A secure browser that protects your privacy is a critical tool for staying safe online and keeping your data secure from third parties. In this guide we are going to be analyzing the most secure browsers that also respect your privacy online.
WARNING: Many browsers today are actually data collection tools for advertising companies. This is the case for Google Chrome, the largest and most popular browser. By collecting data through your browser, these companies can make more money through their advertising partners and specifically targeted ads. We see this same invasive and privacy-abusing business model with many search engines and email services.
Unless properly configured, most browsers contain lots private information that can be exploited – or simply collected – by various third parties:
- Browsing history: all the websites you visit
- Login credentials: usernames and passwords
- Cookies and trackers: these are placed on your browser by the sites you visit
- Autofill information: names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.
And as we will explain further below, using the “private” or “incognito” browsing will not protect you. Your IP address will remain exposed and various third parties can still track all of your activities. But you don’t even need to take my word for it. Here is a recent headline about Google spying on “Incognito” browsing:
And even with a locked-down and hardened browser, there may still be exploits that reveal your data and potential identity. For example, Google Chrome announced a severe zero-day flaw that could allow hackers to remotely execute code on affected systems. We discuss a some other privacy issues (and solutions) in our guides on browser fingerprinting and WebRTC leaks.
But don’t let this stress you out. There are effective solutions and tools that we will cover in detail below. In this browser security and privacy guide, we’re going to explain the following topics:
- Best secure browsers that respect your privacy
- Problems with other browsers
- Browser privacy compartmentalization
- Secure browser add-ons
- “Private browsing” mode is NOT very private (and why you need a VPN)
NOTE: When using “private” or “incognito” mode in your browser, your real IP address and location are still being revealed to every website, ad, and tracker that loads in your browser. The best way to achieve true privacy while hiding your real IP address and location is to also use a VPN service in conjunction with a good browser. Here are our top two recommendations from the best VPN list (with discounts):
- NordVPN: A fast, secure, audited VPN with advanced privacy features and a strict no-logs policy, based in Panama [68% discount coupon]
- Surfshark VPN: A no-logs VPN service with a large lineup of privacy and security features, based in the British Virgin Islands [81% discount coupon]
Now let’s examine the most secure browsers that you can combine with a VPN for maximum privacy.
Secure browsers that protect your privacy
In this section we will examine the best browsers based on two main factors:
- Security: How well does the browser protect you from hackers, vulnerabilities, and online exploits?
- Privacy: How much data is the browser itself collecting about you and who is this data being shared with? How does the browser protect your privacy?
Conflicting opinions! Just like with Tor, opinions about browser privacy and security can be wildly divergent and contentious.
This guide is not meant to sell everyone on one browser that beats all others. Rather, it is just a summary of information about different web browsers that do well with both privacy and security. Choose the best browser for you based on your own unique needs and threat model.
So here are the most secure and private browsers:
1. Firefox (modified and tweaked for privacy)
Firefox is a great all-around browser for privacy and security. It offers strong privacy protection features, many customization options, excellent security, and regular updates with an active development team. The newest version of Firefox is fast and light-weight with many privacy customization options.
Out of the box, Firefox is not the best for privacy, but it can be customized and hardened, and we show you exactly how in our Firefox privacy modifications guide. Be sure to disable telemetry in Firefox, which is a feature that will collect “technical and interaction data” and also “install and run studies” within your browser.
Within the Privacy & Security settings area, there are many useful customization options for different levels of privacy: Standard, Strict, or Custom.
Another great benefit with Firefox is the ability to use numerous browser extensions that can enhance your privacy and security. We’ll go over some of these extensions further below.
Firefox highlights:
- Open source code that has been independently audited
- Active development with frequent updates
- Excellent privacy features and customization options
- Many browser extensions supported
- Telemetry and tracking needs to be manually disabled
- Other modifications necessary for more privacy and security
If you want to keep using older add-ons that are no longer supported by the latest Firefox release, you can go with the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR). If you want a privacy-focused version of Firefox for Android, you could try Firefox focus.
For additional customization and privacy settings, check out our Firefox privacy guide.
https://www.mozilla.org/firefox
2. Brave browser
Brave is one of the best secure browsers with simple, out-of-the-box privacy. It is a Chromium-based browser that is fast, secure, and privacy-focused by default. It has a built-in ad blocker and browser fingerprinting protection. The main developer behind Brave is Brandon Eich, who formerly worked for Mozilla.
To summarize this browser, Brave is based on open-source Chromium, but configured for more privacy. It does well with its default privacy settings and extra features. Here is a brief overview:
- Blocks ads and trackers by default
- Protects against browser fingerprinting
- Built-in script blocker
- Automatically upgrades to HTTPS (HTTPS Everywhere)
Brave ads – Despite offering “ad blocking” in the browser, Brave officially launched its own ad program in April 2019. The ads will be vetted by Brave and there’s a revenue-sharing model for participants to get a percentage of the ad revenue. While there have been critics of these ads, it also helps to secure revenue for the project to continue active development and improvements.
