Knowing the best browser for your smartphone or desktop machine is crucial when deciding on a browser to install and use. Things might get tricky in a country like China, where the Internet has specific policies, procedures, and restrictions.
Safety and security online are crucial elements that browsers strive to provide to users, besides offering a smooth user experience and tool customizations.
Whether you are looking for a lightweight web browser for your smartphone or the safest web browser for your desktop, here is a list of the top Chinese internet browsers that can get you started.
Popular Chinese Internet Browsers
1. 360 Secure Browser
OS: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Best For: Those looking for tighter browser security and anti-phishing & malicious URL filter.
360 Safe Browser, also known as 360 Secure Browser, is a web browser created by the Beijing, China-based Qihoo business. It was first released in September 2008.
When operating in compatibility mode, the browser renders webpages using the Trident engine found in Internet Explorer and its default WebKit-based engine, Blink, which is tailored for Google Chrome.
Another version of this browser is 360 Extreme Browser (360 Extreme Explorer), which can be downloaded to your device. The browser gives you a whole new browsing experience with its intuitive user interface and customization options.
Pros
- Come with Avira and Bitdefender antivirus
- The interface is easy to use
- System is not too impacted when idle
Cons
- There are a lot of ads
- You will need to edit some settings to optimize the security
2. QQ Browser
OS: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Best For: Users looking for high customizability.
Tencent, a technology company based in mainland China, created the QQ Browser. Trident and WebKit are the two browser engines it makes use of.
Tencent previously created the Trident typesetting engine-based Tencent Explorer (Tencent TE) and Tencent TT two browsers and integrated The QQ browser of the WebKit engine 5 and QQ browser 6.
The latest version of QQ Browser can be downloaded from its official website.
Pros
- The browser is highly customizable
- You get practical built-in gadgets and extended apps
Cons
- The browser doesn’t have the best history of safeguarding user data
- It does not support Linux
- The parent company, Tencent, has been caught spying on users’ web history
3. Sogou Browser
OS: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Best For: Those looking for a way to trawl all publicly available information on WeChat.
The Sogou browser, introduced in December 2008, uses “dual-core” technology (the WebKit and Trident layout engines from Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, respectively).
Sogou’s desktop browser is the 7th most popular desktop browser in China, according to StatCounter (November 2019), with a 1.6% market share.
The browser leverages analysis and categorization of the most used words on the Internet to create more accurate search results.
Online information, including news, maps, music, videos, and pictures, are classified and can be retrieved by using voice search commands
Pros
- It can connect to the cloud to identify harmful malware or URLs
- It has voice-assisted search and lip-reading capabilities to help with finding information.
- The browser can trawl public articles, posts, and messages on the Tencent WeChat platform.
Cons
- Sogou is owned by Tencent, which has a bad reputation regarding customer privacy.
- The voice recognition and lop reading software seem like another privacy risk.
Related article: Best Web Browsers For Windows 11.
4. UC Browser
OS: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Best For: Those looking for a fast-loading browser.
Another of the top 5 Chinese browsers is the UC Browser, created by the Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, a mobile Internet provider.
As of 2017, it was the second-most used mobile browser in China. According to StatCounter, as of May 2022, its global browser share was 0.86% (and 1.48% on smartphones).
The browser is well-known for its minimal app size and data compression technique, which makes it popular in developing countries where people typically use mobile phones with less memory and internet access.
Pros
- The browser has a fast download feature for simultaneous file download.
- Users get support for multiple file formats, HTML5 web apps, cloud acceleration, and cloud synchronization.
- The browser uses data compression to enhance speed.
Cons
- The browser is heavy on hardware, which is not great for laptops.
- It uses a large amount of device memory compared to its rivals.
5. XBrowser
OS: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Best For: Those looking for simplicity, ad-blocking, and minimalism.
XBrowser is a lightweight browser smaller than 1 MB in size and marked with an “X” that stands for extreme features like media sniffing, security, and ad-blocking.
Other features that have earned it a spot on this list of popular Chinese browsers include an intuitive design with quick access to the homepage, a forward arrow, and a responsive URL bar.
