What is Vivaldi?
Vivaldi is a free web browser built on Chromium by Vivaldi Technologies, the company founded by former Opera developers. Its distinguishing choice is to put tools inside the browser instead of relying on extensions: a mail client, calendar, feed reader, notes, a built-in ad and tracker blocker, and tab stacks, tiling and workspaces. It also exposes a wide settings surface and keyboard-driven tools such as Quick Commands and Command Chains. It is free but not open source: the Chromium changes are published under a BSD license while the UI layer stays closed and obfuscated. On macOS it requires macOS 13 or later. It suits people who want many tools in one application.
Verified product facts
- Type
- web browserEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Pricing
- FreeDeveloper-stated
- Developer
- Vivaldi TechnologiesDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- proprietary
- Current version
- 8.2.4133.83Developer-stated
- Official website
- vivaldi.com/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Vivaldi does at a glance.
Built-in mail client, calendar and feed reader
Notes panel and web panels
In the sidebar
Tab stacking, tab tiling and two-level tab bars
Built-in ad blocker and tracker blocker
Quick Commands and Command Chains
For keyboard-driven workflows
Sync of tabs, bookmarks, passwords and notes
Across devices
What you can use Vivaldi for
- Managing several mail accounts, a calendar and feeds without separate apps
- Viewing two pages side by side with tab tiling
- Keeping a large number of tabs organised with tab stacks and workspaces
- Blocking ads and trackers without installing an extension
- Syncing tabs and notes between a Mac and Vivaldi on mobile
Who is Vivaldi for?
- Users who want mail, calendar, feeds and notes inside the browser
- People who work with many open tabs and want stacks, tiling and workspaces
- Users who prefer configuring a browser over accepting its defaults
Who is Vivaldi not for?
- People who want a minimal browser — Vivaldi's default interface carries more toolbars, panels and settings
- Anyone who needs a browser whose whole codebase is open source — Vivaldi's UI layer is closed and obfuscated
- Macs that cannot be updated past macOS 12 — the current download states macOS 13+
Limitations
- The current macOS download is a single universal .dmg labelled macOS 13+; the page does not state which processor architectures it contains, so Apple Silicon support is recorded as unknown
- Vivaldi is free but not open source: Vivaldi Technologies publishes its Chromium changes under a BSD license and keeps the UI layer closed
- Current releases require macOS 13 or later, per the download page
Strengths and trade-offs
What Vivaldi does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Bundles a mail client, calendar, feed reader and notes, so those do not need separate apps.
- Includes an ad blocker and tracker blocker that work without an extension.
- Provides tab stacking, tab tiling and workspaces for handling many open tabs.
- Free to download and use, with no paid tier.
Trade-offs
- The UI layer is closed and obfuscated, so the browser as a whole is not open source even though it is built on Chromium.
- The default interface shows more toolbars, panels and settings than a minimal browser, which adds visual weight for users who do not need those tools.Editorially reviewed
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Download the macOS .dmg from vivaldi.com and drag the app to Applications; the current build states macOS 13+.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Vivaldi offers to import bookmarks and settings from other browsers during setup.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Can be set as the default browser, and Vivaldi Sync shares tabs, bookmarks, passwords and notes across devices.
What it does
Vivaldi is a web browser built on Chromium by Vivaldi Technologies, a company founded by former Opera developers. Its approach is to ship tools inside the browser rather than leave them to extensions: a mail client, a calendar, a feed reader, notes, a built-in ad and tracker blocker, and a set of tab tools including two-level stacks, tiling and workspaces.
Free, but not open source
Vivaldi’s own explanation is specific. The browser is built in three layers: Chromium, Vivaldi’s own C++ feature code, and the UI. The Chromium changes and the C++ code are published under a BSD license, but the UI layer is closed and released only in obfuscated form. Vivaldi’s own figures are that roughly 92% of the code comes from Chromium, 3% is its own open code, and 5% is closed UI code.
So “free” and “open source” are separate answers here. The browser costs nothing; the codebase as a whole is proprietary.
Built-in tools instead of extensions
The features list reads like a set of separate apps folded into one: Mail, Calendar, Feed Reader, Notes, and a Dashboard that gathers them. That is the trade-off against a minimal browser — less to install, more interface to look at. Vivaldi also runs Chrome extensions, so the built-in tools are an addition rather than a replacement.
The macOS build
The macOS download is a single .dmg labelled macOS 13+, currently
Vivaldi.8.2.4133.83.universal.dmg. The filename says “universal”, but the
download page does not state which processor architectures the package
contains, so Nuanyue records Apple Silicon support as unknown rather than
reading the filename as proof.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for Vivaldi, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
8.2.4133.83
Current stable build of the 8.2 line, which Vivaldi describes as adding more built-in functionality.
Source: Official website
8.1
Desktop release described by Vivaldi as stability and refinement work.
Source: Official website
8.0
Vivaldi described this desktop release as its biggest design overhaul.
Source: Official website
Questions about Vivaldi
Is Vivaldi free?
Yes. Vivaldi is free to download and use, and Vivaldi Technologies states its revenue comes from search and partner deals rather than a paid version.
Is Vivaldi open source?
Partly. Vivaldi publishes the Chromium code and its own C++ feature code under a BSD license, but the UI layer is closed and obfuscated, so the browser as a whole is proprietary.
What macOS version does Vivaldi require?
The download page lists macOS 13 or later for the current universal .dmg.
What is the difference between Vivaldi and Chrome?
Both use Chromium, so they render pages the same way. Vivaldi adds a mail client, calendar, feed reader, notes, tab tiling and a built-in blocker, and it is developed by Vivaldi Technologies rather than Google.
Does Vivaldi sync between devices?
Yes. Vivaldi Sync shares tabs, bookmarks, passwords and notes between desktop and mobile, and Vivaldi's help pages state it uses end-to-end encryption.Developer-stated
Can Vivaldi run Chrome extensions?
Yes. Vivaldi states Chrome extensions work in it, and its help pages document extension support alongside the features built into the browser.
Alternatives to Vivaldi
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
Firefox
Mozilla's open-source browser with its own engine.
Both are alternatives to Chrome; Firefox uses Gecko and is fully open source, while Vivaldi uses Chromium with a closed UI layer.
Tor Browser
Anonymity browser that relays traffic through the Tor network.
Both go beyond a stock Chromium; Tor Browser is a hardened Firefox ESR routed through Tor, while Vivaldi does not route traffic through an anonymity network.
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
Chrome
Google's proprietary Chromium-based browser.
Both are Chromium-based, but Vivaldi adds a mail client, notes, tab tiling and a built-in blocker on top of the same engine.
Safari
Apple's WebKit-based browser, included with macOS.
Both target Mac users, but Safari ships with macOS on WebKit, while Vivaldi is a separate Chromium-based download that requires macOS 13+.
Compared with
Head-to-head comparisons Nuanyue has published.
Brave
Privacy-first Chromium browser with ad and tracker blocking built in.
Both are Chromium-based with built-in ad and tracker blocking; Brave is open source and centres on privacy, while Vivaldi centres on built-in tools and configuration.
Arc
Workspace-style browser, now in maintenance mode.
Both are Chromium-based browsers aimed at heavy tab users; Arc replaces the tab bar with a sidebar and is in maintenance mode, while Vivaldi keeps a conventional tab bar with stacks and tiling.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