One of the reasons we like Brave is because it offers simple, out-of-the-box privacy by default. This makes it ideal for those who do not have the time, patience, or know-how for browser customizations and tinkering with extensions. It can also be used with Chrome extensions, making it an ideal alternative for Chrome. Just download it and you’re good to go.
You can read more about Brave’s privacy and security features here.
https://brave.com
3. Tor browser
Next up we have the Tor browser. The Tor browser is a hardened version of Firefox that is configured to run on the Tor network. By default, the Tor Browser is a secure browser that protects you against browser fingerprinting, but it also has some disadvantages.
Because it uses the Tor network, which routes traffic over three different hops, download speeds with the Tor browser can be quite slow. The default version may also break some sites due to script blocking. Finally, there are also drawbacks with the Tor network itself, including malicious exit nodes, high latency, dependence on US government financing, and some consider it to be fundamentally compromised. There are also many websites that block IP addresses originating from the Tor network. (See the pros and cons of Tor here.)
Another option is to use the Tor browser with the Tor network disabled. In this sense, the Tor browser will work like the other browsers we’ve covered above. Additionally, you can simply run a VPN in the background. Like the Tor network, a VPN will also encrypt your traffic and hide your IP, but it will be much faster.
Be careful when adjusting the settings for the Tor browser, however, as this may compromise the browser’s built-in privacy and security features.
https://www.torproject.org/
4. Ungoogled Chromium browser
Ungoogled Chromium is an open source project to provide a Chromium browser, without the Google privacy issues:
ungoogled-chromium is Google Chromium, sans dependency on Google web services. It also features some tweaks to enhance privacy, control, and transparency (almost all of which require manual activation or enabling).
ungoogled-chromium retains the default Chromium experience as closely as possible. Unlike other Chromium forks that have their own visions of a web browser, ungoogled-chromium is essentially a drop-in replacement for Chromium.
Ungoogled Chromium receives regular Chromium security updates.
https://github.com/Eloston/ungoogled-chromium
5. Bromite (Android only)
Bromite is a Chromium-based browser for Android only (no desktop support). It comes with some great features by default, including ad blocking and various privacy enhancements. Here are some highlights of this browser from the official Bromite website:
- The main goal is to provide a no-clutter browsing experience without privacy-invasive features and with the addition of a fast ad-blocking engine.
- Minimal UI changes are applied to help curbing the idea of “browser as an advertisement platform”.
- All patches are published under GNU/GPL v3 to enable other open source projects’ usage.
- Bromite is only available for Android Lollipop (v5.0, API level 21) and above.
Another cool feature I like with Bromite is that you can use custom ad block filters — learn more here. Bromite is under active development and remains a great browser for Android users.
https://www.bromite.org/
Issues with other browsers
While some browsers claim to be secure against vulnerabilities, they might not be the best choice from a privacy perspective.
1. Google Chrome
Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser. Unfortunately, it’s a data collection tool as well and not a good choice for anyone looking for privacy.
You can safely assume that everything you do through Google Chrome is collected, saved to your data profile, and used for targeted advertising.
2. Microsoft Internet Explorer/Edge
Edge is a Microsoft product.
Just like with Windows, it’s a good idea to avoid Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer, and their newer browser called Edge. Internet Explorer and Edge are also closed-source, so there’s no telling what’s going on behind the scenes, and they’re also not the best for privacy reasons.
3. Opera browser
Opera started off as a decent browser, developed in Norway. However, in 2016 it was sold to a Chinese consortium for $600 million – and a lot has changed. Opera’s privacy policy explains how your data is being collected and shared when you use Opera products. Here’s what I found:
Opera also claims to offer a free VPN through the browser. However, as we covered in the Opera VPN review, it’s not really a VPN and does not offer full system-wide encryption. Additionally, your data is being collected when you use Opera browser and its “free VPN” feature.
4. Epic browser
Epic is a browser based on Chromium, created by “Hidden Reflex” which is based in India. Since 2014, Epic has been claiming they would open source the code, but it remains closed source today. What’s going on behind the scenes? How do they manage Chromium and remove invasive code? Who knows.
Just like with Opera VPN, Epic falsely claims to offer a “free VPN” through the browser, but this is not really true. The browser is merely routing traffic through a US proxy server. As we learned with Opera (and with many other “free proxy” services), proxies are often used for data collection (and they are often not secure). When reading the Epic privacy policy, we find that data from “video download and proxy services” is being collected.
One person who analyzed Epic found it to be connecting to Google on startup. This suggests that Epic is not, in fact, de-googled as it claims.
There are many better Chromium-based browsers to consider.
