Sustainable Substitutes for Edge

A Chromium Browser developed by Microsoft forced onto Windows users.

edge logo

Reasons to avoid Edge

Avoid Edge due to privacy concerns and unethical practices to enforce its use. Microsoft also lacks transparency in its data policies.

Opt for privacy-focused alternatives instead.

Ethical and Sustainable Edge Alternatives

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  • Feasibility: How easily can the average user switch to this substitute? Higher feasibility results in a higher ranking.
  • Editor's Rating: How sustainable is the substitute? The more sustainability attributes it fulfils, the higher it is ranked.
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Helium

An unbloated Chromium-based desktop web browser, with unbiased ad-blocking.

Helium does not allow third party cookies on any websites.
The browser is optimized for minimal resource usage, making it lightweight and energy-efficient by default
Helium is designed with strong privacy defaults, including fingerprint resistance, no telemetry, and no background network calls on first launch.
All of Helium’s source code, including its online services, is open and available on GitHub, allowing for full transparency and community contributions
Helium blocks ads and trackers by default, using uBlock Origin and community filter lists.
Website

LibreWolf

A fork of Firefox for desktop, with enhanced security and privacy settings.

LibreWolfs’s built-in ad and tracker blocking reduces unnecessary data and energy consumption. The decision to avoid AI bloat in its browser saves even more resources.
LibreWolf does not allow third-party cookies or share user data with external parties.Source: LibreWolf Features
LibreWolf is fully open-source, allowing for community audits, contributions and transparency in its development.Source: Codeberg Repos
LibreWolf is mostly ad-free, ensuring a cleaner and more private user experience.Source: LibreWolf Features
LibreWolf blocks trackers, ads and fingerprinting by default, with enhanced protections like uBlock Origin pre-installed and stricter privacy settings.Source: LibreWolf Features
Website

Mullvad Browser

Mullvad cofounder Daniel Berntsson has donated 5 million Swedish kronor to Swedish populist party Örebro. Source: TechRadar: 'I don’t like that he made this donation' — Mullvad CEO reacts to co-founder’s donation to controversial Swedish populist party (2026)

A privacy-focused browser with Tor Project Collaboration.

Mullvad Browser removes most ads and sponsored content, ensuring a clean and distraction-free browsing experience.
Mullvad is a based in Sweden.
Mullvad’s built-in ad and tracker blocking reduces unnecessary data and energy consumption, making it more efficient for users on limited data plans or battery-powered devices.
Mullvad Browser does not allow third-party trackers or share user data with external parties.
Mullvad Browser blocks trackers, ads and fingerprinting by default, with pre-installed uBlock Origin.
Website
firefox logo

Firefox

A popular open-source web browser developed by Mozilla.

Firefox is fully open-source, allowing for community audits, contributions and transparency in its development.Source: Github Repo
Firefox does not allow third-party trackers in its default browsing experience.Source: Third-party cookies and Firefox tracking protection
Firefox’s built-in ad and tracker blocking reduces unnecessary data and energy consumption, making it more efficient for users on limited data plans or battery-powered devices, especially when combined with the uBlock Origin Plugin.
Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks third-party trackers and fingerprinting scripts by default, especially in Private Browsing Mode and Strict mode.Source: Firefox blocks fingerprinting
Website
vivaldi logo

Vivaldi

A highly customisable ad and AI free web browser based on Chromium.

Vivaldi Technologies is based in Norway.
By default Vivaldi does not allow third-party cookies.
Vivaldi’s built-in ad and tracker blocking reduces unnecessary data usage and saves energy. Additional energy is saved by avoiding AI bloat in its browser.
Vivaldi is mostly ad-free, ensuring a cleaner and more private user experience.
Vivaldi blocks ads and trackers by default, with a privacy dashboard for visibility into blocked content.Source: Fighting for a better web
Website
duckduckgo logo

DuckDuckGo Browser

A privacy focused alternative to Google and Bing, offering a NoAI version of its service.

DuckDuckGo can be used anonymously without registration.
DuckDuckGo is free of charge. Its business model is based on keyword based advertisement.
DuckDuckGo’s tracker blocklists, browser extensions and some tools are open-source and auditable.
DuckDuckGo offers a browser and extensions that block third-party trackers, enforce encryption and provide features like Global Privacy Control and CNAME Cloaking Protection.
DuckDuckGo does not track users, store personal information, or create user profiles, ensuring complete privacy.
Website
brave logo

Brave

Brave has a dodgy history. It's founder Brendan Eich donated money to homophobic causes in the past. The company raised money with its questionable crypto tokens (BAT). It injected affiliate codes to some URLs. And last but not least, one of the early investors was fascist billionaire Peter Thiel. Source:Corbin Davenport: Stop using Brave Browser (2023)

A privacy-focused web browser based on Chromium.

Brave’s built-in ad and tracker blocking reduces unnecessary data and energy consumption, making it more efficient for users on limited data plans or battery-powered devices.
Brave is ad-free by default, ensuring a cleaner and more private user experience.
Brave blocks ads, trackers and third-party cookies by default, reducing exposure to online tracking and fingerprinting.
Brave does not use third-party trackers or allow external parties to collect user data.
Website

The 6 main issues with Edge

Lack of Transparency - Opacity in operations, data handling, or supply chains, making it difficult for users to understand practices.

Microsoft lacks transparency in its data collection and usage practices, as highlighted by ongoing concerns over AI features and user data handling.Source: Ars Technica: Microsoft tries to head off the “novel security risks” of Windows 11 AI agents (2025)

Monopoly - Market dominance that stifles competition and limits user choice.

Edge is developed by Microsoft, which offers the most-used operating system for desktop PCs. Microsoft utilised it's market position to make Edge the default option in Windows. Source: Heise: Windows 10 and 11: Edge browser will be less annoying in future (2025)The Verge: Opera is filing a complaint over Microsoft’s tricks that push you to use Edge (2025)

Big Tech - Big Tech companies do not nourish people and planet. This is especially true in times of political tension.

Microsoft is one of the largest tech companies, contributing to market monopolisation.

Privacy Concerns - User data is likely to be stored and used against users' best interest.

If not careful, Microsoft will log you into your Microsoft account while browsing, thereby linking your browsing-history to your Microsoft account. Its AI Copilot also sniffles on your browsing activity. Also, researches have found that Edge caches passwords unencrypted on your device.Sources: Heise: Microsoft's Copilot now sees what you see in the Edge browserThe Verge: Microsoft will automatically keep you signed in to your account starting in February (2025)Tom's Guide: 'Only Chromium-based browser I've tested that behaves this way': Microsoft Edge has a huge password vulnerability researcher claims (2026)

Support of Authoritarian Regimes - Companies actively supporting, financing and legitimising regimes and unethical policies.

Bing is financing Donald Trumps plans to create a new ballroom in the white house, hoping to benefit from upcoming laws. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella donated $1 Million to Trumps inauguration fund.Sources: OpenSecrets: Trump ballroom donors poised to benefit from AI plan they helped shape (2026)The Verge: Tech’s shift to Trump: all the companies and execs kissing the ring (2025)

Tax Avoidance - Aggressive strategies are being deployed to avoid paying taxes.

Microsoft is known for using aggressive tax avoidance schemes and has been fined for it. Source: The Guardian: This article is more than 11 years old US tech giants launch fierce fightback against global tax avoidance crackdown (2015)

Suggestions and Feedback

If you have suggestions for more alternatives or general feedback, please contact me via email or create an issue over on Codeberg. Suggest Substitute on Codeberg Write an Email