Since Chromium became available in September 2008, the internet has been filled with web browsers that try to compete with well-established giants, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
All of them try to shine in their own unique ways, from browsers like Opera GX which caters to the gaming community, to Tor Browser which holds privacy above all else.
Another unique option is Colibri. This lightweight web browser abandons the traditional layout of classic web browsers, calling itself the “browser without tabs”. However, there’s more to Colibri than meets the eye.
Colibri Is a Web Browser With an Exclusive Userbase
The first thing you need to know about Colibri is that not everyone can gain access to it. Those of you who’ll want to try the new browser will first have to create a Colibri account.
First, you’ll have to reserve an account by going to theColibri homepageand writing your email address into the empty field next toGet Started.
You’ll then receive an email containing a link to the account creation page, as well as the download links for Colibri. Currently, Colibri is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What Is Colibri’s Interface Like?
The most noticeable feature of Colibri is the UI which, staying true to the browser’s purpose, is indeed without tabs. In fact, this is by far the most simplistic web browser you’ll ever have the chance to test out.
Colibri Starts Off as a Blank Slate
The first time you install Colibri, you’ll see a very basic start page that, unlike most other browsers, doesn’t present a list of suggested websites that you can visit. All you’ll see is the search bar, and a quick guide featuringsix key bindingsthat you’ll use most frequently.
Additionally, you’ll be prompted to log into your Colibri account through the browser. This step is not mandatory, but Colibri will store your preferences on your account. So, if you ever access Colibri from a different machine or location, simply log into your account, and your settings will load instantly.
Instead of tabs, bookmarks, and history, Colibri has a feature calledLinks. These are simply web pages that will come up on your home page, and you can add them manually so that your favorite websites are always one click away.
To add a website to your list ofLinks, just visit the website, and press the+button next to Colibri’s search bar.
Lists for Better Website Grouping
Another interesting feature that Colibri has is something calledLists, which issimilar to bookmark foldersin other browsers. Lists allow Colibri to organizeLinksthat you frequently visit into clusters that you can name and manage based on their topic.
To create a new list, you’ll first need to add at least one website to your list ofLinks. Once you’re done, manually add eachLinkto an appropriateList.
Stay Up to Date With Feeds
To add a website to your Feeds list, just right-click somewhere within the webpage, and selectAdd to Feeds.
Can You Customize Colibri?
As far as customization goes, Colibri is pretty limited. There’s no way to modify the shape, size, or positioning of the various UI elements, and there are no themes available either. The only visual customization tool available is the option to switch between a light and a dark mode.
As for utility, you can change the default search engine, the translation provider for foreign websites, and the download location of your files.
Unfortunately, Colibri doesn’t provide any kind of extension support, despite being a Chromium-based browser. This means that whatever limitations you may find while using it won’t be fixable via add-ons or extensions.
How Easy Is It to Use Colibri?
Colibri sounds like a complete overhaul of what you’d expect from a typical web browser. However, after using it for a few hours, you’ll eventually realize that most of the features it boasts are things you’d see in most other browsers as well.
The only real difference is in terms of names, layout, and functionality tweaks. As such, getting used to Colibri will be a lot easier than it may seem at first.
Security Features in Colibri
Unlike most popular web browsers, Colibri has very basic security features. This includes the ability to block third-party cookies, limit trackers, and block ads.
Unfortunately, Colibri doesn’t feature an integrated browser VPN. And since there’s no extension support, there’s no way to fill in the security gaps with any add-ons. However, third-party VPNs running in the background on your computer should still work properly through Colibri.
What Is Colibri’s Resource Use Like?
One feature you’ll love about Colibri is the fact that it’s one of the mostresource-friendly web browsersthat you can ever use.
As an experiment, we opened the same YouTube video in Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Colibri, and we compared the resource use.
As you can see, Colibri’s RAM usage is the lowest of the five browsers, and it’s around 30% lower than that of the runner-up. This makes Colibri an excellentweb browser for older computers.
How Often Is Colibri Updated?
Most web browsers usually receive an update around once every two or three weeks. Unfortunately, this is one of those areas where Colibri falls short, since updates for it don’t seem to come out all that often.
However, during our testing, we didn’t encounter any bugs or errors that you’d normally expect from an outdated browser.
Colibri Is an Unconventional Browser That Shows Plenty of Promise
Like any other web browser, Colibri has its fair share of pros and cons. On one hand, the unique UI style will definitely attract people looking for a change in the way their web browsers look and feel. Additionally, its low resource consumption will certainly attract those who don’t have a lot of RAM or CPU to go around.
On the other hand, the lack of privacy features, extension support, or frequent updates makes Colibri seem like a potential security risk.
All in all, we believe that Colibri is a well-rounded web browser that you should try, and it’s certainly an interesting Chromium-based alternative to Google’s resource-hungry Google Chrome.
