# Alternatives to Brave Chromium browser with built-in ad and tracker blocking. Brave ranks #2 of 14 in Browsers, with an Alt Score of 85. It is licensed under MPL-2.0, free and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. 10 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/brave/ Category: Browsers ## Where Brave stands out - **Sync (E2E encrypted)** — 6 of 12 apps with a verified answer have this ## Overview - **Who it's for**: People who want a faster, more private everyday browser without manually installing ad blockers or extensions, including anyone switching from Chrome or Firefox for better default privacy. - **What you get**: A Chromium-based browser with built-in ad and tracker blocking, cookie-consent pop-up blocking, and fingerprinting protection enabled by default. It includes Brave Search (a private, independent search engine), and optional extras like Brave Wallet for crypto, a Firewall+VPN subscription, and Brave Rewards for earning tokens by opting into privacy-respecting ads. Because most ads and trackers never load, pages generally render faster than in browsers without built-in blocking. - **How it works**: You download and install Brave like any other browser and can import bookmarks, passwords, and settings from your previous browser during setup. From there it works like a normal browser, but its Shields feature blocks ads, trackers, and fingerprinting on every site automatically, with per-site controls if you need to adjust or disable them. ## Profile - **License**: MPL-2.0 (verified 2026-07-11) - **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-11) - **Starts at**: ? - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Vivaldi](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/vivaldi.md) | 93 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | | 2 | [Waterfox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/waterfox.md) | 77 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 3 | [Orion](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/orion.md) | 74 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS | | 4 | [Firefox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/firefox.md) | 70 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 5 | [Edge](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/edge.md) | 63 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 6 | [LibreWolf](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/librewolf.md) | 58 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 7 | [Opera](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/opera.md) | 58 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 8 | [Zen Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zen-browser.md) | 51 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 9 | [Chrome](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/chrome.md) | 47 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 10 | [Arc](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/arc.md) | 44 | Proprietary | macOS, Windows, iOS | | 11 | [DuckDuckGo Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/duckduckgo-browser.md) | 40 | Apache-2.0 | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | | 12 | [Tor Browser](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/tor-browser.md) | 36 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | | 13 | [Ungoogled Chromium](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ungoogled-chromium.md) | 25 | BSD-3-Clause | Windows, macOS, Linux | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Browsers checklist | Brave | Vivaldi | Waterfox | Orion | Firefox | Edge | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | Free | Free | Freemium | Free | Free | | Starts at | ? | ? | ? | $5/month | ? | ? | | License | MPL-2.0 | Proprietary | MPL-2.0 | Proprietary | MPL-2.0 | Proprietary | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | | Engine (Chromium / Gecko / WebKit) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Built-in ad blocker | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No | | Built-in VPN or proxy | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | No | Yes | | Vertical tabs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Tab groups & workspaces | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Extension ecosystem compatibility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Sync (E2E encrypted) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? | | Battery / memory saver mode | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | | Privacy: fingerprinting protection | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | | Telemetry opt-out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | | Profile containers | ? | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | | Reader mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ## Sources Sources for Brave. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **License**: MPL-2.0 — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Mozilla Public License Version 2.0” - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “The Brave browser is available on Linux, macOS and Windows.” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “browser for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “browser for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows” - **Engine (Chromium / Gecko / WebKit)**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Both Brave and Chrome are built on the open-source Chromium browser engine (which also powers Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi)” - **Built-in ad blocker**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Shields offer default, built-in protection, blocking ads, trackers, fingerprinting, cookies, and more.” - **Built-in VPN or proxy**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Built into the browser; no extra downloads” - **Vertical tabs**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Enabling the vertical tabs setting relocates your open tabs from the top of your browser window (i.e. above the address bar) to the left side of the window, where they'll appear stacked vertically rat” - **Tab groups & workspaces**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “An efficient way to organize your tabs (plus pinning, grouping, and other tools).” - **Extension ecosystem compatibility**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “any extension found in the Chrome Web Store will also work in Brave.” - **Sync (E2E encrypted)**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Encrypt and sync your Brave bookmarks, passwords, tabs, and more across devices.” - **Privacy: fingerprinting protection**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Brave makes you look different to every site, each time you visit.” - **Telemetry opt-out**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “You can deactivate Privacy-Preserving Product Analytics in Settings.” - **Reader mode**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Declutter pages for focused reading, faster loading, and less data usage.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/