Regular Internet users in general may or may not be too concerned about their privacy, but the number of users who are getting tired of having their preferences and habits continuously tracked by others is increasingly growing up. If you are one of them, you should definitely give the Brave browser a try.
Brave is a free open source browser that is becoming more and more popular, mainly because it is faster and it provides better privacy than other browsers. It has being around for some time now though, and once I tried it I wondered why it is not more popular among the WordPress community yet, which made me feel like writing this post about it.
What makes the Brave browser different?
Privacy and Security
The first thing that makes the Brave browser stand out from the rest is that it comes with built-in shields to block website trackers and remove intrusive Internet advertisements. This browser also upgrades to HTTPS whenever possible to provide secure, encrypted communications when an ordinary browser would use an insecure connection.
But with Brave you have control over these shields, you can customize their settings on a per-site or browser-wide basis.
And you can also see how many ads and trackers are being blocked by Brave every day.
So with Brave you can browse confidently with default settings that block phishing, malware, and malvertising. But in case you need it, you will always have the freedom to decide whether to change the settings and to deactivate any of the shields.
Brave Software, Inc. (the company behind the Brave browser) estates that their servers neither see nor store your browsing data (so it stays private, on your devices, until you delete it). Which means that they will never sell your data to third parties, simply because they will not have your data to sell.
Faster browsing
Apart from avoiding the annoyance of intrusive ads and improving your privacy, another advantage of blocking ads and trackers is that the browser does not need to download a lot of stuff, so it can serve web content faster.
Brave claims to load pages 2x faster than other browsers out of the box with nothing to install, learn or manage, that 2x speed improvement being for desktop devices and reaching up to 8x in the case of mobile.
Flexible and user-friendly
The Brave browser is primarily based on the open source Chromium, so from the user point of view it is not so different from other browsers (except, of course, for its unique features). And now even supports most of the available Chrome extensions.
Brave offers a nice and intuitive user interface with a very easy to use tab system for settings, bookmarks, help, etc. It also displays statistics about the content blocked by the browser over time.
You can use the Brave browser with many different search engines. By the way, if you haven´t tried DuckDuckGo for your searches yet, don´t hesitate. Brave plus DuckDuckGo are the perfect match to increase your privacy.
Brave Rewards System
Apart from all those privacy and security features we´ve seen, what makes the Brave browser really unique is its rewards system, based on their ‘Basic Attention Token’ (BAT), an open-source, decentralized platform based on Ethereum.
Brave works on a BAT reward system which can be used to reward people at both sides of the browsing experience:
- Users can reward content creators, either by manually sending them tips to support their work or by configuring Brave to automatically distribute their contributions based on how much time they spend on sites.
- Users can also be rewarded with BATs, for example for browsing the web in case they decide to view ads, which are presented separately from the web content and keep personal details private and anonymous. In other words, users can be paid for viewing ads, and not exactly a small part, since users receive 70% of the ad revenue.
Content creators can sign up to become a verified content creator on Brave Rewards in order to start collecting contributions. That way they can get paid directly by their audience for their content, instead of relying on other income sources such as ad revenue.
In case you´re curious, the current price of the BAT token can be checked here.
Who is behind the Brave browser?
Behind Brave is Brendan Eich, the creator of the JavaScript language and co-founder of the Mozilla project. He is the CEO of Brave Software, Inc., which was co-founded by him and by the company CTO, Brian Bondy.
Back in 2016, in his TEDx talk How to fix the web, Brendan Eich was already talking about the need of changing the current advertising systems and of a browser (such as Brave, although without naming it) capable of leading the way towards a new advertising and content creator/user rewarding model.
My personal experience with the Brave Browser
I downloaded and installed the Brave browser on my iMac a couple of weeks ago. Just a few days after that, it had already become my default browser not only there, but on my MacBook and on my phone as well. It is that impressive.
I imported all my browsing data from Firefox in just a couple of minutes, so the move from one browser to the other was really seamless. Brave provides a very easy way for importing your browsing history, favorites/bookmarks, saved passwords, stats and other data and settings from your current browser. And not only that, Brave now also offers a new feature that allows you to sync your preferences on all your devices: Brave Sync.
