Chromium

The project behind Google’s popular Chrome browser, Chromium is an open-source codebase that developers can use to build a web browser or test newer versions of Chrome.

Pros

• Speedy
• Ease of use
• Vast library of extensions
• Allows reverse search
• Available on mobile
• Sync between devices
• Bookmark import
• Sleek interface

Cons

• Resource-heavy
• Privacy concerns
• No auto-updates
• Less stable than Chrome

Developed by Google, Chromium is a free codebase that it uses to build the Chrome browser. Several other browsers including Opera, Microsoft Edge, and others also use this codebase to offer design and functionality resembling Chrome. Several portions of the code are also used by app frameworks.

Chromium is also a standalone browser that offers amazing speeds and a vast library of extensions but suffers from privacy concerns, high RAM consumption, lack of automatic updates, and other limitations. The primary purpose of Chromium is to let developers understand and modify the working of the browser and test the updates.

For desktop, Chromium can be downloaded on Windows 7 and newer, mac and Linux. It is also available for Android 4.4 and later, but not on iOS. As it shares its infrastructure with Chrome, it is easy to sync data across the two browsers and multiple devices by signing in to the Google account. A huge library of extensions means you can add any desired features from ad-block to social media integration.

Final Verdict

Chromium is a fast browser for mobile and desktop designed to offer user experience and features resembling Chrome. It is a project code that allows developers to test updates and build their own applications. As it is primarily intended for development, it suffers from problems like instability and high RAM consumption. Save

Another problem with Chromium is the lack of automatic updates, making it vulnerable to security threats. While it implements safe browsing by default to keep you protected, there is a trade-off with privacy as it sends browsing data to Google. However, the faster browsing speed and additional security features make it a good alternative to Chrome.