Chromium

Chromium is the open-source web browser that Google Chrome is based on.

Chromium is a web browser project that’s open-source, which means its free to download, use and even customize. In fact, there are numerous web browsers available based on Chromium. The most high-profile of these is Chrome, which is the Google-branded version of Chromium.

The purpose of this app is to keep Chromium up-to-date. If you use Chrome, for instance, you may not have to worry about this. By default, Chrome will detect that there’s a new version available and either download it automatically or ask for permission depending on how it’s configured.

If you don’t have a web browser or other program that handles automatic Chromium updates or gives you the option to do it manually, then this program will do the trick. It has a settings button, which provides access to a few configuration options most users won’t have to worry about, and an update button. The program is silent, lightweight and multithreaded, so when you press Update, it does its thing in the background with very little fanfare.

There are no downsides to Chromium and the Chromium updater per se. It’s a fantastic web browser and platform, but it’s worth mentioning that the average user should probably just use Chrome. Chrome is the branded version of Chromium. It’s still free to use and highly customizable and comes with all the bells, whistles and support you get when Google is behind something. For the user who wants something different, be mindful that there are many other Chromium derivatives to choose from as well.

Pros

• Powerful, streamlined web browser
• Updates with just the click of a button

Cons

• Most users should just use Chrome