Setting up Brave Sync
Brave Sync is currently in beta and therefore you will have the option to sync only your bookmarks across devices for the time being. Even so I think it is a feature worth to have, so I set it up on my devices and I found it´s nice and easy to get working. I can´t wait to see what else Brave Sync will bring in future versions. Brave Sync is available in Brave for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, and iOS.
Regarding the privacy and security shields, this is what the statistics on my default Brave browser page say after 2 weeks:
As you can see, more than twelve thousand ads were blocked in just fourteen days, along with almost five hundred trackers. That is a lot more than one would predict, isn´t it?
The experience regarding privacy is really pleasant, and particularly welcome in the case of mobile devices, where those intrusive ads can eat up a considerable part of your screen.
I´ve also installed some Chrome extensions on my desktop Brave browser without any problem, and they work exactly as expected.
I found this browser very easy to set and use and notably faster than others. In other words: so far, I couldn´t be happier with the Brave browser.
So why don´t you give it a try? You won´t regret it. Because as Gabriel Weinberg (CEO of DuckDuckGo) says, “using the internet doesn’t have to feel like you’re being watched, listened to, and monitored”.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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Blocking Ads? I don’t usually promote browsers (e.g Opera browsers) that by default, block ads.
I don’t also like browsers that blocks ads
The browser is good but interface is lacking
The interface is lacking what?
Yup, its one of unique browser. But interface is little boring.. I am using it a secondary browser.
First boot up is slow, web pages loads speeder, privacy and security is awesome. Also i am getting rewards for browsing..
Brave browser is game changer, waiting for more features..
The idea to reward content creators is good. I mean, without content the browser is kind of useless. However, a lot of users are reporting that the browser interface is kind of boring. Hopefully, they’ll fix this.
The interface is not bad but needs improvement. I like the shields function, seems very promising but my real question is does stop fingerprinting techniques like webrtc, canvas fingerprinting etc? because biggest threat to privacy is these fingerprinting techniques used by ad agencies.
Here you have the answer to your question, in Brave browser features list:
They are just destroying bloggers who depend on adsense…
Not exactly. Instead Brave Browser with BAT (Basic Attention Token) will make content owners get more benefits. Take a look and register your website or blog at http://creators.brave.com
Or you can find out more at https://community.brave.com/
Luis,
After seeing your experience with it, I must try the Brave Browser once. For ads-free browsing experience, it seems great.
1. Using your site often – check
2. Supporting privacy online – check
3. Brave browser installed through your link – check
🙂
Thank you, Nick!
Best Browser Will Change The Game Rule
Thanks, Luis for the recommendation. I usually keep an eye out for new stuff in your blog because the tips you share do really work.
I usually do a lot of investigation before downloading anything online, but I downloaded BRAVE without slightest of hesitation because of my trust in your recommendations.
So far, so good. I am an avid Chrome user and this is just a perfect replacement for Chrome with a built-in supporting system for Chrome apps and extensions.
Within 10 minutes I got a browser that works just like Chrome with the same bookmarks, same tools, and extension but with a beautiful look and feel and an amazing rewarding system.
Thanks again for recommending it. Keep up the great work!
Hello! Could I use the Brave browser to audit a site so it detects cookies, scripts and other stuff to block, as for GDPR and cookie laws?
Hi Luis,
Yes, I am using Brave as well. It’s great. It’s good in blocking ads. Moreover I have seen pages loading fast with brave.
How they get managed to load websites 3 times faster? It is even fast than Chrome
I will definitely try this browser
Luis,
After seeing your experience with it, I must try the Brave Browser once. For ads-free browsing experience, it seems great.
I’m always on the lookout for a faster browser. I downloaded with no issues and it’s a great browser!
this browser is very much light.. no extra high ram use as like crome..
its best browser
I just installed it on my device and I must say am in AWE with the way my web pages keep loading fast here.
Kudos to BRAVE
Hi Luis, thanks for the article. Privacy is becoming harder and harder. You have mentioned certain browser tools one can use to feel more safe and data secure.
I’m using brave browser, it’s works well
For the first time, I am hearing it. Thanks for sharing. Currently, I use Google Chrome. It seems faster than Chrome. Sure, I will give a try.
