Avant Browser Ultimate review

Avant Browser Ultimate combines the three most popular Web browser engines -- Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer -- in one app, allowing you to switch between them with just two clicks, without needing to have any of those browsers installed on your computer. There is also an impressive array of customizations and advanced features that can make your Web browsing more efficient.

Pros

Three-in-one Web browser: With a single button located at the end of the address bar, Avant Browser Ultimate enables you to choose which engine to use on the page: Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Chrome. Even better, you can have different pages displayed using different engines in the same window.

Side-by-side comparison: You can view multiple site tabs at once in the same window by placing them side by side. This can be very helpful if you're a Web developer and want to compare how your site looks in different Web browsers.

Highly customizable: Since Avant Browser doesn't support all third-party Web browser extensions, the developers have tried to ensure that all popular functionality is present in the app itself. This includes things like a password manager, page translation, mouse gestures, cloud backup, ad and Flash blocker, auto refresh, and even a video downloader.

Cons

Buggy: During our tests, we regularly ran into Chrome engine errors although that didn't crash our system or the app itself. Another bug that we discovered is that you cannot open a blank new tab -- it will always load the site that you were looking at prior to pressing the "New Tab" button.

Limited extension support: Although the app sports three of the most popular Web browser engines under its hood, not all extensions for the three platforms can be installed and used successfully. In our tests we've had a 60 percent success rate when trying to add extensions to the browser.

Bottom Line

Avant Browser Ultimate is a good companion for Web developers since it allows rapid testing and comparison between different browser engines. You should also give this free app a go, if you're not happy with your current Web browser and are looking for something different and more powerful.

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