Opera Vs Opera Mini - Which Is The Better Browser in 2024?
A detailed comparison between two browsers to aid your decision
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Key notes
- Having to choose between Opera and Opera Mini can be difficult due to many aspects to compare and consider.
- Opera Mini is popular for its faster web page loading and data-saving features on smartphones.
- Opera is a feature-packed browser offering all the essential tools such as VPN, Adblocker, screenshot, and more.
While there are many browsers that work on all devices, some are only available on mobile devices. Opera Mini became one of the most popular browsers for mobile devices soon after its launch and has only improved over time.
This was before anything like Edge, Firefox, and Chrome were available for smartphones.
Internet bandwidth was valued at gold, and the prices were exorbitant. Opera Mini was introduced as a data-saving browser that loads web pages faster.
That said, Opera also offers its full-fledged Opera browser for mobiles, which is now based on Chromium.
So, which is the best Opera browser for your smartphone? This article has compared both versions of the Opera browser in different categories to help you choose the best for your needs.
What is the difference between Opera Mini and Opera?
Opera is one of the best browsers for all devices. It is available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, Smart TVs, and almost all modern devices.
With this, you can sync your data across various devices. On the other hand, Opera Mini is a portable version that is only available on mobile devices.
It is focused on faster browsing speed, light resource usage, and data-saving. It lacks some of the features of Opera, like the built-in VPN. So the two browsers are distinctively different.
Opera
Take advantage of superior browsing speeds and quick access to various useful features.Which is better, Opera Mobile or Opera Mini?
Cross-Platform compatibility
Opera is available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. In comparison, the Mini version is limited to Android and features phones only.
So, if you want to keep your data in sync across the devices, Opera mobile is a better choice among the two.
User Interface and Design
With the devices getting larger and larger, it is logical to provide a bottom menu and options. Opera has adopted this better and kept the UI simple.
But the home page is packed with news and shortcuts apps. Fortunately, you can customize the home page experience and disable unnecessary clutter displayed by default.
Accessing browser settings is a little easier on Opera mobile than Mini as the latter will take one tap extra. Opening the menu, you will see that Mini focuses on data saving while Opera has privacy features on display.
The not-so-good bit in both the apps is the pre-installed shortcuts to eCommerce, social media, entertainment, and sports sites, which is more of an advert than a convenience feature.
On the appearance front, some customization is possible. Both the browsers allow you to apply pre-installed themes, change app layout, customize the toolbars, and more.
Tab Management
It is common to have multiple tabs open when browsing the tab. At times, you may even keep the tabs open even when not using them. This is where the tab switcher becomes important.
Tab management on both Opera Mobile and Mini is identical. Tap on the tab icon, and you can see a big stack of cards with an option to add a new tab.
Next, tap on the Desktop icon to access data from your Opera browser installed on your PC. However, this requires signing in to your Opera account.
Performance
Opera Mobile is based on the Chromium platform, and the performance of both browsers differs. However, Opera Mobile loads a bit faster when loading a web page.
Opera Mini first compresses the data and then redirects it; hence the web page loading takes a little longer. The advantage is that it helps you save data and load web pages even on slow or congested networks.
Scrolling works equally well on both browsers. It may not be the smoothest among the mobile browsers, but there is no major issue that will make it a deal-breaker.
Lastly, if the Opera vs. Opera Mini comparison goes down to the download speed, Opera is the obvious choice.
Privacy
Be it on the desktop browser or mobile version, Opera does offer similar kinds of privacy features. Both browsers feature a built-in ad blocker that is enabled by default.
There is also an acceptable ad feature that you may want to disable if you don’t want to see any ad on your screen.
That said, Opera Mini misses out on Opera’s VPN feature. It allows you to bypass region-restricted content and browse the web anonymously.
Opera is better, but Mini is Good as well
Whether you want to use Opera or Opera Mini depends on the kind of user you are. Opera Mini is a better choice if you are someone who browses mobile data and wants to save as much data as possible.
On the other hand, Opera also has the data saving feature, but it also offers VPN and some handy tools that Mini misses out on.
Also, Mini is limited to Android and some feature devices, while Oprea is available across platforms. So take both the browsers for a spin before you try to make a switch.
Additional features
Similar to other modern browsers, OperaOpera has included some essential tools to get the work done faster. For example, on OperaOpera, you can save a screenshot of the current page and download it as a PDF.
Although Opera Mini misses out on these features, it offers Offline pages, desktop sites, share, Send to Flow and translate features.
Both Opera and Mini also provide the Night Mode feature. Enabling the feature from the menu will open the web page in Dark Mode.
You can further customize the Night Mode by adjusting the color temperature, dimming, and themes and putting it on schedule.
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