You can switch between background colors and dark and light mode themes. It also boasts many customization and gesture options for an enjoyable user experience.
Pros
- It has ad blocking.
- It uses fewer resources compared to rivals.
- The browser doesn’t take up a lot of space.
Cons
- The minimalism of the app may not work for everyone.
- There is no function to print a webpage as a PDF like other browsers.
6. 115 Browser
OS: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Best For: Those looking for a browser based on the Chromium engine.
115 Browser mobile browser application was launched using 115 network disk. The browser runs quickly and efficiently and uses little memory.
It is a fairly effective mobile browser program. There is also a PC version of the browser, which can be downloaded and used on your desktop.
The browser supports fast-speed typing and quick delivery of search results based on the new Chromium high-speed core engine. The 115 management dedicated client enables functions such as chatting, while the exclusive client supports batch upload and download of files.
Pros
- Users can get fast-speed typing and quick search results
- the browser is based on the chromium engine, putting it on equal foundational footing as other popular browsers
Cons
- It is not easy to find reviews about browsers outside of China.
- You can only download the app from the official 115browser website.
Which Web Browser Is The Most Popular In China?
Chrome is the most popular among Chinese browsers. In November of 2022, it was the leading browser in the market, with 45.98% of the market share, trailed by competitors like Safari, Edge, and UC Browser.
What’s The Web Browser Market share In China?
As of November 2022, the web browser market share is led by the ever-improving Chrome, which takes 45.98% of the market share. The browsers following it do not even come close to approaching its numbers, with Safari in second place with 12.39% of the market share.
Here is how the other browser breaks down:
- Safari (12.39%)
- UC Browser (9.52%)
- 360 Safe (8.98%)
- Edge (8.82%)
- QQ Browser (5.89%)
Can You Use Google Chrome In China?
Yes, you can use Google Chrome in China. However, it will be partially blocked. You won’t be able to use the Google Search Engine or any Google services, including sign-in into Google accounts. The only way to use those is by using a VPN service.
The URL “google.com” appears to be blocked in the following parts of China:
- Beijing
- Shenzhen
- Inner Mongolia
- Heilongjiang Province
- Yunnan Province
People report getting messages like “This webpage is not available” or “The connection was reset”.
What Does China Use Instead Of Google?
People in China use Baidu as an alternative to Google. It’s the most commonly used search engine. Its encyclopedias have lots of information on various Chinese things. Yahoo and Bing can also be used without too many problems, but their search results may not be as good as those from Baidu.
Baidu is still a Chinese corporation that complies fully with Chinese law and government censorship orders.
Based on its localized offers in the world’s most populous country, which still has a low internet penetration, the browser is predicted to maintain its dominance and development in China.
Google Services That Are Blocked In China
Most Google services are currently blocked in China. Here’s the list of the main ones:
- Google Search Engine
- YouTube
- Gmail
- Google Drive
- Google Translate
- Google Play Store
- Google News
- Google Maps
- Google Docs
- Google Sheets
- Google Slides
- Google Meet
- Google Calendar
- Google Chat
Luckily, you can still access the Google Chrome browser.
If want to access any Google services, then you can also do that by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that works in China to get through their firewall, known as the Great Firewall of China.
It’s also important to know that Google account sign-ins are also blocked in China. This means you might not be able to login into some online services external to Google or use Google to create your accounts.
Summary on Using Web Browsers in China
Baidu, 360, UC Browser, and QQ Browser are the most commonly used Chinese browsers. Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari are also prevalent web browsers in China, with a very significant market share.
Despite the Google Chrome browser being the most popular in China, Google services and some of its sites are blocked and inaccessible to people on the mainland.
VPNs and Chinese browsers that hide IP can come in handy in cases where Google services have been blocked. With many people now using smartphones, mobile browsers are becoming increasingly popular.
Chinese browsers primarily developed for mobile include 115 Browser and XBrowser. They are small and superfast, require minimal permissions, and give you a satisfactory browsing experience from the comfort of your mobile device.
