Opera vs Tandem Browser
Opera
opera.com
Tandem Browser
tandembrowser.orgSide by side
| Figure | Opera | Tandem Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Browser Agents | 8.5 (#6) | 7.5 (#11) |
| Platforms | Opera offers downloads for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Chromebook. | The FAQ lists macOS Apple Silicon and Windows 11 x64 as supported, with Linux described as best-effort; it says macOS builds are signed and notarized while Windows builds are unsigned. |
| Product | Opera is a web browser with built-in tools for browsing, communication, and AI assistance. | Tandem Browser is an open-source, local-first browser where AI agents share the user's browser session, tabs, cookies, and DOM. |
| Support | Opera directs users to its Help Center, community forums, and bug report wizard for assistance and issue reports. | The maker directs users to GitHub Discussions for questions and troubleshooting, and GitHub issues for bugs and concrete feature requests. |
Plans
Opera
- Opera browserFree
- VPN Pro — six months$5 a month
- VPN Pro — one month$8 a month
- VPN Pro — one year$48 a year
In their own words
Opera
Opera is a free web browser for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web, with extension support and cross-device sync. Tab Islands group related tabs for collapsing or expanding. Built-in tools include an ad blocker that can also block cryptocurrency-mining scripts, plus a free VPN with no data cap and three general locations. Opera AI can use open-tab context, generate images, summarize PDFs, and translate or summarize YouTube videos. ChatGPT and Gemini are available from the sidebar, and Opera says its AI tools do not require sign-up. The sidebar also offers WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, Messenger, and Telegram, while Music Player supports Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Deezer. Users can set browsing data—including history, cookies, passwords, and autofill data—to clear on exit. Opera browser costs nothing. VPN Pro is separate: plans cost $4 per month billed $48 yearly, $5 per month billed $30 every six months, or $8 per month billed monthly.
Tandem Browser
Tandem Browser is a free, MIT-licensed browser in developer preview for running AI agents alongside a person’s browsing session. Agents share tabs, cookies, and the DOM, and can work with the accessibility tree, rendered DOM, network requests, console output, and DevTools. If an agent reaches a CAPTCHA, unclear form, or judgment call, it pauses for user help. MCP- or HTTP-speaking agents can connect locally or through a private Tailscale network, with separate workspaces and tab locks. The documented API includes more than 280 HTTP endpoints and 257 MCP tools, protected by bearer tokens. Tandem has no cloud backend, subscription, or telemetry according to its FAQ; browsing data remains on the machine unless sent elsewhere. It can run offline with Ollama or LM Studio. Daily-driver features include extensions, bookmarks, history, a local password vault, workspaces, and sidebar apps. It uses Chromium and supports macOS Apple Silicon, Windows 11 x64, and Linux on a best-effort basis.