Vivaldi 8.0

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Design & UI Overhaul (Vivaldi 8.0)

  • Many like the refreshed look and cohesive design; some praise the simple/autohide layouts and Arc-like minimal configs.
  • Others dread “big redesigns,” fearing disruption of carefully tuned setups and “classic” tab appearance.
  • A number of comments note that much of the old visual style can still be restored via theme settings.
  • Some find specific UI elements ugly or unnecessary, though they’re often hideable via right-click.

Performance, Bloat & Stability

  • Split experiences: some report smooth, fast UI even on older hardware; others see severe UI lag, hangs, and random crashes (especially on Linux).
  • Several feel Vivaldi has become bloated with built‑in mail, calendar, notes, VPN integration, games, etc., and prefer lighter browsers.
  • A few users switched away after repeated workflow breakage (e.g. tab groups being wiped).

Features & Power-User Appeal

  • Strong praise for: vertical tabs, workspaces, tab tiling, tab stacks/groups, mouse gestures, sessions, integrated RSS and mail, profiles.
  • Tab tiling and rich workspace behavior are repeatedly called “killer features,” especially for tab hoarders and multi-page layouts.
  • Some prefer browsers that do less (no adblock, no extras) and focus on being a “pure user agent.”

Privacy, Telemetry & Business Model

  • Vivaldi is often praised as a practical “privacy-enhanced” Chromium fork, especially with uBlock Origin and built‑in blocking.
  • Critics point out defaults on Android (no blocking, 3rd‑party cookies, WebRTC IP leaks), and claim noisy telemetry.
  • Business model: search engine and bookmark/partner deals, affiliate links, and integrated VPN promotions. Some see this as “selling user attention,” others distinguish it from behavioral tracking.

Closed Source & Trust

  • Major recurring concern: the UI and some parts are proprietary; source tarballs are incomplete and infrequent.
  • Proponents argue code is largely visible/inspectable, and the team has a long browser history; opponents say lack of full FOSS means it’s not trustworthy and can’t be forked if direction changes.

Engine Choice & Ecosystem Concerns

  • Multiple comments reject Vivaldi purely for being Chromium/Blink-based, citing web-engine monoculture and preferring Firefox-based or new engines (e.g., Zen, Floorp, Ladybird, Servo).
  • Others accept Blink for compatibility and GPU/video support, especially on Linux where Firefox can struggle.

Mobile & Extensions

  • A common complaint: no extension support on Android, which for some is a dealbreaker.
  • Users suggest alternative Android browsers (e.g., Firefox, Cromite, Helium, Ultimatum).

Sync & Data Loss Reports

  • Some warn of extended sync outages and alleged data loss; others say they’ve used sync for years without losing data. The reliability impact is disputed.