The browser designed for power users who refuse to compromise on features

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When Opera Software shut down its community in 2014, co-founder Jon von Tetzchner decided to build something better. The result was Vivaldi: a highly customizable, feature-rich browser built to reclaim the functionality lost during the industry's shift toward simplified, streamlined web experiences.

Vivaldi was founded by Jon von Tetzchner and Tatsuki Tomita, the latter of whom chose the name after the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi for its global memorability. The project began as a response to the closure of the My Opera community in March 2014. To replace it, von Tetzchner launched the Vivaldi Community, providing a forum, blogging service, and other web services for registered users.

While many modern browsers focus on minimalism, Vivaldi targets power users through extreme customizability. Users can modify everything from icon colors and address bar positioning to corner radius rounding. It includes a suite of integrated tools, such as an email client with IMAP and POP3 support, an RSS and Atom feed reader, a calendar, and translation services powered by Lingvanex. To manage heavy workloads, the browser offers 'Tab Hibernation' to free up system resources.

The browser's technical evolution has been significant. Initially released as a technical preview on 27 January 2015, it achieved 500,000 downloads in its first 10 days. The first stable version, 1.0, arrived on 6 April 2016. Although it uses a Chromium-based engine, Vivaldi aims to revive the distinctive features of the older Presto-based Opera. As of March 2026, the company claims to have 4.0 million active users.

Vivaldi has also made strides in specialized environments. During December 2021, it debuted as the initial web browser compatible with the Android Automotive OS found within the Polestar 2 electric car. While some critics have noted its complexity can overwhelm casual users, others have compared its deep personalization to the 'Emacs of web browsers.'

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