5. Safari browser
Safari is the default browser for Mac OS and iOS devices. Overall, Safari is not a horrible choice in terms of privacy and tracking protection – but it also cannot be recommended for a few reasons:
- Apple is a partner in the PRISM surveillance program
- Apple was caught “hoarding” Safari browsing history – even after it was deleted
- Apple was found to be collecting Safari history even when used in private mode
On a positive note, however, Apple does somewhat better with privacy than other large companies. The Safari browser blocks third-party cookies by default and also implements cross-site tracking protection.
6. Vivaldi browser
Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser with source-code modifications that can be seen here. It is less popular than other browsers, with less active development than Firefox, for example.
Reading through their Privacy Policy, I did find some concerning information about data collection and the use of unique IDs:
When you install Vivaldi browser (“Vivaldi”), each installation profile is assigned a unique user ID that is stored on your computer. Vivaldi will send a message using HTTPS directly to our servers located in Iceland every 24 hours containing this ID, version, cpu architecture, screen resolution and time since last message. We anonymize the IP address of Vivaldi users by removing the last octet of the IP address from your Vivaldi client then we store the resolved approximate location after using a local geoip lookup. The purpose of this collection is to determine the total number of active users and their geographical distribution.
You can read more about Vivaldi here, although it’s not recommended for privacy reasons.
7. Waterfox
Waterfox is a fork of Firefox that was maintained by just one person for many years. In February 2020, news blew up on reddit that it had sold out to a pay-per-click ad company called System1. The news was also picked up by others, which resulted in Waterfox and System1 formerly announcing the acquisition (but only after the the news broke).
The problem here is the apparent contradiction of an ad company (that relies on data collection) owning a privacy-focused browser. As I previously reported, System1 also acquired a stake in Startpage, the private search engine based in The Netherlands. In researching the company’s background, it appears that System1 is fundamentally in the business of data collection:
“In our business,” Blend adds, “if we can gather as much data as possible, give it off to our engineers and data scientists, and then manage the two effectively, the business can quickly scale.”
So can Waterfox still be trusted now that it’s owned by an ad-tech company that collects lots of data? I’m no longer recommending it.
8. Pale Moon
Pale Moon is another open-source fork of Firefox, which aims for efficiency and customization. In testing out Pale Moon, it does offer different customization options, as well as support for older Firefox add-ons and its own lineup of add-ons. The design feels a bit dated, but it’s also not overly-cluttered and is lightweight and fast.
Pale Moon is currently available on Windows and Linux, with other operating systems in development. Unlike other Firefox forks, Pale Moon runs on its own browser engine, Goanna, which is a fork of Gecko (used by Firefox). This is an older engine that was previously used by Firefox, but has long since been replaced. Many argue that this older codebase is a security vulnerability. And it’s also worth noting that the development team is very small compared to more popular browsers.
9. GNU IceCat
GNU IceCat is a fork of Firefox from the GNU free software project. IceCat is entirely “free software” as defined here and also includes various privacy add-ons and tweaks by default. Here are the privacy-protection features listed from the IceCat page:
- LibreJS
- HTTPS-Everywhere
- SpyBlock
- AboutIceCat
- Fingerprinting countermeasures
Slow updates – The big issue with GNU IceCat is that updates are very slow, and in some cases, years behind. This can expose IceCat users to security vulnerabilities, which is why we are no longer recommending it.
10. Iridium
Like Brave, Iridium is a secure browser that is based on Chromium and configured for more privacy by default. The following excerpt from Iridium’s website provides a good overview of this secure browser:
Iridium Browser is based on the Chromium code base. All modifications enhance the privacy of the user and make sure that the latest and best secure technologies are used. Automatic transmission of partial queries, keywords and metrics to central services is prevented and only occurs with the approval of the user. In addition, all our builds are reproducible and modifications are auditable, setting the project ahead of other secure browser providers.
Unfortunately, like IceCat above, updates to Iridium are few and far between.
Secure and private browsers on mobile devices
Many of the recommended browsers above also offer versions for mobile users on iOS and Android.
With that being said, here some good options:
- Firefox Focus – A privacy-focused version of Firefox for mobile users (iOS and Android).
- Brave – Brave is a great all-around browser for both desktop and mobile operating systems.
- Bromite – This Chromium-based browser is available for Android 4.4 and above.
I also like using standard Firefox on mobile devices with customization and configurations for more privacy.
Browser privacy and compartmentalization
One problem that often comes with browser privacy and security is that people want to remain logged in to various accounts, while also browsing the web. But this is problematic. When you stay logged in to Gmail or Facebook, for example, their trackers can record your activity as you browse the web.
One potential solution to this problem is browser compartmentalization. This is when you use different web browsers for different online activities. For example:
- Browser #1 will only be used for accessing your online accounts that require a password. You can stay logged in with only this browser, and it won’t be used for general browsing.
