Safe Exam Browser vs ArtisBrowser
The Safe Exam Browser and the ArtisBrowser are the only two web browsers that educators and online tutors seem to be interested in, and while they do have a lot of things in common, they are also very different.
Concept
Both the Safe Exam Browser and the ArtisBrowser have been designed with students in mind and share commonality in how they differ from all other web browsers. While other web browsers are designed to enhance a user’s ability to save, copy and download web content, both the Safe Exam Browser and the ArtisBrowser have been especially designed to prevent copy.
Scope
Here the Safe Exam Browser differs from ArtisBrowser in that it is designed purely for online exam scenarios ensuring that users cannot view any content not related to the exam questions at hand. Consequently it cannot be used for study and research. Typically a user might find that the Safe Exam Browser opens in kiosk mode (fullscreen) without the usual browser navigation elements.
Operation of the Safe Exam Browser is integrated with a predefined choice of web-based examination systems.
In contrast the ArtisBrowser is designed for research and learning. Consequently it can be used to search and view all web content just like a normal web browser. Similarly, ArtisBrowser is designed to integrate with server solution to deliver encrypted content thus creating a secure tunnel between the website and the user’s desktop. When encountering such “protected content” it switches to Protect Mode in which nothing can be copied or exploited in any way.
Copy Protection
Both the Safe Exam Browser and the ArtisBrowser can be locked into fullscreen mode without navigation elements. However the extent of copy prevention differs between the two. The Safe Exam Browser prevents copy mainly by disabling keystrokes and navigation elements that can be used for save, copy, download, etc., and this approach is very effective due to the limited options at hand.
But with the ArtisBrowser, the user can have multiple tabs open, some of which may be viewing public facing web pages while other tabs are locked down in Protect Mode. While displaying tabs that are in Protect Mode the user cannot save, download or copy page content including text, images, PDF and video in any way, even by using PrintScreen or thrird party screen capture and recording software.
Access Rights
For the Safe Exam Browser to access exam questions a key or local LAN connection is required. To manage access rights in the ArtisBrowser a unique identifier is used to validate page requests for protected content, enabling online tutors to provide permanent access to select individuals for the duration of a course.
Platform Support
While the Safe Exam Browser is available for use on Windows, MacOS and iOS (iPhone and iPad) it is not available for Android phones. However ArtisBrowser is available for all of those platforms plus Android phones.
Limitations
The Safe Exam Browser cannot be used outside of exams. The ArtisBrowser can seem to be like a normal web browser with public content, but it won’t include all the bells and whistles provided by other modern browsers.
Summation
The Safe Exam Browser is perfect for online exams while the ArtisBrowser is perfect for subscription based courses and proprietary data.
But as a privacy browser, one can be assured that the ArtisBrowser does not report to any third party tracking services.
References
For more information about the Safe Exam Browser, see their website at safeexambrowser.org
For more information about the ArtisBrowser, see artisbrowser.com
Author: William Kent
Date: 22nd March 2025
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