Opera hits 100 million desktop users as alternative browser strategy pays off

In a new blog post, Opera confirmed that the company has crossed 100 million monthly active users on desktop for the very first time in October 2026. That means PC and Mac users now make up more than a third of the company’s nearly 290 million total user base.

Even though Chrome is still dominating the desktop browser market share with nearly 67% of the pie and Opera sits at a tiny 2.65% according to third-party tracking estimates, getting 100 million people to actively install an alternative browser is no small feat.

Most folks in North America and Europe just stick with whatever comes pre-installed on their computers, whether that is Microsoft Edge on Windows or Safari on a Mac.

Instead of trying to cram everything into one bloated app that pleases nobody, Opera split its desktop lineup into four distinct flavors. You have the standard Opera One for everyday work, Opera GX for gamers who want to limit how much memory their browser eats up, Opera Air for a cleaner and less distracting setup, and Opera Neon for people who want to play around with experimental AI tools.

The company has also been shipping practical updates that actually solve everyday annoyances rather than just chasing hype. Just last week, Opera brought on-device AI to the browser through an early preview of WebAI, which runs local models right on your computer so your data stays private and extension makers do not get stuck paying cloud fees.

As Opera EVP Krystian Kolondra put it at the time, “A lot of what people want from AI doesn’t need a data center. Your laptop can already do it, without sending your data anywhere.”

Another useful update came a few weeks ago when Opera added an auto-VPN for public Wi-Fi that kicks in when you connect to a sketchy cafe or airport network, though you still have to flip the switch on in the settings yourself.

Back in July, Opera also beat Chrome and Firefox to native clipboard attack protection with a tool called Paste Protect that warns you before you accidentally paste malicious commands from fake CAPTCHA pages into your terminal.

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