- Browser #2 will only be used for web browsing, with various privacy configurations and no cookies or history being stored on the browser.
- Browser #3 could be completely locked down for maximum privacy and security.
You can also utilize different browsers, configured exactly the way you want, for various purposes, depending on your needs and threat model. The key is to keep the compartmentalization strict and not break the rules/uses for each browser.
Virtual machines – On the topic of compartmentalization, using virtual machines is also a good idea for both privacy and security. You can easily run Linux VMs through VirtualBox (FOSS) on your host computer.
Password managers – It should also be noted that storing your passwords in the browser may be risky depending on the browser you are using, especially since browsers may store passwords in cleartext. A better alternative would be to utilize a secure password manager. We have reviewed many popular options, including Bitwarden, Dashlane, LastPass, and more.
Browser add-ons for security and privacy
In addition to adjusting the settings within your browser, there are also a number of different add-ons or extensions you can install to improve your browser’s privacy and security.
Here are a few different options, but they may not all be supported by the browser you are using:
- uBlock Origin – This is one of the best browser-based ad blockers available that will also protect you against tracking.
- HTTPS Everywhere – An add-on from the folks at Electronic Frontier Foundation, this will force websites to use a secure HTTPS encrypted connection (when available).
- Cookie Autodelete – This will automatically delete cookies that are no longer needed from your browser.
- NoScript – NoScript allows you to customize exactly which scripts run on the websites you visit. Like uMatrix, this is for advanced users and requires lots of customization.
Warning: Be cautious about using third-party add-ons and browser extensions. Do your research first, since add-ons could function as spyware and data collection tools for third parties. This is especially true with free VPN services or browser proxy add-ons, even if they are highly rated in the Google Play or Apple stores.
“Private browsing” mode is NOT private (why you need a VPN)
Many people falsely assume that using “private” or “incognito” mode in a browser actually provides some privacy. This is a false assumption.
Using “private” browsing mode only stops your browser from storing cookies, history, and passwords. But it doesn’t actually make you any more “private” to the outside world. Even when browsing in “private” or “incognito” mode, you are still exposed:
- Your internet provider can still see every site you visit. (And note that internet providers are now forced to log web browsing activity of their customers and provide this data to authorities on request.)
- Your real IP address and location remains exposed to all sites, ads, and trackers. This makes tracking and identification easy since your device has a unique IP address linked back to your identity through your internet service provider.
To easily solve these problems, we strongly recommend using a good VPN service. Using a VPN is simple. You just need to sign up for a VPN subscription, download the VPN app for your device, then connect to a VPN server and browse the web as normal. This offers many benefits:
- A VPN will securely encrypt your internet traffic, which prevents your ISP from seeing what you do online. (Your ISP will only see encrypted data, but not what you’re actually up to.)
- When you connect to a VPN server, the VPN server’s IP address and location will replace your real IP address and location. This allows you to appear to be anywhere in the world.
- A VPN will also allow you to access geo-restricted content, such as streaming Netflix with a VPN from anywhere in the world.
Below is a brief overview of the two VPNs that have come out on top in testing for the respective VPN review. Click the VPN name to read our full review, or check out the discount coupon:
- NordVPN: A fast, secure, audited VPN with advanced privacy features and a strict no-logs policy, based in Panama [68% discount coupon]
- Surfshark VPN: A no-logs VPN service with a large lineup of privacy and security features, based in the British Virgin Islands [81% discount coupon]
Short on money? There are also some good cheap VPNs that offer excellent features and performance, without breaking the bank.
Conclusion on secure browsers and privacy
A well-configured secure browser is crucial for protecting your data as you browse the web with privacy.
Finding the best secure browser all comes down to identifying the best fit for your unique needs. Since this is a personal decision with subjective criteria, I tend to avoid recommending only one option for all use cases.
In addition to using a secure browser that is configured to protect your privacy, you should also consider using a good ad blocker. Ads function as tracking to collect your browsing data and serve you targeted ads. If you aren’t blocking ads, your activities can be tracked by third-party advertising networks, with any site hosting ads.
In terms of privacy, you may also want to protect yourself against browser or device fingerprinting and WebRTC browser leaks, which can expose your identity even when using a good VPN service.
Other roundup guides on Restore Privacy:
- Secure Email Services
- Private Search Engines
- Password Managers
- Ad Blockers
- Best VPN Services
- Best Cloud Storage
- Best Secure Messaging Services
This guide was last updated on March 23, 2021.
Rather good article with good arguments…
“Why You Should Stop Using Google Chrome”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2021/05/01/stop-using-google-chrome-on-your-iphone-android-macbook-and-pc/
I can not get into the forbes website. It as many others also use a popup saying disable your adblocker.
