Firefox and strips it of all the annoying telemetry and AI nonsense

waterfox.com/blog/no-ai-here-r…


No AI* Here - A Response to Mozilla's Next Chapter

Mozilla's pivot to AI first browsing raises fundamental questions about what a browser should be.
Alex Kontos (Waterfox)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Miro Collas
mastodon - Link to source
Miro Collas
• •
Vivaldi uses Chromium, and therefore Manifest V3
vivaldi.com/blog/manifest-v3-u…
which breaks uBlock origin. Only Lite will work.

Manifest v3 update: Vivaldi is future-proofed with its built-in functionality | Vivaldi Browser

Google is forcing an update from manifest v2 to v3. With the most important functionality built into Vivaldi, it will have a limited impact.
Team Vivaldi (Vivaldi Technologies)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Nu Modular
mastodon - Link to source
Nu Modular
• •
Vivaldi is partially proprietary, and based on Chrome, which is susceptible to #TechBros abuse. LibreWolf.
#techbros
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Xander
mastodon - Link to source
Xander
• •
are there any cons to Vivaldi, like features firefox has but it doesnt?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Ernesto Acosta 🎄
mastodon - Link to source
Ernesto Acosta 🎄
• •
@zettai Just out of curiosity, I'm not trying to question your decision. Why not go with LibreWolf, Zen Browser, or Waterfox? 🤔
@zettai
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Vint Prox
mastodon - Link to source
Vint Prox
• •
That's a reasonable switch, made one such myselfnot long ago. But got really tired of the Opera era bloat, so I'm now on Zen. I recommend making acquaintance with Zen team. They have the strong policy against useless AI and the UI is so less cluttered.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

donut
mastodon - Link to source
donut
• •

why not #waterfox

Its what Firefox should be open and extremely user-friendly 🩵 #noai

#noai #waterfox
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Mikka
mastodon - Link to source
Mikka
• •

RE: mastodon.social/@Gargron/11573…

@Gargron @Vivaldi I did the same. For a few weeks. Then I met Zen Browser.
Less is more.

Eugen Rochko

2025-12-17 23:24:01

mastodon - Link to source

I've finally switched to the @Vivaldi browser. I've been using Firefox for as long as I've been on the internet, but the focus on AI means it's no longer the browser for me. Thankfully unlike Chrome, Vivaldi supports the uBlock Origin extension which is the most important extension for being able to browse the web nowadays.

@Eugen Rochko @Vivaldi Browser
This entry was edited (16 hours ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Jon Koops 🇪🇺
mastodon - Link to source
Jon Koops 🇪🇺
• •

That seems like a step backwards to be very honest. Firefox is a truly open-source project, with its own nuts and bolts under the hood, whereas Vivaldi is just another Chromium fork with a bunch of proprietary bits strapped to it.

I don't agree with the choices from Mozilla, but if everything is opt-in, local, and respects user privacy, what is the problem? And if it does bother you, why not use something like LibeWolf?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Distante
mastodon - Link to source
Distante
• •

I think the problem is somewhat exaggerated until we see actual negative actions from Mozilla.

mastodon.social/@Distante/1157…

Distante

2025-12-17 06:40:27

mastodon - Link to source

I don't see any problems with how Firefox implements AI yet, but the phrase ‘AI browser’ scares me

I am very disappointed with the focus on AI rather than significant improvements to the browser itself (I mean resource allocation)

blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/le…

Still, I don't see any problems with Mozilla's current(!!!) approach, and I'm also scared by emotional social media users

#AI #Mozilla #Firefox

First: Every product we build must give people agency in how it works. Privacy, data use, and AI must be clear and understandable. Controls must be simple. AI should always be a choice — something people can easily turn off. People should know why a feature works the way it does and what value they get from it. Second: our business model must align with trust. We will grow through transparent monetization that people recognize and value. Third: Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software. Firefox will remain our anchor. It will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions.

Mozilla’s next chapter: Building the world’s most trusted software company

Today, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo step into the role of CEO of Mozilla Corporation, focusing on becoming the trusted software company.
Rebecca Smith (The Mozilla Blog)

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Trit’
mastodon - Link to source
Trit’
• •
Hopefully it will still be possible to use uBO on Vivaldi… 😟
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Kerplunk
mastodon - Link to source
Kerplunk
• •

Unlike chrome UngoogledChromium also supports UBlock and it can be sideloaded.

Vivaldi sends a unique user ID to its servers every 24 hours.

UngoogledChromium sends

NOTHING home.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Goldmaster
mastodon - Link to source
Goldmaster
• •
Wonder what this means for @privacyguides recommendations on web browsers other than chrome and Firefox
@Privacy Guides
in reply to Eugen Rochko

GachaNoUta
mastodon - Link to source
GachaNoUta
• •
I spontanously changed from #Firefox to @librewolf yesterday. Took like half an hour of time.
Bye AI crap 🚮
#Firefox @LibreWolf
This entry was edited (11 hours ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

D Ingram
mastodon - Link to source
D Ingram
• •
LibreWolf is a good fork of FireFox and has a strong anti-AI stance. They acknowledge that some might slip through, but let them know and it'll be removed. I run Vivaldi and LibreWolf since there are still sites that work on one but not the other. I'm a big fan of FF/LW containers to separate work, banking etc. Good for parking Google things so most things are done "logged out" but can still use their services when you want.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Derick
mastodon - Link to source
Derick
• •
I've been giving #Helium a test run for several days now and I like it a lot. Yeah, it's Chromium based too, but I've tried the Firefox forks and something about each of them was a turn off for me. I just want a web browser that gets out of my way and doesn't try to force me into some new workflow paradigm or make me jump through a bunch of hoops and tacked-on settings to make the web work like it's supposed to. Helium seems like that so far and, until something better comes along, may end up my daily driver. If you're not turned off by the Chromium base, it might be worth a look if that's what you want out of a browser, too.
#helium
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thomas Traynor
mastodon - Link to source
Thomas Traynor
• •
I removed Firefox some time ago on my phone and Chromebook. The only instance is my personal laptop and if they put the AI slop there and nuke my using uBlock then I will remove it there too. The work machine will also have it removed too. I have been using Vivaldi for some time and I like it. All I want is a browser that renders pages, quickly and securely.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

razze
mastodon - Link to source
razze
• •
trading closed source for less ai seems, not so good of a deal...
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Alex
mastodon - Link to source
Alex
• •
Before this news, I used Firefox on my phone as an additional browser for viewing sites, but after this news I immediately deleted it, because if I left, then I would have agreed with their artificial intelligence, but I just need a browser that accesses the Internet, and if I need ai, I’ll just go to the official website, I don’t need it in my browser, put in a calculator, messenger, crypto wallet, and maybe even a whole system like firefox os wow, this is some kind 😳
in reply to Eugen Rochko

wojtek
mastodon - Link to source
wojtek
• •

ah yes… it doens't have AI (yet) but every now and then spams my toolbar with VPN offer 😁

Also: you can install uBlockOrigin *NOW* but at one point maintaining support may stop be feasible and surprise - you will endup with the same crappy chromium engine…

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Dan Hart
mastodon - Link to source
Dan Hart
• •
Serious question, why not open source the browser? I know Firefox is not perfect, but at least you can fork it: LibreWolf, etc. #OpenSource
#opensource
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Taffer 🇨🇦
mastodon - Link to source
Taffer 🇨🇦
• •
@mainframed767 Same. I was using it for work… we use Google Workplace and Meet, and somehow Firefox is awful at those. The AI crap encouraged me to start using it at home. I’ll probably switch over my wife during the holidays.
@Soldier of FORTRAN ​

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