Browsers - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews

Browsers

If you're looking for browsers or browser extensions, CNET Download.com has you covered. We feature all the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and more, as well as Firefox extensions, Internet Explorer add-ons, even RSS readers. If you want to surf the Web, CNET Download.com is the place to start. See all 3,032 products in this category.

for the week of: October 05Downloads

1.
Avant Browser
Web Browsers127,640
2.
Adobe Reader
Plug-ins114,425
3.
Mozilla Firefox
Web Browsers93,323
4.
IE7Pro
Tools and Utilities60,660
Memeo Share

Share photos and videos directly to the desktop.

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PerfectDisk

Defragment disks, free up space, optimize system performance

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5.
Flash Player
Plug-ins51,885
6.
Yahoo Toolbar with Anti Spyware
Online Protection27,176
7.
Maxthon
Web Browsers24,145
VirtualLab Data Rec

Recover data.

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Memeo AutoBackup

Start backing up your files in less than 60 seconds.

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8.
Internet Explorer
Web Browsers20,597
9.
Flash Player
Plug-ins17,454
10.
Yahoo Toolbar
Tools and Utilities17,360

See all most popular software

Adobe Acrobat Prof9

Compile different file types into one for easier sharing.

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TrendMicro AV+AntiSpy

Detect and remove adware and spyware from your computer.

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Release date

GoogleMapSuperGet Oct 10
Download Managers
Pheedstorm Oct 10
RSS Readers
Surf It Oct 09
Web Browsers
US-Browser Oct 09
Web Browsers
EU-Browser Oct 09
Web Browsers
UN Web Site Browser Oct 09
Web Browsers
FWG-Promo-Browser Oct 09
Web Browsers
FWG-Voting-Browser Oct 09
Web Browsers
WOT for Firefox Oct 09
Firefox Extensions
FWG-Browser Oct 09
Web Browsers

See all new releases

1.
Adobe Reader
Read Adobe PDF files on your desktop or on the Web.
2.
Mozilla Firefox
Surf the Web, block pop-ups, and keep spyware at bay with this lean and fast open-source browser.
3.
Opera
Browse with a multiple-document interface, mouse gestures, keyboard shortcuts, zooming functions, and integrated search.
4.
Maxthon (Classic)
Surf the Net with pop-up filtering, tabbed navigation, and automatic page-scrolling.
5.
Shockwave Player
Experience rich multimedia Web content with this browser plug-in.
6.
SlimBrowser
Browse multiple Web sites in one window with a pop-up killer, an ad blocker, and a quick-search feature.
7.
Google Toolbar for IE
Add a Google search box to Internet Explorer, a pop-up blocker, a one-click form filler, and a spelling checker.
8.
Yahoo Toolbar with Anti Spyware
Search the Web from anywhere, block pop-ups or spyware, and get one-click access to your mail.
9.
Xnews
Try this NewsXpress-like newsreader.
10.
Teleport Pro
Download entire Web sites for offline browsing.

See all editor's picks

from the download blog

ChunkIt for search clarity

Posted by Seth Rosenblatt on Oct 10, 2008

For some people, Web searches are second nature. If you'd like a hand to speed up getting to exactly what you want, ChunkIt might have the search solution you need.

an introduction to Browsers

Browsers, often called Web browsers, are software clients that allow users to navigate to sites on the World Wide Web. The majority of these Web sites use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), but many browsers can also interpret other protocols, including FTP, RSS, and P2P protocols such as BitTorrent. Hypertext pioneer Tim Berners-Lee created the first ever Web browser, WorldWideWeb, in 1990, but the software didn't become popular until the release of NCSA Mosaic, the first graphical client.

Browsers truly hit the mainstream with the launch of Netscape Navigator, which was later shortened to simply Netscape, though the free client's popularity was radically affected by the 1995 release of Internet Explorer, Microsoft's entry into the browser market. In the years since, IE has completely dominated the market, only recently losing ground to alternative browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Opera.

Aside from general Web browsers, various subsets of the category offer special services. Offline browsers cache content from the Internet for future reference when you're not connected to a network. Newsreaders manage content from Usenet newsgroups and syndicated feeds.

In recent years, the open-source browser Mozilla Firefox has earned praise for the ability of third-party developers to easily create extensions that add functionality. Among the thousands of home-brewed add-ons for Firefox, we've narrowed down our favorites in a collection of the best. The Microsoft browser also allows for IE add-ons, but its closed framework makes it a bit more difficult for developers.