I do no have an adblocker on my PC. I enabled third party cookies and that did not help. This is frustrating because you can not get to the site webpage to notify them you have no ad blocker enabled or installed.
Do you have an ad or script blocker on your browser? Any extensions that might fall in that category?
Info about Mozilla:
Leanplum tracking is going to be removed and not renewed as a third party tracking.
However, Firefox is still using Google Telemetry.
Firefox 88 is combating window.name privacy abuse.
Some good and some bad in this report.
https://yewtu.be/watch?v=TOHDtgdWGSU
Starts at 35:24
For those of you who might want to try Ungoogled Chromium, I found a website that has some guides. One on how to install and configure the browser:
https://avoidthehack.com/how-to-install-configure-ungoogled-chromium
Another on how to manually install extensions on it:
https://avoidthehack.com/manually-install-extensions-ungoogled-chromium
I have downloaded Ungoogled Chromium before and I was not that impressed with it. The browser has a learning curve, especially in terms of updating it and extensions and it can probably overwhelm the average user. Because Ungoogled Chromium doesn’t auto update is mainly why I do not recommend it.
However, for those of you who want to give it a go, here you are.
I posted these remarks on the Google Alternatives page but I will post it here too since I think this is a necessary point that needs to be made. It is a good idea to get away from Google as much as possible including replacing the operating system of your phones or tablets . But for true browser privacy to be achieved, it has to be done on the server side most of all. Otherwise, like the below article kind of implies, you can only maintain it to a point and (in reality) you’ll end up to protecting your online security.
https://lifehacker.com/which-browser-is-better-for-privacy-1525895782
Weird that Iridium went from being your number two choice to being not recommended at all overnight. Any explanation for this? Your reason seems to be the lack of updates but ungoogled chromium doesn’t update itself at all and is much less user friendly by comparison.
“Any explanation for this?”
Yes, the explanation is given in the article.
Updates for Ungoogled Chromium can be found here.
Perhaps I didn’t phrase my question correctly. I meant what is the explanation for it suddenly dropping from second place on your list to suddenly not recommended at all? Presumably if the updates are few and far between then that has been the case for some time and yet as I said, it was your number two recommendation as recently as a few weeks ago. So perhaps a better way of putting it is: what’s changed that led you to change your mind?
From the article:
“Unfortunately, like IceCat above, updates to Iridium are few and far between..”
If a browser is not regularly updated it can make its users vulnerable where their privacy and security is compromised. Iridium was recently updated but that was the first since December 2020.
I currently use Firefox but will switch to either Brave or Vivaldi, ASAP I hope lol, still not sure which one. I have downloaded and installed Brave, set it up by going through all the settings pages. Brave is an alternative solely cause their privacy-Integrity stand, strong in-built protections etc etc. But I have not yet imported all my Firefox bookmarks. Wish they would provide a “slim”-build without all the crypto stuff, less bloat less code. Not a biggie as it is turned off by default, but still would prefer a build without all of that. And at the moment, there seem to be some kind of uproar among some users who unfortunately! seem to have choosed Brave _only_ because of the BAT they can make by seeing ads on sites they want to support, and now that Brave have tweaked it due to different reasons, some are ready to jump ship and feel that all the other stuff about Brave are not worth staying for.
https://community.brave.com/t/important-reward-reduced-to-0-001-bat/238491
https://community.brave.com/t/token-increasing-by-0-002-or-0-003/238696
And concerning Vivaldi being an alternative, but I am not sure how much of Google that they have cleaned out from the code, and/or how easy it might be to manually turn settings off after install, and how they will tacle possible new upcoming privacy issues from Big Tech. Also some segments in the settings could do with more granular control, like how to handle the cookies for example.
As far as Vivaldi goes. The following gave quite a bit of information regarding this. But since some is written in 2019 it is very possible that some things are inaccurate now and have changed since then.
We don’t track you. Nothing, zero, zilch.
https://vivaldi.com/zerotracking/
Decoding network activity in Vivaldi
https://vivaldi.com/blog/decoding-network-activity-in-vivaldi/
How we count our users
https://vivaldi.com/blog/how-we-count-our-users/
Interesting on the BAT.
Of course, it depends on why you are wanting to use Brave.
I cannot speak for Vivaldi, but on Brave, I have never signed up for BAT or signed up for a wallet.
I am using Brave for the following reasons:
1) They are not Google or Microsoft.
2) They are fast and lightweight.
3) They are fighting for online privacy.
4) They are doing a lot of right things.
5) They can take on Chrome best.
I know many are upset about the BAT, but stop to consider, the other browsers sell your data, pay you nothing and you still see ads.
If you must use a browser and are not as motivated by privacy, whether you earn .0010 or .0001, you are getting something back and a great browser.
I wouldn’t jump ship just because of the BAT.
