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Side-by-side comparison ยท AI Browsers & Agents

Firefox vs Microsoft Edge vs Opera One

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Firefox

3.6

Free to start

Microsoft Edge

3.9

From $19.99/mo

Opera One

3.9

Free to start

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Pick it if: Business owners who want a trusted, independent browser and want to decide for themselves whether AI is on or off.

Pick it if: Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want AI help with reading, comparing and researching in the browser they already have.

Pick it if: Anyone who wants a free Chrome alternative with a capable AI sidebar, tab organisation and a built-in VPN, without paying for anything.

Overview

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeOpera One
In one lineMozilla's free browser with optional AI you can switch off with one setting.Microsoft's free browser with Copilot built in to read pages, compare tabs and do tasks.Opera's free everyday browser with a built-in AI sidebar that reads your tabs.
Pricing modelFreeFreemiumFree
Starting priceFree$19.99/moFree
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeOpera One
Overall rating3.63.93.9
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.5
4.5
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
3.0
3.5
3.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
3.5
3.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
4.0
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeOpera One
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes Yes
Browser extension No Yes No
API access No No No
Teams & business
Team workspace No Yes No
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes No
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files No Yes Yes
Understands images No Yes Yes
Makes images No Yes Yes
Makes video No No No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations No Yes No
Learns your brand or style No No No
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score6/ 1712/ 178/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeOpera One
Plans

FirefoxOur pick

Free

Everyone, with AI on or off as you choose.

FreeOur pick

Free

Most people: summaries, tab comparisons and Journeys.

Free

Free

Everyone. There is no paid tier for the AI.

Smart Window beta

Free

Heavy researchers in the US, Canada or France.

Microsoft 365 Premium

$19.99/mo, or $199.99/yr

US households and sole traders who want the agent and Office apps in one bill.

Free with an Opera accountOur pick

Free

Anyone who wants chat history across devices and more images.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (business)

See website

Companies on Microsoft 365 business plans.

Which plan to pickThere's nothing to pay. Use the sidebar with whatever AI account you already have. If you're in the US, Canada or France, try Smart Window with a free Mozilla account. Everyone else can join the waitlist.Stay on free. The side panel, tab comparisons and Journeys cover what most business owners need, and they cost nothing. Microsoft 365 Premium is only worth it if you're in the US and already want Office for the household; don't buy it just for the browser agent, which Microsoft still calls experimental.It's all free. Sign in with a free Opera account if you want your chats saved and more images; otherwise just download it and click Ask AI. Opera sells a separate VPN Pro, but you don't need it for the AI.

Key features

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeOpera One
Standout features
  • Smart Window (beta)
  • Pick your chatbot
  • Link previews
  • Choice of models
  • Optional memory
  • AI Controls
  • Copilot side panel
  • Journeys
  • Browse with Copilot
  • Memory and history
  • Study, write, listen
  • Voice and Vision on mobile
  • Opera AI sidebar
  • Tab Islands
  • Files and video
  • Browser Connector
  • Built-in extras
  • Privacy switches

Pros and cons

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeOpera One
Pros
  • Every AI feature is optional and free
  • One switch blocks all AI, and stays off through updates
  • Open source, from a non-profit-owned company
  • Use the chatbot you already pay for
  • Link previews run on your own computer
  • Already installed on Windows, nothing new to learn
  • Free Copilot reads pages and compares open tabs well
  • Journeys makes it easy to pick research back up
  • Chrome extensions and bookmarks work
  • Strong admin controls for businesses on Microsoft 365
  • Free, with no account needed for the AI
  • Tab Islands make the AI's context easy to control
  • Handles files, YouTube videos and images, not just web pages
  • Free VPN, ad blocker and translator built in
  • Page access is off until you allow it
Cons
  • Smart Window is only in the US, Canada and France, and still beta
  • No agent that clicks through sites or fills in forms
  • The sidebar is just the chatbot's website in a panel
  • Smart Window needs a Mozilla account and has daily limits
  • A Smart Window bug pulled in browsing from before people opted in, since fixed
  • The agent is US only and needs Microsoft 365 Premium
  • Several features are US or English-language only, so Australian users get less
  • Microsoft calls the agent experimental and warns it can misread instructions
  • Copilot prompts are pushed into many corners of the browser, which some find cluttered
  • Screenshots from agent sessions are kept with the chat for up to 30 days
  • No agent: it can't click, fill in forms or finish tasks on sites
  • Browser Connector for ChatGPT and Claude is still an opt-in test feature
  • Opera doesn't say which Gemini model you get or publish chat limits
  • Sponsored speed dials and news on the start page by default

Who each one is for

AttributeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeOpera One
Best for
  • Keeping AI out of the browser entirely
  • Using your own ChatGPT or Claude in a sidebar
  • Summarising and tidying lots of open tabs (US, Canada, France)
  • A browser not owned by an ad or AI company
  • Summarising long pages and PDFs
  • Comparing products or quotes across open tabs
  • Picking research back up days later with Journeys
  • Businesses already paying for Microsoft 365
  • Summarising long pages and YouTube videos
  • Comparing suppliers or products grouped in a Tab Island
  • Quick drafts and translations while you browse
  • Keeping work and personal tabs organised
You'll find it used by
  • Privacy-minded owners
  • Researchers
  • Developers
  • Teams with AI rules
  • Office workers
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Windows users
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Researchers
  • Anyone switching from Chrome

Questions people ask

Which is better, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Opera One?

They tie on our overall rating (Firefox 3.6/5, Microsoft Edge 3.9/5 and Opera One 3.9/5). Firefox is best for Keeping AI out of the browser entirely and using your own ChatGPT or Claude in a sidebar. Microsoft Edge is best for summarising long pages and PDFs and comparing products or quotes across open tabs. Opera One is best for summarising long pages and YouTube videos and comparing suppliers or products grouped in a Tab Island.

Which is cheaper, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Opera One?

Firefox: It's free and open source. Microsoft Edge: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo. Opera One: It's free to use.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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