SigmaOS vs Vivaldi

SigmaOS is a more unique productivity browser in the space.

SigmaOS tried to re-think how a browser layout should be, and build in layers of productivity along the way (not too dissimilar to that of Arc Browser).

The thing is, Sigma has quite minimal funding, and in the browser space, you're competing with companies that have billions of dollars to throw at improving the browser (Google Chrome, Edge, Safari), so when comparing it to those, it's tough to see how they'll manage to compete.

That said, even just comparing SigmaOS to that of Arc, Arc has raised over $100M to take on this incredibly competitive space, whereas SigmaOS is trying to fight having raised likely less than $2M. It's also tough to understand if people are actually willing to pay for a browser, and at $20/mo on the paid tiers for SigmaOS, it just feels like Arc is the more likely winner here.

SigmaOS does make some pretty different opinionated design decisions though, it's worth a shot checking out if you want to try something fresh and new, though not sure we'd bet on it ultimately taking up any meaningful browser marketshare.

Vivaldi was one of the first browsers to shake up the customization space when it was first released in 2015. Vivaldi came out of nowhere allowing you to customize just about every button along with full color themes, at a time when everyone was using the identical looking version of Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

This was the unique value proposition of Vivaldi back then, and seems to be the same to this day.

The problem is, when you allow for ultimate customization of every button and color theme, they seem to have locked themselves into an old and uninspiring design. One that looks like it did back in 2015. So at a time when modern solutions are coming out on a monthly bases, and customization and color theming is baked into just about every browser on the market, what once made it unique now leaves it in a questionable situation.