Yes, J.M., that is a little how I see it too. Just extremely unfortunate that some are ready to leave due to this. Some probably read an article somewhere that _only_ talked about how users can “earn money” simply by surfing the web, and they thought: wow that sounds great, and not single word about everything else in Brave that are far mor important from a user perspective. Then I guess it’s easy for them to see the “reason” they once started using Brave is changing, but hopefully some forum members can tell them more about what Brave advantages are.
One things Brave needs badly is a way to turn off automatic updates, like you can in Firefox and Vivaldi, where you will get notified about new versions but they will not install just like that when you least expect it or simply don’t want to. Brave said they see it as a security risk. I see automatic updates as a user risk, I always turn them off, and wait 12-24 hours to see if anything serious has been reported resulting in the update being paused etc. Brave says that adding this option is on the to-do-list, but that many, according to them, more important things are prio.
https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/5576#event-4652609770
https://community.brave.com/t/the-option-to-turn-on-off-automatic-updates-please/194718
I will watch that. I have mixed feelings about it as it helps me keep my stuff up to date, but I can also see the other side.
Thanks.
In some ways I agree with J.M. that it’s not worth dumping Brave for Vivaldi as of the two I think Brave is superior. However, I can understand why one would due to the customization that comes with Vivaldi that Brave and other browsers lack.
It is your choice and I respect it. Perhaps an alternative you could try is use Brave as your primary log-in browser and Vivaldi for regular surfing.
Good luck none the less.
Mike,
I do agree. Surfing Vivaldi’s website, they are very customizable.
They do beat brave in that hands down.
Yes I agree, J.M.. However, for the purposes of clarification, I think it is important to note that Vivaldi is not a privacy browser like Firefox or Brave. Rather it’s primary focus is a browser with good privacy protections for power users.
That is essentially what the person who wrote the below review of Vivaldi essentially said at this privacy-oriented website said and I agree. Vivaldi Tech was smart about how they approached their browser’s features including online privacy since there’s something about Vivaldi that can appeal to a wide variety of people (including privacy advocates) without, in my opinion, trying to be all things for all people:
https://avoidthehack.com/review-vivaldi-browser
I also like the fact that that Brave and Vivaldi are updated frequently. Vivaldi desktop has been updated weekly since its release while, starting this past year, Brave is updated once and even twice month, respectfully. Vivaldi’s update frequency may have pushed the makers of Brave to increase theirs.
Mike,
Agree. I don’t think a browser can do all things for all, but these two are very good.
Still, LOL, It may be too much for my needs.
I chose vivaldi over brave because vivaldi syncs perfectly with its android browser.
also I found vivaldi has much better browser in android than brave, firefox, chrome, opera.
I agree that Brave has some work to do regarding its sync between its desktop and Android browsers. Good for you on your decision and at least you aren’t using Google Chrome. I also like the fact that that Vivaldi’s Android browser allows a user to choose to have the address bar on the top or bottom. If I remember correctly, I think Brave and DuckDuckGo’s browser used to have that feature too. Happy surfing and good luck!
interesting all this info. i’m a new kiddo on the blok. ta muchly.
Happy and safe surfing, friend!
What about the browser called yandex? Any experience with this one yet?
here is the link
https://browser.yandex.com/
Russian Browser…The performance is good. ..not sure about the other aspects. But it leaves lots and lots of entries in your system if you delete it. Too much means too much. One needs to go into the registry and delete everything
Search the net and you will find lots of useful information, articles and posts in forums about all the different browsers, including Yandex.
If you’re serious about browser privacy, you should probably pass on Edge or Yandex, claims Dublin professor
https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/27/edge_and_yandex_browser_privacy_shame/
Does anyone have any idea about this browser by any chance. Please provide the necessary feedback
Sidekick is a revolutionary new work OS based on the Chromium browser. Designed to be the ultimate online work experience, it brings together your team and every web tool you use – all in one interface
https://www.meetsidekick.com/
I would suggest comparing the browser to the criteria listed above and see if it meets your privacy or security needs. It doesn’t look like Sidekick is open source. If so, that is an automatic strike against it for me.
It looks interesting.
However, the TOS and Privacy Policy was, to me, telling.
Instead of having them on their site (e.g. Brave’s: https://brave.com/terms-of-use/; https://brave.com/privacy/browser/)
They require you to download the docs. One downloaded you then have to accept another third party app just to read them.
That gives who knows what permissions to third parties.
Maybe they are good but I don’t know since I have to give up something simply to read what I may have to give up.
I wonder if they could just place these items on the Browser itself?
I does look interesting but I am uneasy about it at the moment.
P.S. If you look at the bottom of Brave they also have three other privacy policies there.
This is primarily a messenger and collaboration browser like Franz and Ferdi, designed to streamline logins and workflow. I skimmed it and it looks OK. Go ahead and use it for work purpose.
Has anyone tried Trace Free?
