Which is the better choice for you?
- Opera GX is quite similar to the regular version of Opera, and in this guide, we’re going to compare these two options.
- Opera includes all the regular features that the average user needs, it’s fast, light, and secure.
- The GX version has everything that the regular one has, but it also brings a couple of unique features of its own.
- If you’re concerned about RAM usage, you’ll be pleased to know that Opera GX has a resource allocation feature.
- Easy migration: use the Opera assistant to transfer exiting data, such as bookmarks, passwords, etc.
- Optimize resource usage: your RAM memory is used more efficiently than in other browsers
- Enhanced privacy: free and unlimited VPN integrated
- No ads: built-in Ad Blocker speeds up loading of pages and protects against data-mining
- Gaming friendly: Opera GX is the first and best browser for gaming
- Download Opera
Opera browser has been present on the market for more than two decades, and over the years it went through various changes.
The browser is now available on almost all desktop and mobile platforms, and a couple of years ago, Opera has introduced a new member of its browser family called Opera GX.
Opera GX is similar to the regular version of Opera but with some unique features that gamers would like. In today’s guide, we’re going to compare the two and see how Opera GX compares to Opera.
Opera GX vs Opera, what are the differences?
Opera: stable, fast, and reliable browsing for everyone
Interface
As soon as you start Opera you’ll notice its clean and friendly user interface. The application is divided into two parts, the main window that you use for browsing, and the sidebar.
As for the sidebar, it allows you to quickly access certain features, including bookmarks, history, and integrations from other services.
The interface is customizable, and you can choose to hide the sidebar if you don’t plan on using it. There’s also a number of wallpapers to choose from to spice up your Speed Dial page.
If you’re not happy with the choice of wallpapers, you can download additional ones from Opera’s website, or you can use your own.
Workspaces
The first feature that caught our eye was the Workspaces feature. Well, it allows you to organize your tabs, which is handy if you want to keep your work and personal tabs separated.
By default, there are two workspaces available in the sidebar and you can switch between them with a single click. Of course, you can add more workspaces if you need to.
Search in tabs
A feature that will go along nicely with Workspaces and multitasking is the Search in tabs one. With this feature, you can search for open tabs on all workspaces and switch instantly to the desired tab.
You enter the title of the tab to search for it, but the feature will also scan the content of open pages and find the desired tab based on its content.
To accessit, you can use the search icon in the title bar or a keyboard shortcut for quick access.
Privacy Protection
Opera comes with its own ad blocker and tracking protection, and if you don’t want to deal with ads anymore, be sure to enable this feature.
Tracking protection is also there, so you can say goodbye to tracking cookies that some websites tend to use.
Snapshots
Opera has a built-in snapshot tool that allows you to capture parts of a page and save it. The process is straightforward, and there’s even a simple editor that lets you add highlights and annotations.
Flow
If you use Opera on multiple devices, as you should, there’s a handy Flow feature that lets you share pages, links, and files seamlessly.
Simply pair your phone, and access the Flow feature from the sidebar and share any content that you want with ease.
Music player
Opera has support for various audio streaming services, such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music, so you can listen to your favorite tunes while browsing the web.
Social media and messenger
If you want to keep in touch with your friends, Opera has support for Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and WhatsApp, and you can have the messenger open in the sidebar while browsing the web.
The same goes for social networks, and currently supported networks include Twitter, Instagram, and VK.
VPN
Opera focuses on user privacy, and therefore it comes with a built-in VPN. It is completely free with unlimited bandwidth, but it only offers three different locations to choose from.
Sadly, this feature isn’t available out of the box, except in Private Mode, so you’ll need to enable it from the settings page first.
Opera GX: Opera, but with a gaming twist
Opera GX is based on the regular version of Opera, but with a gaming twist and a couple of unique features.
All the features that we mentioned above are available in Opera GX, so we’ll focus only on the features that are unique to Opera GX.
Interface
The first thing you’ll notice about Opera GX is its dark theme with a red neon glow that has a cyberpunk feel to it.
The theme is customizable, and you can change both the primary and secondary colors to any value, or you can just use one of many available themes if you don’t feel like experimenting.
GX Corner
GX Corner feature is designed to bring you the latest gaming information at a glance. Using this feature you can view the release dates of the upcoming games on a specialized calendar.
You can also find major discounts as well as free games on all digital distribution platforms. The latest trailers and gaming news are also available, so you can keep up with the world of gaming.
GX Control
GX Control is one of those features that make Opera GX stand out from other browsers on the market. With this feature, you can limit network, RAM, and CPU usage.
This is useful if you’re on a low-end PC, or if you’re gaming and your browser is using more resources than it should, thus affecting your performance.
Another feature that is worth mentioning is Hot Tabs Killer. This feature lets you see both CPU and RAM usage of all your open tabs at glance.
Is some open tab using more RAM than it should or slowing down your browser? End it instantly right from the Hot Tabs Killer section.
GX Cleaner
GX Cleaner is nothing revolutionary, and it’s just a quick way to clean your browsing data.
However, the feature allows you to see how much data and files does your browser has stored, which is useful.
Integrations
The software offers all the same integrations as the regular version of Opera, but Opera GX comes with both Twitch and Discord integration.
Want to follow your favorite streamers or watch streams while browsing? Just open Twitch from the sidebar and that’s it.
The same goes for Discord, just enable it, sign in, and you can stay in touch with your friends over at Discord at all times.
Since these browsers are almost the same, we decided to give you a short overview of the available features that both have in the list below.
Opera | Opera GX | |
---|---|---|
Built on Chromium | ✔ | ✔ |
Support for Chrome extensions | ✔ | ✔ |
Workspaces | ✔ | ✔ |
Ad blocker | ✔ | ✔ |
Tab searching | ✔ | ✔ |
Snapshot tool | ✔ | ✔ |
Opera Flow | ✔ | ✔ |
Video pop-out | ✔ | ✔ |
Music player | ✔ | ✔ |
Free VPN | ✔ | ✔ |
Twitter integration | ✔ | ✔ |
Instagram integration | ✔ | ✔ |
VK integration | ✔ | ✔ |
Facebook Messenger | ✔ | ✔ |
✔ | ✔ | |
Telegram | ✔ | ✔ |
Twitch | ✖ | ✔ |
Discord | ✖ | ✔ |
GX Corner | ✖ | ✔ |
GX Control | ✖ | ✔ |
GX Cleaner | ✖ | ✔ |
Opera GX vs Opera, our final thoughts
As you’ve seen already, Opera GX offers all the great features that regular Opera has, plus a few ones that gamers might like.
Features such as GX Control, Twitch, and Discord integrations are more than welcome. Some users might not like the aesthetics of Opera GX, but in our opinion, the design looks sleek and minimalistic.
Should you use Opera GX? If you’re a gamer or you use Twitch and Discord frequently, then Opera GX will be perfect for your needs.
Even if you’re not a gamer, the Control GX feature can come in handy to everyday users, especially if you want to stop your browser from using all your resources.
If you’re not into gaming and you want something that is less gaming-oriented, then the regular version of Opera will provide you with all the features that you need.
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