I will definitely try this browser
They are just destroying bloggers who depend on adsense…
I have been using this browser from 2018. It is very fast and secure. I have also used the TOR browser added within brave. The brave reward helps you to pay to content creators, better than seeing those advertisements. The only problem is it cannot stop certain inbuild popups at the moment, but they will be able to that in the future.
Best browser so far for those –
1. Who is seeking speed,
2. Concerned of privacy
And must to say i am using on both my pc and mobile as well works like a charm.
The browser is just a joke for developers and particularly if you have Mac. The extensions, UI and other accessibility features which one gets in Chrome or Safari are matchless. These new browsers are just like “alternative Facebooks”.
I don´t understand your point of view. For instance, Brave is compatible with Chrome extensions.
I have been using the browser for several months now and I see no issue. It feels so like Chrome but faster and with no ads.
I think this browser will work, I must try it
Hi! How can I use the Brave browser to audit a site so that it detects cookies, scripts and other stuff to block, as for GDPR and cookie laws?
Can’t wait to have my own experience with the brave browser.Hope its fast!
I will definitely try this browser
Currently i am using this browser. After use of 1 month i can honestly say that this is very much light and requires no high RAM space.
I usually do a lot of investigation before downloading anything online, but I downloaded BRAVE without slightest of hesitation because of my trust in your recommendations.
Browser is garbo. The only thing that is useful, coming from brave, is the integrated TOR browsing mode.
Iridium > Palemoon > “XYZ” Chromium Fork > All other trash….
this form of marketing requires that you pay a publisher or a social media firm or search engine firms such as Facebook or Google to help you publish your advert and pay whenever a prospect clicks on it.
Trying for the first time. Thanks for sharing. I use Google Chrome but seems faster. Be back for feedback.
Everyone is concerned about his privacy but sometimes the level of ignorance is high.
I love this browser, fantastic effort by the brave team. here is the real competitor of chrome.
there are many browsers in market but i’ll try this one too
I will definitely try this browser. If this browser works fine and I will share my opinion.
I always love a new browser. I will try Brave and see how it performs.
Hello Luis,
Very strong browser and as per CNN screenshot, I’m excited about this browser. I will definitely try this and right now I’m using 2 or 3 browsers, but not satisfied so looking for any better browser. Thanks for sharing.
With many explicit features, this browser is on my “to-do” list. Indeed an informational article.
Thanks for sharing will try downloading brave browser.
The browser is very light and faster better than I’m using right now to commenting on your website.
Thanks dear informing me.
Regarding
Sagar
Hi..
Thanks for sharing goods ideas .This is best one browser.perform and privacy is so better.
Hey! thanks for introducing the new browser. Let me try out and ping you back the review.
This is awesome information.
Really, I love this browser. Brave appears to be the solution to challenges that come with regular browsers. Here are some of the unique benefits of using Brave.
Thanks for the above information.
Thanks, Luis for the recommendation. I usually keep an eye out for new stuff in your blog because the tips you share do really work.
I usually do a lot of investigation before downloading anything online, but I downloaded BRAVE without slightest of hesitation because of my trust in your recommendations.
So far, so good. I am an avid Chrome user and this is just a perfect replacement for Chrome with a built-in supporting system for Chrome apps and extensions.
Within 10 minutes I got a browser that works just like Chrome with the same bookmarks, same tools, and extension but with a beautiful look and feel and an amazing rewarding system.
Thanks again for recommending it. Keep up the great work!
I’m using Google chrome, it may be competitor of chrome.
That a fast browser base on your article and the logo is so dope. But, is it also safe to use? like for security, passwords and online payments?
I am totally new to this. It seems quite interesting with no-ads. How do you rate it, comparing Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari with Brave Browser?
Awesome Article Luis. Thanks for the Valuable information. I have tried so many browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc. When compared other browsers Brave Browser is loading webpages really fast.
It’s a very fast browser simply by blocking unnecessary add downloads. They have very week support for Debian Linux, which is sad.
This Browser has set the internet on fire …i have never seen a browser like this very smart and it load things faster.