The website offers 4 tests which appear impressive.
Thanks,
Please scroll down. It was talked about in an earlier discussion.
I assume you mean this?: https://www.tracefree.com/news/
They surely seem to think that they have come up with something that nobody else has done, best thing since sliced bread. It all seems rather awkward to me based on some of the videos. And not sure exactly what this thing is built on, looks weird when they launch the browser, like a thin client of sort. Not something I would trust just like that. Someone with coding/programming skills should take a look and say what’s what. Different it seems to be ineed. But is this the “key” to our privacy problems. No idea, but I doubt it based on what I have seen so far.
A few days ago, a spirited discussion took place on a Reddit chat thread claiming Vivaldi was not good at protecting its user’s privacy. Toward the middle of the page, some Vivaldi users responded making, in my opinion, a very interesting and reasonable case that Vivaldi has good privacy protections and is a browser privacy enthusiasts can get behind.
The supporters also correctly point out that Vivaldi is mostly open source but the company does not disclose the source code for it’s UI (they gotta make their money somehow). These are kind of the same points I have raised too, including about Vivaldi’s privacy policy. What needs to be stressed, in my view, is that trade-offs are involved in making decisions, including when choosing a browser.
This speaks to a point I have also frequently made that browsers, like Vivaldi, deserve an honorable mention or companies that develop them and make efforts to put good privacy and security protections in their products should be recognized and applauded for their efforts in the privacy community. This might also apply to the Kiwi Browser (which is also open source and supports Chrome extensions on Android).
https://www.reddit.com/r/privacytoolsIO/comments/mqou1k/no_vivaldi_is_not_private_its_even_worse_than_edge/
Good points, Mike. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Sven. Like one commenter said, you can dig up dirt on any browser and that goes for any product too. However, a distinction can be drawn between champions, like Firefox and Brave, the good, like Vivaldi and Bromite, and the bad, like Chrome.
Mike,
These are good points and worth evaluating.
I find that there is a growth of desire for private browsers and I am glad to see it.
Also, I did respond with a couple links about Blackberry under the Google alternatives.
Interesting stuff.
Thanks and you’re welcome, J.M.. Unfortunately, despite Vivaldi’s innovations, it may only end up being a niche browser among tech enthusiasts, power users, and (maybe) privacy advocates.
I think the way it could break out is when Opera users realize that they’re probably being monitored by the Chinese government and Vivaldi becomes their alternative. Some Firefox users have drifted to Vivaldi as well after getting fed up with issues they’ve had with FIrefox’s performance.
Excellent! Brave and Vivaldi browsers will block Google’s FLoC tracking scheme. While Brave is an excellent privacy-oriented browser, it’s because of news like this that I give Vivaldi an honorable mention and the privacy community should too.
https://www.slashgear.com/brave-vivaldi-web-browsers-call-out-and-block-google-floc-tracking-13668381/
Thank you for sharing that. I don’t know much about Vivaldi, but this is good to see them also stepping up to this.
Also your comment below made me smile. Thank you.
You’re welcome and you’re welcome, J.M.. Vivaldi was released about four years ago and I look at it as being the Firefox of Chrome-based browsers. It is highly customizable, can use Chrome extensions, and has features other browsers should have but, for some reason, don’t.
It was started by many of the same people, including the founder and CEO, behind Opera and I believe they left Opera after it was bought by a Chinese firm. In terms of privacy, Vivaldi has DuckDuckGo’s Tracker Radar built in, (like Brave) its sync feature is end-to-end encrypted, and Vivaldi Tech, along with Brave and (to their credit) Opera, decided not to go along with Google’s nullifying extensions, including adblockers a couple of years ago.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/opera-brave-vivaldi-to-ignore-chromes-anti-ad-blocker-changes-despite-shared-codebase/
The people at Cloudwards posted a very good review of Vivaldi if you would like to read it (link below). It is one of the sources that helped warm me up to the browser and Vivaldi Tech’s efforts. Vivaldi on Android has improved since the review was published, BTW. I think Vivaldi is a browser worth considering.
https://www.cloudwards.net/vivaldi-review/
Thanks for sharing.
In the second link, seems that you have to sign up for sync. Is that what I am reading?
But, I agree. It does look good. Brave good? Maybe not for me, but good.
However, the first link and the last browser mentioned, Microflop, very telling.
@J.M. yes I think you do have to sign up for sync just like users do for Firefox. If that is a concern, then I would provide a false identity like (I am told) many people do when they sign up for Firefox sync.
In this regard, signing up for Brave’s sync is superior since it uses a QR code. Oh and one other thing, if I didn’t mention it before, Vivaldi is not fully open source. Only about half of their browser’s source code is disclosed since Vivaldi Tech wants to keep the browser’s UI proprietary.
