The European alternative to Opera
Opera was Norwegian, but it's been owned by a Chinese-led consortium since 2016. Today's Opera ships a crypto wallet, an AI sidebar, a built-in news feed, and a sponsored "Speed Dial" page. If you want a Chromium browser without any of that, and you want one actually based in Europe, Dazr is the version.
Why people are leaving Opera
If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place.
It's no longer really European
Opera was Norwegian for decades. In 2016 the browser business was sold to a consortium led by Chinese internet companies. Today Opera Limited is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and majority-controlled by Chinese investors. The "Norwegian browser" reputation hasn't matched the corporate reality for almost a decade.
An AI assistant is in the sidebar
Aria is Opera's AI assistant, baked into the sidebar by default. Every prompt goes to a third-party AI provider. Some people love it; if you don't, it's hard to remove cleanly.
The crypto wallet
Opera ships a built-in crypto wallet, integrated into the browser, with prompts you can't fully turn off. If you don't use crypto, it's clutter. If you do use crypto, a dedicated wallet is safer than one bundled into your browser.
The Speed Dial is a content surface
Opera's new tab page (Speed Dial) shows news stories, sponsored placements, suggested apps, and weather widgets. Even with most things turned off, what's left is a personalised content feed. Dazr's new tab is a search box. That's it.
Telemetry sent to Opera
Opera collects usage statistics by default and is part of Opera's overall data business (Opera Ads, Opera News, etc.). Dazr sends no usage data, ever, to anyone.
The "free VPN" isn't really a VPN
Opera's free VPN is a proxy that only protects browser traffic, not your whole connection. The company has been unclear about exactly what it logs. For a real VPN, a dedicated EU-based provider (Mullvad, ProtonVPN, IVPN) is the safer choice.
Dazr vs Opera
Side by side, no spin.
| Feature | Opera | Dazr |
|---|---|---|
| Country / jurisdiction | Cayman Islands (Chinese-led) | EU |
| Browser engine | Chromium | Chromium |
| AI assistant in sidebar | Aria, by default | No AI shipped |
| Crypto wallet built in | Yes | No |
| News feed on new tab | Yes | No |
| Sponsored placements on Speed Dial | Yes | None |
| Diagnostic data sent to vendor | Yes (default) | None |
| Built-in ad blocker | Yes | Yes |
| Stops fingerprinting | No | Yes, by default |
| Built-in "VPN" | Browser-only proxy | No (use a real VPN, Mullvad, Proton) |
| Streaming (Netflix, Spotify, etc.) | Yes | Yes |
| Free | Yes | Yes |
What changes when you switch
A browser that's actually European
Opera's "Norwegian heritage" is marketing, the company has been Chinese-controlled for nearly a decade. Dazr is European in the way that actually matters: incorporated in the EU, hosted on EU servers, accountable to European data protection authorities. No Cayman Islands holding company, no Chinese majority shareholder, no US cloud underneath.
- EU-incorporated and operated
- EU-hosted update server and search backend
- Bound by GDPR, not by whatever holding-company law applies to Opera
Just a browser. No extras.
No crypto wallet. No AI sidebar. No news feed. No sponsored Speed Dial. No "free VPN" proxy. No ad-tech business inside the browser. Dazr is small on purpose, fewer features means a smaller attack surface and a sharper focus on the parts of a browser that actually need to be good.
- No cryptocurrency anywhere
- No AI assistant or chat sidebar
- No news feed, no sponsored content
- No upsells to paid services
Real tracking protection on by default
Opera's ad blocker is decent, but the browser doesn't try to stop fingerprinting (the technique websites use to identify your device even when you block cookies). Dazr does, and it's on by default. The web feels lighter and quieter the moment you switch.
- Built-in ad and tracker blocking
- Stops canvas, WebGL, audio fingerprinting
- Removes tracking codes (utm_source, fbclid, gclid) from links
- Encrypted DNS through a European non-profit
What Opera still does that Dazr doesn't (yet)
- Opera GX gaming features. If you specifically use Opera GX for the RAM limiter, FPS counter, and built-in Discord/Twitch integrations, Dazr doesn't have those. They're niche, but if you rely on them, GX is the only browser that does them.
- Built-in messengers. Opera puts WhatsApp, Telegram, and Messenger in a sidebar. Dazr doesn't. A separate app or pinned tab covers the same workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't Opera Norwegian?
Opera was Norwegian originally, but in 2016 it was sold to a consortium led by Chinese internet companies. Today Opera Limited is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and majority-controlled by Chinese investors. The "Norwegian browser" framing is mostly historical.
Does Dazr have a free VPN like Opera?
No, and we wouldn't recommend Opera's. Opera's free VPN is technically a proxy that only protects browser traffic, and the company has been unclear about exactly what it logs. The right answer for a real VPN is a dedicated provider, Mullvad, ProtonVPN, or IVPN, all European, all audited.
Will my Opera bookmarks come over?
Yes. Export your bookmarks from Opera (Bookmarks → Import/Export → Export bookmarks to file) and import them into Dazr from Settings → Import bookmarks.
Does Dazr have a crypto wallet?
No. Opera ships its "Crypto Browser" with a built-in wallet for several blockchains. Dazr doesn't ship a wallet, and isn't planning to. If you use crypto, a dedicated wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, hardware wallets) is the safer way to do it.
Does Dazr have an AI assistant like Opera's Aria?
No. Opera's Aria sidebar sends prompts to a third-party AI provider. Dazr doesn't ship any AI features. We removed our own and don't plan to add them back.
What about Opera GX features (gaming, RAM limiter, Discord)?
Dazr doesn't have direct equivalents. If those features are central to your setup, Opera GX is the only browser that does them. Most people find that a dedicated chat app and the OS-level memory limits cover the same ground.
The Chromium browser without all the extras
Same engine, none of the crypto, AI, news, or sponsored content. Built in Europe, no holding-company maze.
Download Dazr