他们说每一朵玫瑰都有它的刺。如果标准网络浏览器（Google Chrome、Microsoft Edge、Mozilla Firefox等）是玫瑰，那么它们消耗(amount of system resources they consume)的大量系统资源就是您必须忍受的荆棘。通过系统资源，我们谈论的是CPU使用率、RAM或内存占用以及电池消耗。
虽然具有高端配置的现代计算机可以无缝运行主流浏览器，但旧的或老化的设备可能没有这样的能力。因此，如果您发现您的PC 在网上冲浪时死机和崩溃(PC freezes and crashes when surfing the web)，或者电池消耗的速度比平时快，您应该考虑切换到轻量级浏览器。
轻量级浏览器附带访问网页所需的基本工具，而不会耗尽 PC 资源或提高 CPU 温度。在本文中，您将找到一些与Windows和 macOS 设备兼容的最佳轻量级浏览器。
我们针对流行的主流浏览器测试了这些轻量级浏览器的性能，看看它们消耗的系统资源减少了多少。检查下面的结果。
1. Brave Browse r（Windows 和 macOS | 免费）
Brave主要是一个注重隐私的浏览器。它带有一个（标准和积极的）跟踪预防引擎，包括广告拦截、网站指纹识别(website fingerprinting)、cookie 和其他跟踪工具。通过消除这些收集您的数字足迹的渴望隐私的元素，Brave使网页在您的 PC 上使用最少的资源。
我们将Brave与Chrome进行对比，看看它是否真的消耗更少的系统资源。
从两个浏览器的任务管理器(Task Manager)分析来看，Brave使用更少的CPU和内存来加载我们在两个浏览器上访问的网页。虽然Chrome占用了 103MB 和 81.7MB 来加载OnlineTechTips和HelpDeskGeek的主页，但Brave使用 41.9MB 和 40.8MB 来实现类似的结果。
Chrome还为我们打开的每个网站运行了几个后台进程（称为Subframes）。子帧进程还消耗了数百兆字节的CPU和内存占用。(CPU)另一方面，Brave没有创建任何子(Brave)帧(Subframes)，并将CPU和RAM消耗保持在最低限度。
除了轻量级之外，Brave还具有其他以隐私为中心的功能，可以帮助您在网络上保持匿名。有一个社交媒体阻止部分以及一个带有Tor 连接(Tor connectivity)的私人窗口，可以隐藏您访问的网站的 IP 地址。
如果您决定开始使用Brave，该浏览器可让您轻松地从以前的浏览器导入书签和设置。阅读我们对 Brave 浏览器的完整评论(full review of the Brave browser)以了解更多信息。
2. Yandex（Windows 和 macOS | 免费）
Yandex 以“简单易用的浏览器”而自豪。尽管许多浏览器都使用营销术语和噱头来吸引用户，但 Yandex 的说法实际上是正确的。浏览器的界面简单明了；如果您熟悉Chrome、Firefox或Edge ，那么导航 Yandex 应该没有问题。
安装后，Yandex会自动导入默认浏览器的设置。如果您希望从头开始设置Yandex ，则可以取消导入。(Yandex)
该浏览器的另一个亮点功能是其省电模式(Power Saving Mode)。当您的 PC 断电时，Yandex 默认会激活省电模式。在省电模式下，浏览器会执行许多电源优化活动以减少电池消耗。
Yandex 将减少后台选项卡活动、禁用背景动画、停止高质量视频播放、降低页面帧率(frame rate)等。在我们的测试设备（MacBook）上，与Chrome和Firefox相比， Yandex使用的(Yandex)CPU功率和内存减少了约 20-30% 。
我们应该提到的是，Yandex 是基于 Chromium 的浏览器，这意味着它与Chrome Web Store(Chrome Web Store)上的扩展程序兼容。该浏览器完全免费，并附带跟踪保护、阅读器模式、turbo 模式、隐身或隐私浏览等功能。
3. Slimjet（Windows 和 macOS | 免费）
Slimjet是另一种基于 Chromium 的浏览器，它比Google Chrome消耗更少的系统资源。浏览器的界面很小，其整体性能令人印象深刻。它在不占用计算机资源的情况下加载网页的必要组件。
我们在测试设备上的Slimjet(Slimjet)和Chrome上加载了相同的网站，并比较了两种浏览器的内部任务管理(Task Manager)器。Slimjet在后台运行的进程更少，所有这些进程消耗的CPU和RAM都比Chrome的同类产品少。
Slimjet没有像 Yandex 这样的内置电池保护程序，但它对 PC 资源的最小消耗肯定有助于延长电池寿命——如果你使用笔记本电脑的话。借助浏览器的广告拦截器和先进的反跟踪技术，您还可以享受多层保护，免受侵犯隐私的跟踪器的侵害。
Slimjet的其他功能包括内置YouTube视频下载器、智能表单填充器、录像机、照片沙龙（内置照片编辑器）、云同步等。由于浏览器基于Chromium引擎，您还可以访问几乎所有的Chrome扩展程序。(Chrome)
4. Midori（Windows 和 macOS | 免费）
如果这篇文章为轻量级浏览器提供了奥斯卡奖(Oscar Award)（实际上确实如此），我们会将Midori评为“最佳极简轻量级浏览器(Best Minimalist Lightweight Browser)”。Midori的主页包含您期望从轻量级浏览器中获得的基本功能（工具栏、地址栏和一些按钮），并消除了其他不必要的组件和细节。
