- Privacy browsers share more family history than their names suggest
- Independent and community-minded browsers
- Hardened builds for privacy purists
- Mainstream browsers with extras built in
- What you give up from Brave
- Ad blocking, browser by browser
- The eight side by side
- Read each privacy promise word for word
- A checklist for switching without losing your logins
- Frequently asked questions
Move from Brave when you can name the trade-off you want, not just a new logo. Independent browsers suit people who care who runs them, hardened privacy builds suit purists, and mainstream browsers with blocking built in suit anyone who wants fewer settings. Opera adds a VPN and AI chat, Edge adds Copilot, so decide which extras you'll use first.
Brave's whole pitch is built on stopping third-party ads across the sites you visit, and around that it bundles a search engine of its own and a VPN that covers your entire device. People start looking elsewhere for one of three reasons: they want a browser with a different backer, they want even tighter privacy defaults, or they want something more familiar for the rest of the household.
This guide sorts eight browsers by the trade-off each one makes, so you can head for the group that fits why you're leaving.
Privacy browsers share more family history than their names suggest
Two of the strongest privacy picks have named upstreams. LibreWolf describes itself as a custom version of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and freedom. Mullvad says it asked the Tor Project to develop Mullvad Browser.
That matters when you compare them. If a feature or quirk annoys you in Firefox, check whether LibreWolf inherits it before you switch. And because Mullvad went to the Tor Project to build its browser, read the two projects' pages side by side before you treat them as unrelated choices.
In short, the label on the icon tells you less than the lineage. Before you install three privacy browsers to compare, you may find you're testing close relatives.
Independent and community-minded browsers
Pick from this group if who runs the browser matters as much as what it blocks.
Firefox
Not being owned by shareholders is its headline, and moving in is painless: bookmarks, saved logins and history come across on their own when you switch. If it's already your front runner, our head-to-head of those two goes deeper.
Vivaldi
It calls itself an independent European company, and says it stops ads and trackers while keeping your data in step across devices.
Hardened builds for privacy purists
These lean further towards privacy by default. Expect to trade a little convenience on some sites.
LibreWolf
uBlock Origin comes included, and it disables DRM as part of its stance against what it calls anti-freedom features.
Mullvad Browser
A Tor Project build made at Mullvad's request, it's open source and free of charge, which makes it an easy one to trial beside your current browser for a week.
Tor Browser
Anyone watching your connection can't tell which websites you visit, because traffic bounces through thousands of relays run by volunteers.
Mainstream browsers with extras built in
These give you blocking or extra tools without much configuration.
DuckDuckGo Browser
Most ads and cookie pop-ups are blocked, and one click wipes tabs, history and browsing data. On desktop it's only offered for Windows and Mac.
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Microsoft Edge
Shopping tools come built in, and Copilot works across your open tabs to help you weigh up options.
Opera
A free VPN is included, and you can chat with Opera AI.
What you give up from Brave
Leaving means unpicking three things, not one: the ad blocking, the search engine and the device-wide VPN. For search, check whether you can set your preferred search engine in the new browser's settings before you commit to it.
The device-wide VPN is the piece people forget. Only one browser on this list advertises a VPN of its own, and a browser feature isn't the same as protection for every app on the machine. If that cover matters to you, plan for a separate VPN rather than expecting a browser to replace it. And if safety rather than features is what's worrying you, read whether Brave is safe to use before you reinstall anything.
Ad blocking, browser by browser
Ad blocking is the feature a Brave user is likeliest to miss first, so check how each option handles it before you move.
- Built in and named: Vivaldi blocks ads and trackers, and DuckDuckGo blocks most ads and cookie pop-ups.
- Shipped as an extension: LibreWolf includes uBlock Origin from the start, so there's nothing to install.
- Mentioned beside the VPN: Opera's VPN offer talks about browsing faster without ads.
- Check before you assume: for Firefox, Edge, Mullvad Browser and Tor Browser, look in the settings or the extension store before you rely on ads being blocked.
The eight side by side
| Browser | Group | Pick it if you |
|---|---|---|
| Firefox | Independent | Want an easy move with your logins intact |
| Vivaldi | Independent | Prefer a European company and multi-device sync |
| LibreWolf | Hardened privacy | Like Firefox but want stricter defaults |
| Mullvad Browser | Hardened privacy | Want a Tor Project build that's free and open source |
| Tor Browser | Hardened privacy | Need to hide which sites you visit |
| DuckDuckGo Browser | Mainstream extras | Want a one-click clean-up button |
| Microsoft Edge | Mainstream extras | Shop a lot and like an AI helper |
| Opera | Mainstream extras | Want a VPN inside the browser |
Read each privacy promise word for word
Privacy browsers make narrow promises, and the wording tells you what each one covers. The Tor claim is about someone watching your connection: they can't see which websites you visit. The DuckDuckGo button clears tabs, history and browsing data from your own machine. Brave's VPN claim is wider, covering every app on the device, which is why it's the hardest piece to replace.
None of these is a promise about everything. Read the exact sentence on each project's own page, then ask whether it covers the risk you care about: people on your network, data left on a shared computer, or ads following you between sites. Pick the browser whose promise matches your worry, not the one with the longest list.
A checklist for switching without losing your logins
- Write down the one reason you're leaving: backer, privacy defaults, extras or simplicity.
- Pick two browsers from the matching group and install both.
- Carry over saved sites and logins, either with the new browser's import tool or through your password manager.
- Log in to the handful of sites you rely on every day and confirm each one still behaves.
- Play a video on each streaming service you use. A browser that disables DRM may refuse some of them.
- Reinstall the extensions you rely on, and drop the ones you no longer need.
- Keep your old browser installed for two weeks, then remove it once you've stopped opening it.
Do this on a quiet week, not the day before a deadline. Most browser switches fail on small things, a missing extension or a site that won't remember you, and those are easy to fix when you're not in a hurry.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these is the least work to set up?
The mainstream group is designed for that. A browser that blocks most ads and pop-ups straight away suits someone who won't touch settings.
Is Tor Browser sensible for everyday browsing?
Many people keep it for specific tasks where hiding their browsing matters, and use a faster everyday browser for the rest.
How many browsers should I keep installed?
Two works well: a main browser, plus a fallback for any site that won't behave in a stricter build.
Can a privacy browser replace antivirus software?
No browser here says it does, so keep whatever protection you already use on the machine.
Can I install a different browser on a work laptop?
Ask whoever runs your work devices first, since many teams control which browsers are allowed.
