Vivaldi

ApplicationVivaldi Technologies

Also called vivaldi browser

Vivaldi TechnologiesBrowsers

A highly configurable Chromium browser from Vivaldi Technologies. On Windows the process is vivaldi.exe.

What you need to know

Vivaldi is vivaldi.exe. It is not Opera even though the founder came from Opera.

Vivaldi Technologies ships a Chromium browser aimed at people who want tab stacking, notes, and dense settings. Extra vivaldi.exe rows are tabs and helpers. Opera is a different vendor and a different exe.

What is it?: A configurable Chromium browser
Is it Opera?: No. Same founder history, different company
Many processes?: Yes. Chromium isolation

Feex says

If you installed Vivaldi because you missed old Opera power-user tools, I would look for vivaldi.exe, not opera.exe. The founder history does not make this Opera.

What is Vivaldi?

Vivaldi is a Chromium-based desktop browser from Vivaldi Technologies. The Windows executable is vivaldi.exe. Profiles live under AppData\Local\Vivaldi.

If you have never used it

If you want a Chromium browser you can rearrange, this is Vivaldi, not Opera. Download it from vivaldi.com/download. Jon von Tetzchner came from Opera, but Vivaldi is a different company and a different exe. You get tab stacks, a notes panel, and a long settings page. Extra vivaldi.exe rows are Chromium helpers.

What is it used for?

Web browsing with tab stacks

Tabs you can stack and tile. That layout is a Vivaldi feature Chrome does not ship the same way.

Notes, mail, and calendar panels

Optional built-in tools. You can ignore them and still browse.

Deep settings

Mouse gestures, UI density, and command chains. This is why people call it configurable.

Who is it for?

People who want Chromium with more UI controls than Chrome
Users who already sync a Vivaldi account
Anyone who assumed it was Opera because of the founder story

Current status

Actively developed on a Chromium cadence. This article is the Windows desktop browser, not Vivaldi on Android.

How old is it?

Vivaldi 1.0 shipped in 2016 after Opera moved to Chromium. It is newer than Opera and Chrome, and it is not a 2024 AI browser. Snapshot and stable channels still update frequently.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Stable

Snapshot

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
RAM	4 GB class machines run it. Tab stacks want more RAM
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per Vivaldi

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows the heaviest tab or tiled view
RAM demand: Chromium tabs plus Vivaldi panels
GPU demand: When acceleration is on

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
vivaldi.exe	Browser, tabs, GPU, and utilities

Startup components

Vivaldi can restore the last session and keep background apps. That is a Vivaldi setting.

File locations

Common Vivaldi locations
Typical install	C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Vivaldi\Application\
User data	C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Vivaldi\User Data\

File formats

HTMLPDFPNGJPEG

Common problems

Settings maze after an update

Vivaldi moves a lot of UI into settings. Search in Settings before you call the browser broken.

People hunt for opera.exe

This product is vivaldi.exe. Uninstalling Opera does not remove Vivaldi.

Getting unstuck

Use Vivaldi Task Manager

Shift+Esc inside Vivaldi names the heavy tab or panel. Windows Task Manager only shows vivaldi.exe.

Reset UI from Vivaldi settings, not a Registry cleaner

Appearance and tabs live in Vivaldi settings. A "browser optimizer" is the wrong tool.

Install from vivaldi.com/download

A "Vivaldi pro pack" from a download mill is junk.

Alternatives

Opera if you want that sidebar vendor. Chrome and Firefox if you want a simpler UI. Pick them for sync, not because Vivaldi looked busy.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	vivaldi.com/download/ Official Windows installer
Help	help.vivaldi.com/ Tabs, sync, and settings
Community	forum.vivaldi.net/ Vivaldi-hosted forum
Blog	vivaldi.com/blog/ Release notes

Related hardware

RAM first. Tiled tabs multiply the Chromium cost. A current GPU driver helps video.

Technical details

Snapshot and stable numbers move with Chromium. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Vivaldi download · Official Windows installer
Vivaldi Help · Settings, tabs, and sync help
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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