Download Opera Browser Free: Which Version to Get in 2026

Want to download Opera browser for free? In September 2009 we covered the launch of Opera 10, whose headline feature, Opera Turbo, compressed web pages so they loaded up to eight times faster on slow connections. Opera 10 is long retired, but Opera is still a free browser with several editions. Here’s which Opera to download in 2026 and what happened to Turbo.

Quick answer: Download Opera only from the official site, opera.com, or your phone’s app store. On computers, Opera One is the main browser, Opera GX is the gaming edition and Opera Air focuses on calm, mindful browsing. On phones, Opera and the lightweight Opera Mini are available. All are free. Opera Turbo’s data compression lives on mainly in Opera Mini’s data-saving mode.

Which Opera browser should you download?

How to download and install Opera

1. Go to opera.com and choose the edition you want.
2. Run the installer. During setup you can import bookmarks and passwords from Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
3. Decide whether to make Opera your default browser.
4. On phones, install from Google Play or the App Store only.

Avoid third-party download sites that bundle extra software. Opera is built on Chromium, so most Chrome extensions also work; see how to install Chrome extensions.

What happened to Opera Turbo?

Opera Turbo routed pages through Opera’s servers, compressing images and text to speed up dial-up and early 3G connections. As broadband spread and most sites switched to HTTPS (which can’t be compressed this way), Opera removed Turbo from the desktop browser. Data saving survives in Opera Mini, which is still popular in countries where mobile data is slow or costly.

Opera 10 in 2009: what was new

Opera 10 introduced Turbo, a redesigned interface, and resizable tab bars that showed thumbnail previews of open tabs. It was available in over 40 languages on Windows, Mac and Linux. Opera later switched from its own Presto engine to Chromium in 2013.

Here is Opera’s 2009 video showing the new features of Opera 10:

Is Opera a good choice in 2026?

• Pros: free built-in VPN (browser-only), ad blocker, sidebar messengers, AI assistant and good extension support.
• Cons: owned by a company that also runs other consumer apps, so read the privacy settings; Chrome, Edge and Firefox remain more widely used.

Comparing browsers? See how to make Google the default search engine in Edge or speed up Firefox.

FAQ

Is Opera browser free?

Yes. All Opera browsers are free to download and use.

Does Opera still have Turbo mode?

Not on desktop. Opera Mini on Android still offers data saving.

Is Opera’s VPN a real VPN?

It’s a free browser proxy that protects traffic inside Opera only, not your whole device.