Brave: when to install it, and when not to
Brave is a Chromium browser that blocks trackers and third-party ads by default, so pages load faster and far less of your behaviour leaves the machine.…
The short version
Brave: Chrome's speed with the ads and trackers already stripped out. The strongest built-in blocker you can get without installing anything. Its optional crypto features are easy to ignore, and you should ignore them.
| Licence / price | Free · Open source |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Category | Browsers — 4 programs |
| Official download | https://brave.com/download/ ↗ |
What it is for
Brave is a Chromium browser that blocks trackers and third-party ads by default, so pages load faster and far less of your behaviour leaves the machine. It also has built-in fingerprint resistance and an optional private window routed through Tor, which is genuinely useful when you want a session that does not tie back to you.
When to pick something else
Underneath it is still Chromium, so it shares Chrome's extension world and its resource appetite. The built-in crypto wallet and rewards prompts annoy people who just wanted a quiet browser, and some of Brave's past auto-redirect experiments damaged trust. If you live inside Google's ecosystem, Chrome syncs more smoothly.
How it compares in Browsers
These are the alternatives we would consider for the same job. The notes are the same ones used on the main list, so there is no separate ranking hiding on this page.
| Program | Licence / price | Platforms | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefox Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | The safest default for most people. It runs its own engine instead of Chromium, blocks trackers out of the box, and carries extensions the Chromium side is busy removing. Slightly rougher on a handful of Google properties. |
| Vivaldi Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Closed source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | For people who want everything at once: tab stacks, side panels, split view, built-in mail and calendar. No telemetry, no ad business. The trade-off is a busy interface you have to set up before it feels good. |
| Google Chrome Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Closed source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Install it only when a work tool refuses to run anywhere else. It is the most compatible and the most invasive: it reports to Google by default and is the engine everyone else is forced to follow. |
Practical notes
- Turn the shields up to aggressive only on the handful of sites that misbehave; max everywhere breaks legit scripts.
- Use the Tor private window for sensitive lookups, not for accounts you log into.
- Disable the crypto/rewards cards in settings if you never use them, they just add noise.
Questions people ask
Is Brave open source?
The browser is open source; the revenue and rewards parts are a separate, more controversial layer you can ignore.
Will my Chrome extensions work?
Yes, it uses the same extension store, though a few Google-only features are absent.
Does it replace a VPN?
No. Tor windows hide your traffic from the site, not from your ISP or a determined observer; use a real VPN for that.
Where it appears in our guides
See the full Browsers explainer for the other 3 programs in this category.
How to read this page. How to read this page. Platform, licence and publisher details come from our directory data. Where an independent review, audit or survey is mentioned, it is summarised in our own words with the source named and linked; our /sources page sets out that policy. The recommendation, the trade-offs and every 'skip it if' line are our editorial judgement. We do not run benchmarks, publish measured performance figures or host installers, and every download link goes to the publisher's own site. If a detail is out of date, our About page explains how to tell us.