Midori使用最少的系统资源，因为它不像Chrome和Firefox等重型浏览器那样功能丰富。在性能方面，Midori在我们的测试设备（Windows 10 PC）上使用的电池电量、CPU和内存最少。
有趣的是，尽管它不是 Chromium 浏览器，但 它也与Chrome Web Store的扩展程序兼容。
如果您很注重隐私(big on privacy)，Midori带有“请勿跟踪”功能，可以阻止网站跟踪您的流量。它还使用著名的注重隐私的搜索引擎(privacy-focused search engine)DuckDuckGo作为其默认搜索引擎。
(Surf)上网(Web)冲浪而不用力您的电脑
即使您的 PC 不旧，您也应该尝试一下这些浏览器。如果您更愿意使用Chrome或其他资源密集型浏览器，或许对于它们提供的高级工具，您应该阅读我们的指南，了解如何使 Chrome 使用更少的 RAM 和 CPU(how to make Chrome use less RAM and CPU)。在指南中，我们提供了一些技巧来帮助减少Chrome使用的CPU资源量。您还可以将一些技巧应用到其他资源密集型浏览器。
注意：(Note:)这些轻量级浏览器的CPU和RAM消耗可能会因设备的硬件或软件配置、您访问的网站、打开的选项卡数量、安装的扩展程序等因素而异。然而，一般来说(Generally)，这些轻量级浏览器会比主流浏览器消耗更少的系统资源——在相同的条件下。
4 Best Lightweight Browsers for Windows and Mac
Thеy say every rose hаs its thorn. If standard web brоwsers (Google Chrоme, Mіcrosoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) are roses, the insane amount of system resources they consume are the thorns you have to put up with. By system resources, we’re talking about CPU usage, RAM or memory footprint, and battery consumption.
While modern computers with high-end configurations can run mainstream browsers seamlessly, old or aging devices may not have such power. So, if you find that your PC freezes and crashes when surfing the web, or the battery drains faster than usual, you should consider switching to a lightweight browser.
Lightweight browsers ship with the basic tools you need to access web pages without draining PC resources or increasing CPU temperature. In this article, you’ll find some of the best lightweight browsers that are compatible with Windows and macOS devices.
We tested the performance of these lightweight browsers against popular mainstream browsers to see how much less system resources they consume. Check the results below.
1. Brave Browser (Windows and macOS | Free)
Brave is primarily a privacy-focused browser. It comes with a (standard and aggressive) tracking prevention engine that includes ad blocking, website fingerprinting, cookies, and other tracking tools. By eliminating these privacy-hungry elements that collect your digital footprint, Brave causes web pages to use minimal resources on your PC.
We put Brave up against Chrome to see if it truly consumes fewer system resources.
From the Task Manager analysis of both browsers, Brave used less CPU and memory to load the web pages we visited on both browsers. While Chrome took up 103MB and 81.7MB to load the homepage of OnlineTechTips and HelpDeskGeek, Brave utilized 41.9MB and 40.8MB to achieve similar results.
