Pick Safari if
You want the browser that is already on your Mac, easiest on the battery and tied into iCloud.
The catch. It has no vertical tabs or split view, a smaller extension catalogue, and no Windows version.
Safari vs Vivaldi
Safari is best for battery life and Apple devices. Vivaldi is best for customising everything.
Pick Vivaldi if
You want tabs on any side, tab stacks, tiling and a setting for nearly everything.
The catch. The number of options takes time to learn, and its interface is not open source.
Safari vs Vivaldi, feature by feature
| Safari | Vivaldi | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | WebKit | Chromium |
| Vertical tabs | No | Yes, tabs on any side |
| Sites on screen at once | One per window | Several, with Tab Tiling |
| Separate workspaces | Profiles and Tab Groups | Workspaces and profiles |
| Ad and tracker blocking | Trackers, not ads | Built in, ads and trackers |
| Extensions | Safari extensions | Chrome Web Store |
| Platforms | macOS, iPhone, iPad | macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android |
| Open source | No (WebKit is) | Partly — the interface is closed |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Development | Active | Active |
Questions
Is Safari better than Vivaldi?
Neither wins everywhere. Safari is best for battery life and Apple devices; Vivaldi is best for customising everything. Pick Safari if you want the browser that is already on your Mac, easiest on the battery and tied into iCloud. Pick Vivaldi if you want tabs on any side, tab stacks, tiling and a setting for nearly everything.
Do Safari and Vivaldi block ads?
Safari: Trackers, not ads. Vivaldi: Built in, ads and trackers.
Which extensions do Safari and Vivaldi run?
Safari: Safari extensions. Vivaldi: Chrome Web Store.
Where do Safari and Vivaldi run?
Safari: macOS, iPhone, iPad. Vivaldi: macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android.
Are Safari and Vivaldi free?
Both are free.