Comodo Dragon is a free web browser for Windows built on Chromium, the open-source project behind Google Chrome. It keeps the Chromium interface, tab handling and extension support, and adds its own layer of checks aimed at certificates, dangerous domains and isolated browsing. Comodo Dragon also ships with a streaming media downloader and a share button that sends pages to social networks without using a site’s embedded widgets.
Certificate grades in the address bar
Most browsers show a padlock for any HTTPS site, whatever kind of certificate it uses. Comodo Dragon separates certificates by how thoroughly the owner was checked. A Domain Validated certificate only proves control of the domain, so Dragon colors the “HTTPS” text yellow to signal that the organization behind the site is unverified. An Organization Validated certificate turns the padlock and HTTPS text green. An Extended Validation certificate turns the whole address bar green.
CertSentry handles revocation checking. It looks up a certificate’s revocation status in real time when you open a site. It also serves other Windows programs that use Microsoft’s CryptoAPI. By default, a failed lookup does not stop the connection. A registry value enables a stricter hard-fail mode. This mode blocks the connection when a certificate authority’s responder is unreachable.
Forcing secure connections
Some sites hold a valid certificate but still serve certain pages over plain HTTP. After loading the HTTPS version of such a site, you can click the padlock on the right of the address bar. This tells Comodo Dragon to use HTTPS for that domain on every later visit, optionally including its subdomains. The Options link keeps separate Enforce and Ignore lists where you can remove entries. The feature only works for sites that actually support HTTPS. Separately, Dragon blocks insecure items on secure pages by default and marks such pages “Not secure” when mixed content appears.
Domain filtering and site reputation
Comodo Secure DNS replaces the internet provider’s DNS servers with Comodo’s, which refuse to resolve known malicious, phishing and parked domains. You can apply the setting to all applications on the computer or to Dragon alone, or leave it off. The malware domain filtering checkbox lets you turn it on later.
The Comodo Online Security extension works at the page level. It is on by default and blocks sites on Comodo’s blacklist. Its toolbar icon offers a protection switch, a button to report the current page for assessment, an exclusion list and a history of blocked sites.
Virtual mode and incognito windows
Virtual mode runs Comodo Dragon inside a container separated from the rest of the system, so anything a web page drops stays inside it. Comodo Internet Security provides the container and must be installed. Without it, choosing Switch to virtual mode opens a new tab saying the feature is unavailable. Files meant to survive the session must be saved to the Shared Space folder, because nothing else leaves the container.
Incognito mode is the familiar Chromium private window: history, searches and cookies are not stored, while downloaded files remain. You can set Dragon to always start in incognito.
Saving streaming video with Media Downloader
Media Downloader is a built-in extension for saving video from streaming sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion and Twitch. Its toolbar button becomes active once a video is playing or paused, and its menu lists the files the page offers. Depending on the site, these come as MP4, WebM, FLV, MPEG, M4V, OGG or MP3, in the resolutions the original stream provides. Files go to the browser’s download folder.
The tool downloads one video at a time and does not convert formats. It does not detect embedded videos directly; opening the video’s own URL in the address bar makes the button available. Audio-only extraction is not supported.
The Share Page button
Comodo Dragon has its own share button on the toolbar. You can use it instead of a website’s share widget, which a malicious page could fake to capture a login or post a different link. Dragon’s share button opens a dialog with links for Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Choosing one opens the genuine network site, asking for a login first if needed, and posts the current page. The Options screen lets you edit, add or delete networks by entering a name and the service’s share URL. Reset restores the defaults.
Chromium features carried over
Because it is based on Chromium, Comodo Dragon behaves much like Chrome in daily use.
- Extensions and themes install from the Chrome Web Store, with options to hide toolbar icons or allow an extension in incognito.
- Import brings in bookmarks, saved passwords and other data from Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Internet Explorer, or bookmarks from an HTML file.
- Sync uploads bookmarks, extensions, settings and optionally passwords after sign-in and applies them on other devices.
- Profiles give several people separate bookmarks, extensions and settings on one computer, with a guest mode that leaves no history.
- Password manager saves logins per site and exports the list to CSV.
Site permissions, cookie rules and clearing browsing data also work as in Chromium.