The UI is one of the ways the company makes money and, in many ways, I cannot blame them for keeping it to themselves.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi-browser-open-source/
Mike,
Yes, false aliases can be done, but in the case of FireFox, they have a lot of red flags to me.
Even when a fake ID is assumed, these FF issues still gather a lot of info.
We can mitigate that by customizing but there are other components.
Not arguing, just talking.
Brave is a dangerous Browser that anyone should stay away from
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/brave.html
That site has been discussed and, it’d I am not mistaken, refuted.
Instead several aspects Brave came out with combats the very direction the big tech is going.
Please, what browser would you recommend?
Can you please respond with the expiration date of your credit or debit card number along with the authorization number on the back of the card, sir? I think J.M. deserves to be compensated for his time responding to you.
Not a waste of time. Not everyone has the same level of knowledge. Although Brave has amended some of the missteps, the article is useful for historical reference because those missteps did happen whether intentionally or not.
Take home message is not to find the most private tool but find the least harmful one.
I agree in one way, not everyone is at the same place.
What I do disagree with is that when false information is handed out that it is taken as fact.
The nature of these comments allow us to take the articles to a deeper level. But, that means there are some who, knowingly or not will make false statements.
As I asked, what browser would he use? I hope he responds, but if not, that tells me it was a drive by comment drop.
@Restorer Someone who posts using a credit or debit card number and uses a website who’s information is 3 years old and that (intentionally in my view) drops context in terms of browsers (like Brave or Firefox) is an attempt to troll or misinform. It should not be tolerated.
In my opinion, if the person in question was serious they would pose a question and ask about the website rather use it to support their accusation.
And Vivaldi…
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/vivaldi.html
And Chrome…
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/chrome.html
And Firefox….
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/firefox.html
And Opera…
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/opera.html
And Yandex, Edge, Safari, and soon you’ve named them all. Basically all browser got some “issue” regarding privacy. As a user one has to weigh the pro/cons and what you as users can live with. And what you think the company/devs behind it will take the browser in the coming years, and which side they might choose coming new privacy invasive initiatives form the Big Tech guys , OS developers + all sorts of unwanted activism in your face.
…To add that I do not take spyware.neocities any more (or less) serious than any other site that does some kind of testing and writes about their findings. Just added those links as Brave was not the only browser that they had an article about. More of a general thinking as to how one can look at this, and if one knows from previous research that the research from site X is neutral and has no interest in making any certain software (from certain developer) look bad and some other look better than it might be, that is obviously good to know too. And if that is true for spyware.neocities, I have no knowledge about.
If you don’t want to use any of the browsers listed at the Geocities website, that is up to you. However, notice the last time it was updated: 3 years ago. In terms of Brave and FIrefox, the site does not point out that users can shut off the features the site’s author points to as being spyware.
That website is not an accurate source for information. None the less, if you are looking for a good desktop browser that might be along the lines of what you’re looking for, I suggest you use Ghostery’s. It is a Firefox fork but the telemetry is stripped out and privacy protections are built in. Plus also you can use Firefox add-ons with it too.
https://www.ghostery.com/products/ghostery-browser/
No, that’s not what I meant. Vivaldi could be a choice. Opera obviously not, for obvious reasons. I simply stated that said website got articles about more browsers than Brave. And most people interested in privacy topics knows that one can tweak and turn off a good bunch of stuff, but some browsers are obviously better by default than others, in how they handle user data, what do they collect and what do they not collect, and if they do collect then what type of data and how much, plus who runs the company and what are their perspective on user privacy, integrity ect etc.
Ghostery? No thanks. I got enough reasons not to use their so called browser or trust the company behind it due to some things in their past. And yes I very well know that, and so it goes for most, if not all, of the current available browsers, some things can be turned off.
“That website is not an accurate source for information.”
Then readers will know that for the future and take your word for it.
Brave, is proving, again, that they are truly worthy of support and use.
It is very apparent that they are really wanting to work for a private internet!
https://brave5t5rjjg3s6k.onion/why-brave-disables-floc/
This link may work better.
https://brave.com/why-brave-disables-floc/
Epic has proxy servers around the world not just the US. The user can choose the country he wants (or not use proxy at all) which is also helpful when some sites e.g. Russian sites don’t open, just change the proxy-server to non-West country like Singapore and you’ll be able to surf the site. Also, Epic uses Yahoo and its own search engine but you can use others too with a bookmark. It also cleans up ALL data when the browser is shut down which they recommend the users to do. Also, it wipes out the data from the unused/idle tabs if they haven’t been active for a while so they are reloaded when you click on them. By default, it blocks so many Ad and cookies sites and you can also add the sites you want. Google has gone against the Epic for its privacy features which is why and also by compulsion they had to choose Yahoo. Also, only recently they added some safe Add-ons which can be turned off otherwise they didn’t have any Add-ons at all for security.