About the Alternative Browser Alliance

About This Site

I launched this site in response to the overblown rivalry between Firefox and Opera users. The way I see it, both groups have a common enemy: dominance of the web by a single browser, currently Internet Explorer. At this stage of the game, every percentage point Firefox pulls from IE is a win for Opera, and vice versa, because it spreads awareness that there are alternatives, and that it might be worth trying them out.

This site is intended as a truce. We're in this together.

It was also inspired in part by the fact that after nearly a year, Browse Happy's testimonials are still overwhelmingly Firefox-centric. I had hoped they would be adding more over time, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

Similar campaigns include:

To-Do List

Separate list of mobile web browsers.
Update features lists.
Update articles to take into account changes in the browser market (rise of Firefox, arrival of Chrome).

Site History

June 2, 2013: Remove Camino since it's being discontinued.
April 21, 2011: Remove Flock since it's being discontinued.
August 20, 2010: Clean-up: Updated Flock to include new Chrominum-based version. Added notes on mobile Firefox and iCab, more platforms for Opera Mini. Removed Galeon, as the project has been dead for years. Cleared out dead/outdated links from the list of Allies.
December 11, 2009: Google Chrome for Mac & Linux is now available.
September 1, 2009: Updated Opera icon & banners for Opera 10.
June 30, 2009: Updated Firefox icon.
December 29, 2008: Cleaned up list of Allies; removed dead links and sites that no longer link to this one.
December 12, 2008: Added Chrome. Updated iCab logo. Updated developer tools links: Firebug, Dragonfly, more validators. Removed dead links to iCapture, 30 Days to Becoming an Opera Lover, Try Firefox. Noted mobile versions like Opera Mini. Relicenced site content under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Added Twitter account for tips, updates and commentary.
September 24, 2008: Update OmniWeb & iCab prices. Announce plans for major revision.
December 28, 2007: Removing Netscape from the list, since it's being discontinued.
June 11, 2007: Safari 3 is now available on Windows as well as Mac OS. Also, Netscape is cross-platform again. Split out "major" browsers since the cross-platform area is getting crowded.
April 30, 2007: Added links to the new Choose Opera site.
April 1, 2007: Ran an April Fools joke about removing Firefox because it was too mainstream.
February 24, 2007: New Logo designed by k3vin.net.
December 20, 2006: Added phishing detection to Opera and Firefox feature lists.
October 18, 2006: Comments re: IE7.
October 16, 2006: Added links to Try Firefox and Firefox Beginner's Guide. Updated Flock banner link. Dropped Mozilla Suite from SeaMonkey entry.
June 29, 2006: Added list of Allies (i.e. sites that link here). Initial list based on referrer stats for June.
June 25, 2006: Updated Opera features for Opera 9. Added Flock. Emphasized SeaMonkey over Mozilla Suite.
February 16, 2006: Camino is out of beta. Also added link to InternetWeek's big browser shoot-out.
January 31, 2006: SeaMonkey is out of beta. Minor change to CSS to work with IE 7 beta 2.
November 29, 2005: Added a note on SeaMonkey to the Mozilla Suite.
September 20, 2005: Opera is now free.
September 4, 2005: Added iCapture link.
August 23, 2005: Updated Camino icon.
August 21, 2005: Added descriptions of Linux browsers. Tightened text a bit. Removed the (beta) label since it's about as meaningless as an “under construction” graphic.
August 15, 2005: Added links to browser banner/button sites, review of Mac OS X browsers, and Browsershots. Icons for Linux browsers.
August 8, 2005: Official launch.
July 10, 2005: First posted with request for feedback.

About the Author

I'm a web developer and sysadmin. I've been using computers since I was five, using the Internet since high school, and building websites since college.

These days I mainly use Chrome, with Firefox and Opera each maybe 10% of the time. I write my web pages as close to the standard as possible, design for graceful degradation, and test in everything I can think of.

I also contributed to Opera Watch occasionally when it was still active.

Contact Information

Please contact webmaster at alternativebrowseralliance dot com.

Legal Information

The Alternative Browser Alliance is copyright 2005-2011 Kelson Vibber and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. It may be copied, modified, and distributed freely as long as it attributes the original author and maintains the original license. See the license for details. The site logo was designed by k3vin.net and is licensed under the same terms.

Additionally, permission is granted to use the link banners for linking to this site.

The names and logos of each browser may be trademarked by the individual companies. This site is not endorsed or supported by the Mozilla Foundation or Corporation, by Opera Software, by Apple Computer, or by any other browser manufacturer.