Download Vivaldi — Tab Stacks, Workspaces and Built-in Mail for Windows PC v8.2.4133.96 for Windows PC

Chromium browser from ex-Opera founders with tab stacks, split-view tiling, workspaces, built-in mail, calendar and feed reader, plus a built-in ad...

Features

• Tab stacks group related pages under one tab and expand on hover, so a long research session with thirty open pages stays navigable without installing a separate tab management extension.
• Tab tiling splits two or more pages inside a single window, which makes comparing documents, prices or documentation noticeably faster than constantly switching between separate windows or monitors during work.
• Workspaces separate projects into distinct tab sets with their own stacks and tiling, so work, study and personal browsing never collapse into one messy and distracting window again.
• The built-in mail client, calendar and feed reader handle everyday communication inside the browser window itself, removing the need to keep a separate desktop mail program running all day.
• A built-in ad and tracker blocker, mouse gestures, notes and a screen capture tool are included by default, so core power-user features work immediately after installation without any extensions.

Considerations

• The sheer number of settings, panels and customisation options can genuinely overwhelm newcomers who simply want a browser that works well without an hour of configuration first.
• Vivaldi is proprietary rather than open source, so its complete code cannot be independently audited or rebuilt in the way Firefox-based browsers can be checked.
• With many stacks, panels, feeds and mail accounts active at once, Vivaldi can feel noticeably heavier and slower than Chrome on modest older hardware.

Open twenty pages for one project in Chrome and the tab bar becomes unreadable icons. In Vivaldi you drag tabs onto each other to form a stack, which then shows as a single tab with a second row appearing when you hover or click. Tiling goes further: select two or three tabs and they share the window in a split view, useful for writing from sources, comparing specifications or watching data beside a form. Workspaces sit above stacks. One workspace can hold work tabs, another personal tabs, and switching hides the other set completely rather than merely grouping it. Each workspace keeps its own stacks and tiling. The window panel lists every open page as a searchable tree, so finding one page among sixty is a typing task, not a hunting task. None of this needs an extension, and the settings let you place the tab bar on any edge, shrink it to icons, or turn on vertical tabs for wide screens.

Vivaldi suits researchers, students, writers and support or admin staff who keep many related pages open all day and lose time switching windows. It also suits people who want mail, calendar, feeds and notes in the same window as the web, without running Outlook or Thunderbird alongside. The customisation helps if you have a specific way you work: mouse gestures for navigation, keyboard shortcuts for almost every action, and themes and toolbar layouts you can rearrange freely. Start elsewhere if you want the lightest possible browser, if you rarely exceed a handful of tabs, or if open source code is non-negotiable for you. New users should also expect a setup session: the defaults work, but the benefit only appears after you create workspaces, learn stacking and trim panels you do not use. On a low-memory laptop, test it with your real tab load before making it your only browser. Hiding panels you never open and turning off mail if you use another client keeps the window calmer without losing the features that matter for heavy tab work.

A typical session starts in a workspace named for the project. You open sources, stack the background reading under one tab, tile your notes page beside the main document, and keep the reference site pinned. When a message arrives, the mail panel shows it without leaving the browser, and the calendar panel holds the deadline next to it. Feed subscriptions for the sites you follow sit in the same sidebar, so checking updates does not mean opening ten homepages. At the end of the day you switch to a personal workspace and the work tabs disappear from view but stay saved. If you use a second computer, signing into sync restores bookmarks, notes and open tabs after you enter your encryption password. The session feels busy at first because so much is on screen, but once panels you never use are hidden, the layout becomes a single desk rather than four separate applications. Once that layout settles, most users stop noticing the browser itself, which is the clearest sign the setup session was worth doing properly at the start.

Run Vivaldi.8.2.4133.96.x64.exe and choose a standard or standalone install. The standard install registers Vivaldi for your Windows user account and enables automatic updates.

On first launch, import bookmarks, passwords and history from Chrome, Firefox or Edge if offered, then set your search engine, blocker level and whether Vivaldi should be the default browser.

Create a workspace for each project, stack related tabs by dragging one onto another, and optionally sign in with a free Vivaldi account to enable end-to-end encrypted sync.

Is Vivaldi safer than chrome?

Vivaldi blocks trackers and ads by default and does not build its business on advertising profiles, which reduces tracking compared with a default Chrome install. It is still Chromium-based, so page security and sandboxing are broadly similar. Your actual safety depends more on updates, extensions and habits. Vivaldi also offers encrypted sync, which Chrome does not match in the same way.

Does Vivaldi sync data across devices?

Yes. A free Vivaldi account syncs bookmarks, passwords, history, open tabs, notes and some settings across desktop and mobile installs. Sync data is protected with end-to-end encryption using a separate encryption password you set yourself. Vivaldi states it cannot read that encrypted data on its servers. You need to sign in on each device and enter the encryption password to restore everything.

Is Vivaldi better than Chrome for managing lots of tabs?

For heavy tab use, usually yes. Vivaldi adds two-level tab stacks, tab tiling in split view, workspaces and a searchable tab list that Chrome does not offer natively. Those tools were designed specifically for sessions with dozens of pages open. Chrome stays simpler and slightly lighter, so if you rarely keep more than ten tabs open, the advantage is much smaller.

Do I need an extension for ad blocking?

No. Vivaldi includes a built-in blocker for ads and trackers that you can set per site or globally, with blocklists you can customise. It covers most everyday banners and tracking scripts without any extension. Specialist users can still install Chrome Web Store extensions, including uBlock alternatives, because Vivaldi supports Chromium extensions. For most people the built-in blocker is sufficient on its own.

Is Vivaldi Open Source?

No. Vivaldi is free to use but proprietary. Its user interface layer is closed, although the underlying Chromium engine is open source and Vivaldi publishes the Chromium modifications it makes. That means outside developers cannot audit or rebuild the complete browser from source. If full open source is a firm requirement, a Firefox-based browser such as LibreWolf is the closer fit.