*Comments from Brave Browser*
Yes, Brave browser is awesome and to this date
66,042
Ads and Trackers Blocked
2,999
HTTPS Upgrades
56minutes
Estimated Time Saved
Yes!!
Brave is awesome. Been using it.
this is my second time coming across this browser i must check it out this time i hope i will enjoy it
Thanks for sharing the information will definitely try this browser, it seems interesting, I think the main conflict is about privacy and speed, speed is really important especially, in this age when you have to download GBs, there is a service called spectrum internet deals, they offer great speed, i will check it also
Wawooo.. such a fast and safe browser ,I really like it.
Better browser surfing without affecting your privacy keep up the good work.
For the first time, I am hearing it. Thanks for sharing. Currently, I use Google Chrome. It seems faster than Chrome. Sure, I will give a try.
Hopefully it works faster than mozilla. Mozilla search engine is too slow so might be brave browser replace it.
generally I used google chrome. But it seems very fast & safe then chrome so I will definitely try it.
I love this browser, fantastic effort by the brave team. here is the real competitor of chrome.
Thanks For Sharing 🙂
Interface is not bad, what we need is a fast light and secure web browser.Gonna try it.
Thanks.
I am using Brave, it is good.
I first heard about Brave browser here on your blog and wanted to give it a try. Its been over 3 months now and not only its my default browser, but seeing I work as an IT i have suggested it to all my non-tech savvy family and friends 🙂
Awesome browser it is really faster than Chrome
Awesome Article Luis. Thanks for the Valuable content. I have tried so many browsers like opera, QQ, Fast etc.compared other browsers Brave Browser is loading websites really very fast.
A new tiger has arrived in the world of the internet. Really brave browser is very fast and safe. I am using this browser.
I used the brave browser for almost a month, I must admit it’s an excellent browser but I’m back to Google Chrome for good.
I love the idea of brave! And I’m holding some BAT so great seeing people spread the word 🙂
Fastest browser available!
Looks worth giving a try
Hi! How can I use the Brave browser to audit a site so that it detects cookies, scripts and other stuff to block, as for GDPR and cookie laws?
Brave is clearly the best browser, really concerning the privacy(and this is not a commercial argument compared to others browsers…).
The Brave browser now lets you earn BAT token by viewing advertisements. You can then transfer those token to your personal wallet or tip them to creators registered with them.
Been using Brave Browser for a while now the payout in BAT token for viewing advertisements is one of the best things ever created! Truly love it <3
As much as I appreciate the privacy-centric browsing experience, these browsers usually tend to block ads from Adsense or media dot net, which helps many bloggers like me. I ‘ll give this a run through and go through the features. Many Thanks to the author for speaking his mind! 🙂
Also, I will follow the author from now on. 🙂
My favorite web browser right know
Brave is clearly the best browser, really concerning the privacy(and this is not a commercial argument compared to others browsers…).
We can get the BAT Token, it is good. But i think chrome still good one.
Awesome Article Luis. Thanks for the Valuable content. I have tried so many browsers like opera, QQ, Fast etc.compared other browsers Brave Browser is loading websites really very fast.
I use the Brave browser to audit a site so that it detects cookies, scripts and other stuff to block,Thanks for this information you share with us,
Bus Transport Company
I don’t also like browsers that blocks ads
Looks like the best one when it comes to privacy.
I use the Brave browser to audit a site so that it detects cookies, scripts and other stuff to block,Thanks for this information you share with us,
Been using Brave Browser for a while now the payout in BAT token for viewing advertisements is one of the best things ever created! Truly love it
hi
thank you for information about this browser
can we also make money with it, like keep some BAT? or we jst have to give it all to content creators?
You can use your BATs as you like.
It is the best browser i have ever used when it come to user privacy i rate it 100/100
No, this browser automatically blocks ads on Website. This brings nothing but lose to webmasters who spend countless hours creating great contents and are paid only via ads.
I didn’t like the UI of this browser. However the most important thing for us to have a browser with proper privacy.
Yes, I am using Brave as well. It’s great. It’s good in blocking ads. Moreover I have seen pages loading fast with brave.
It is the Best brower.
They are just destroying bloggers who depend on adsense
Amazing articles, very helpful and informative. Thanks for sharing it 🙂