Chrome also ran several background processes (called Subframes) for each website we opened. The Subframe processes also consumed CPU and memory footprint running into hundreds of megabytes. Brave, on the other hand, didn’t create any Subframes and kept CPU and RAM consumption to a minimum.
In addition to being lightweight, Brave has other privacy-focused features that can help you remain anonymous on the web. There’s a social media blocking section as well as a private window with Tor connectivity that hides your IP address from websites you visit.
If you decide to start using Brave, the browser lets you easily import bookmarks and settings from your previous browsers. Read our full review of the Brave browser to learn more.
2. Yandex (Windows and macOS | Free)
Yandex prides itself as a “simply user-friendly browser.” Although many browsers throw around marketing terms and gimmicks to attract users, Yandex’s claim actually holds true. The browser’s interface is basic and straightforward; you should have no problem navigating Yandex if you’re familiar with Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
Upon installation, Yandex automatically imports the settings of your default browser. You can cancel the import if you’d rather set up the Yandex from scratch.
Another highlight feature of the browser is its Power Saving Mode. Yandex activates power saving mode by default when your PC is unplugged from power. In power-saving mode, the browser executes a number of power-optimization activities to reduce battery drainage.
Yandex will reduce background tab activities, disable background animation, stop high-quality video playback, reduce on-page frame rate, and more. On our test device (a MacBook), Yandex used about 20-30% less CPU power and memory compared to Chrome and Firefox.
We should mention that Yandex is a Chromium-based browser, meaning it’s compatible with extensions on the Chrome Web Store. The browser is totally free and it ships with features like tracking protection, reader mode, turbo mode, incognito, or private browsing.
3. Slimjet (Windows and macOS | Free)
Slimjet is another Chromium-based browser that consumes fewer system resources than Google Chrome. The browser’s interface is minimal and its overall performance is impressive. It loads the necessary components of a web page without hogging your computer’s resources.
We loaded the same websites on Slimjet and Chrome on our test device and compared the internal Task Manager of both browsers. Slimjet ran fewer processes in the background, all of which consumed less CPU and RAM than Chrome’s equivalent.
Slimjet doesn’t have a built-in battery saver like Yandex but its minimal consumption of your PC’s resource will surely help to prolong battery life—if you use a laptop, that is. You’ll also enjoy multiple layers of protection from privacy-invasive trackers, thanks to the browser’s ad-blocker and advanced anti-tracking technology.
Other features of Slimjet include a built-in YouTube video downloader, smart form filler, video recorder, photo salon (a built-in photo editor), cloud synchronization, and more. You also get access to almost all Chrome extensions since the browser is based on the Chromium engine.
4. Midori (Windows and macOS | Free)
If this article were providing an Oscar Award for lightweight browsers (actually, it is), we’d crown Midori as the “Best Minimalist Lightweight Browser.” Midori’s homepage houses the basic functionalities (toolbar, address bar, and a few buttons) you’d expect from a lightweight browser, and does away with other unnecessary components and details.
Midori uses minimal system resources because it isn’t as feature-packed as heavy browsers like Chrome and Firefox. Performance-wise, Midori used the least battery power, CPU, and memory on our test device—a Windows 10 PC.
Interestingly, it’s also compatible with extensions from the Chrome Web Store, despite being a non-Chromium browser.
If you’re big on privacy, Midori comes with a “Do Not Track” feature that blocks websites from tracking your traffic. It also uses DuckDuckGo, a reputable privacy-focused search engine, as its default search engine.
Surf the Web Without Straining Your PC
You should give these browsers a try, even if your PC isn’t old. If you’d rather stick to Chrome or other resource heavy browsers, perhaps for the advanced tools they offer, you should read our guide on how to make Chrome use less RAM and CPU. In the guide, we offer some tips to help reduce the amount of CPU resources Chrome uses. You can also apply some of the tips to other resource-hungry browsers.
Note: The CPU and RAM consumptions of these lightweight browsers may vary depending on your device’s hardware or software configuration, websites you visit, number of tabs opened, extensions installed, among other factors. Generally, however, these lightweight browsers will consume lesser system resources than mainstream browsers—under the same conditions.
