Even though Firefox is the default browser in most Linux distro, that doesn’t mean you have to confine yourselves to Firefox. While I love Firefox for its user friendliness and its marvelous library of extensions, there are times where I hate it when it becomes a memory hogs and causes my computer to crash.

Luckily, in Linux, there are plenty of great alternative browsers that you can use. So, check out 12 alternative browsers for Linux.
1) Flock



Flock is also known as the Web 2.0 browser. It is based on the Gecko engine (the same engine used by Firefox) and it is geared toward many of the Web 2.0 stuff. You can easily connect to your friend in Facebook, MySpace, Digg. watch Youtube video, browser Flickr photos, write a blog post or save a public bookmark and many more Web services. It may not be the fastest, but it is surely the most complete in Web 2.0 sense.
2) SwiftFox



If you haven’t have the courage to ditch Firefox, but wish for it to run faster, then Swiftfox could be a good alternative. Swiftfox is an optimized build of Mozilla Firefox and is fully compatible with the Firefox profile and extensions. There are builds for both AMD and Intel processors and is based on the most cutting edge Firefox source code available.
3) Swiftweasel



Another optimized build of Firefox. The difference between Swiftweasel and Swiftfox is that Swiftweasel is open source while Swiftfox has a proprietary software license. Same as Swiftfox, Swiftweasel loads faster than Firefox and uses far less memory. The default installation of Swiftweasel also comes with the AdBlockPlus extension to block all the javascript and ads.
4) SeaMonkey



The SeaMonkey browser is part of the SeaMonkey Internet Suite, which comes with a browser, email and newsgroup client, IRC chat client, and Web development tool.

SeaMonkey has a well-designed menu layout, enabling you to access to various options in the menu bar quickly and easily. If you are looking for an all-in-one email and browser package, then SeaMonkey will be a good choice.
5) Konqueror



Konqueror is the default browser in KDE system. It is more than a simple browser. It is also a file manager and an universal document viewer.

One good thing about Konqueror is that it is fully integrated into KDE 4 and is able to manage the memory usage and allocation better. It is lightweight and loads much faster than non-native browser. The ability to double as a file manager and document viewer is also useful at times when you need to access the documents in the local system.
6) Midori



Midori is a lightweight web browser that is fully integrated with GTK+ 2. Midori uses the WebKit engine (the same as Safari and Chrome) and it is fast in rendering web pages. Midori uses the Open Search API and allow you to specify and define your own search engine easily. It is still in the early development stage and is currently under heavy development.
7) Epiphany



Also known as the Web browser for GNOME desktop, the goal of Epiphany is to be simple and easy to use. Epiphany is based on the Gecko engine and supports tabs and extensions. It may not be the best among all the browsers, but when it comes to simplicity and ease of use, Epiphany definitely lives up to its name.
 Kazehakase



Kazehakase is a Gecko based browser that comes with plenty of surprises. On the surface, it looks like a stripped down version of Firefox, but further exploration reveals plenty of useful features that are only available via extensions in Firefox. It include a mouse gesture function and key accelerator to allow you to perform tasks faster. You can also customize the size, width and color of the tab and there are options to manage your current session. Kazehakase is definitely a great browser that is worth checking out.
9) Opera



Opera is another popular browser used by many people. Some of its innovative design such as the Speed dial, mouse gesture, panel splitting have been implemented in other browsers such as Firefox, Chrome and IE.
10) Arora



Arora looks like a super slimed down version of Firefox, but it is in fact based on the Webkit engine. It is a lightweight and minimalistic browser that is most suited for normal Web surfing. It does come with a private browsing mode that are not even available in the current version of Firefox (private browsing is available in Firefox 3.5beta)
11) Amaya



Amaya is more than a browser. It is also a Web editor that allows you to create and update documents directly on the Web. You can browse the Web and use the editor to change the color of the text, images layout or any other things that you see in the screen. A great tool for Web developers/designers.
12) Lynx



Lynx is the text web browser, which means that it is text based and you won’t see any images, javascript, advertisement or popup in the page. It is very useful for those who value speed over looks and just want to read the text rather seeing plenty of image advertisements.

This is a great list of alternative browsers for Linux. Do share with us which one is your favorite.