When comparing Internet Explorer vs Opera, the Slant community recommends Opera for most people. In the question“What are the best desktop web browsers?” Opera is ranked 28th while Internet Explorer is ranked 64th. The most important reason people chose Opera is:
The built-In adblocker is faster than any extension. It's possible to add your own filter lists. However, the adblocker isn't enabled by default.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Downloads well
Downloads safely, quickly, and nicely.
Pro System built-in browser
Browser has many system related features. With Internet Explorer you can run certain types of files, without saving them in a non-temporary directory, or you can change proxy settings via a built in Windows dialog window.
Pro Works great with ruTorrent
Pro Can fluidly stream 4k video
IE 11 can fluidly stream 4k videos on Youtube without issue.
Pro Isn't a big target for hackers
Nearly all browsers use the same browser engine as Chrome, Safari, or Firefox; meaning they have the same security-holes as one of the big three. IE doesn't, it has has its own engine.
In other words, even if you find yourself on a website that tries to hack your computer: It's very likely that the the website will only be designed to hack the big three, and wouldn't be able to do anything to IE.
Pro Built-In Adblocker
The built-In adblocker is faster than any extension. It's possible to add your own filter lists. However, the adblocker isn't enabled by default.
Pro VPN onboard
Free VPN onboard (but it's slow and it leaks your IP), includes Germany, Canada, USA, Netherlands, Singapore.
Pro Video pop-out feature
You can pop-out any video and it will stay on top while you are surfing on other tabs.
Pro Compatible with Chrome extensions
Since Opera is built on Blink, the same engine Chromium is built on, it was possible for Opera developers to allow Chrome extensions to run in their browser.
Pro Strong HTML5 feature support
Opera scores highly on HTML5 feature support.
Pro Opera Turbo
Opera has a functionality called Turbo which increases browsers speed and reduces data consumption considerably by compressing the data that's found in a web page.
Pro You can install extensions on the sidebar
Unlike other browsers, you can install add-ons such as tabs, bookmarks, history, sessions, notes, and extension manager in the sidebar. So you have the flexibility to use it for your purpose.
Pro Opera Sync
Opera Sync allows you to synchronize your bookmarks, passwords, and more from any computer, phone, or tablet.
Pro Customizable
Opera is full of user controlled settings. Everything can be imported and exported even RSS feeds. It can be skinned in a variety of different themes or it can be extended through the use of a large number of plugins available.
Pro Battery saving mode
Pro Opera can have extensions from Opera Addons & Chrome Store websites
Opera supports cross-browser extensions. Opera Addons site keeps quality up compared to Chrome Store. Full of useful extensions, Opera also supports extra APIs like Speed Dial API, Extension Sidebar API and Stash API meaning wider variety of extension possibilities than in Chrome.
Pro Speed Dial
Opera's Speed Dial (new tab page) has the ability to hold as many websites as you want, and you can customize it almost however you want. You can also organize the websites on the Speed Dial into folders.
Pro Partly open source
Source code available on GitHub.
Pro Blazingly fast
Scores top on Basemark.
Pro Portable
You can save the Opera's setup files on a USB hard drive and run its portable version anywhere.
Pro For Opera 2017 & 2018 gonna be time of new
Opera got Reborn UI as the first implementation from Opera Neon concept browser. Snap -feature is next. Opera constantly improves its basic functionality - unlike Chrome.
Pro Free vpn
Without any cost unlimited and working.
Pro Lightweight
It doesn't consume much RAM, unlike Chrome.
Pro Touch bar support
Pro Built-in currency converter
Just highlight price on a website and see this price in your currency.
Pro Fast video loading
Opera loads videos faster, making it useful for slow internet connections.
Cons
Con Out of date
Con Final version of the browser
Microsoft confirmed that Internet Explorer 11 (released on 2013, still bundled in Windows 10) will be the last version of Internet Explorer as Microsoft is shifting it's development focus to Microsoft Edge.
Con Windows only
Internet Explorer is currently available on Windows only. Internet Explorer was previously available on OS X and UNIX, but both of them have already been discontinued.
Con No browser extensions
Internet Explorer's functionality cannot be extended via extensions/plugins.
Con Not standard compliant
Con Problem rendering online Google Web Apps correctly
I.E. 11 has many issues with rendering Google Web Apps correctly such as Docs or Sheets. The landing pages for each has incorrect button placements and doubled icons, making the sites barely navigable.
Con It's slow and crashes a lot
Con Created By Microsoft
Con No reader view
Con Owned by a Chinese consortium
Who certainly need to conform with Chinese government requirements to let them infiltrate everything you do online.
Con Trash VPN (Slow and Leaks IP address)
Terrible VPN service. Super slow. It's just a proxy service that leaks your IP address, not a VPN. Not recommended!
Con Cannot select tabs
Unlike in Chrome and Vivaldi, one cannot select multiple tabs to move to another/new window.
Con WebKit/Blink is not customisable or lightweight
Opera is built on WebKit/Blink, which means it shares cons of Chromium: high RAM usage (Not lightweight), lack of customizability.
Con Uneditable default search providers
It can not delete or replace already built-in search services such as Yahoo, Google, DuckDuckGo, and Wikipedia.
Con Proprietary
While Opera is currently available gratis (without monetary charge), it is currently not libre (meaning that it does not allow users to view the source code used to create, to modify that code, or to redistribute modifications) and is therefor neither free nor open-source software.
Con Unable to sync extensions
Imagine having 100 extensions and Opera link cannot sync them, which will be troublesome.
Con No address bar in fullscreen mode
Unlike in Vivaldi.
Con Buggy
Some buggy or confusing behavior with the bookmarks bar and moving tabs, and entire windows turning black after a while.
Con Same security-holes as Chrome
Opera uses the same browser engine as Chrome, meaning it has the same security-holes as Chrome. Chrome is a big target for hackers (being the most popular browser in the world), and a webpage that will hack Chrome will also hack Opera.
Con No reader view
There is a great reader view extension which is available.
Con Built ad-blocker works when it wants
Con Basically a Chrome clone
The latest versions of Opera are basically Chrome clones, so they really don't add anything new.
Con No menu bar
Con The advertisements are terrible
There are too many advertisements in this browser.
Con Extension icons not directly moveable
Con Cannot stop auto update
Con Needs user prompt to install from Chrome web store
Every time you install an extension, you need to say install first from Opera extension list to proceed.