Opera Launches Built-in Ad-blocking for Enhanced User Experience and Speed

Web users can now enjoy an ad-free browsing experience, thanks to Opera’s decision to introduce an inbuilt ad-blocking feature in its browser. By removing ads, the software company aims to dramatically increase page loading speeds, creating a more seamless internet browsing experience.

Opera has boldly claimed that its new approach to loading web pages will outpace top competitors in speed, with web pages predicted to load 90 percent faster than Internet Explorer and 45 percent faster than Google Chrome.

So how did these impressive figures come about? In a recent post, Krystian Kolondra, Senior Vice President of Global Engineering at Opera, offered some clarity. “These results are from internal tests conducted on 66 content-rich websites, utilizing a machine equipped with an AMD Phenom II X6 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and running on Windows 10 64-bit. Comparable tests on various systems have yielded very similar results, with only slight variations in the average loading time of particular pages,” he explained.

During the testing phase, the team used WebDriver to automate browser actions and load each site 15 times. The recorded time, which represents the median loading period, spanned between the navigationStart and loadEventEnd events.

The implementation of the ad-blocking feature, however, may be a double-edged sword due to potential backlash from publishers who rely on ad revenue. Opera’s web browser currently lags behind competitors Chrome, Explorer, Firefox, and Safari in market share.

Even though the development could be a major win for Opera in terms of offering unparalleled user experience, ad-dependent websites may push back. Websites such as The New York Times have started to request that users with ad-blocking software opt for a subscription instead, meaning browsers that seamlessly enable ad-blocking could face challenges.

Conversely, site owners could also see this as an opportunity to switch their revenue models, bypassing the need for ads entirely. This shift could potentially benefit Opera, as web users seek platforms that secure a no-ads commitment.

According to a CNBC report, ad-blocking software has already cost digital publishers an estimated $22 billion in 2015 alone, with approximately 198 million global users adopting the software. The profitability of Opera’s decision remains to be seen, but the push towards ad-free browsing is clearly gaining momentum.

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.