Opera's latest web browser for desktop incorporates ad-blocking features directly into the browser, promising faster page-loading times.
Once enabled, the integrated ad-blocking feature speeds up webpage load times by as much as 90%, compared to browsing with the option disabled, according to Opera.
The integrated ad-blocking technology also gives on average a 40% faster browsing experience compared to third-party ad-blocking extensions, the software company says. The improved performance is possible since the filtering happens at the web-engine level, where the browser can fully control the loading process of the webpage.
"Advertising fuels the internet, allowing for many services to be free for users. But, as our new research shows, most webpages today are significantly slowed down by bloated ads and heavy tracking. We don't accept it - we want the web to be a better place for us all, as users," says Krystian Kolondra, SVP of Engineering and Head of Opera for computers.
The ad-blocking feature is integrated with the browser, so no additional download of extensions or plug-ins is necessary. While browsing, users can choose to enable ad-blocking by selecting the dialog option.
In addition to the on-off button, the ad-blocking feature comes with a benchmark, so users, web developers and publishers can see how much ads and tracking software affect page-loading times. Users can also monitor their browsing by the day, week and total number of blocked ads.
Opera ranks a distant fifth behind more mainstream desktop computers browsers from Microsoft, Google, Firefox and Apple. The company counts 60 million active monthly desktop users worldwide.