--- title: Brave canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/brave/ category: Web Browsers points: 84 rank: 1 of 12 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Brave Free Chromium-based browser that blocks ads, trackers and fingerprinting by default. 84 points out of 100. #1 of 12 web browsers. Vendor: Brave Software. Website: https://brave.com/ - Brave is free to use, with browsers for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS [1][2]. - Shields are on for every site by default and block third-party ads, trackers, cookies and storage [3]. - Sync data is encrypted on your device, and only you hold the decryption key [5][11]. - Four Manifest V2 extensions are supported: uBlock Origin, uMatrix, NoScript and AdGuard [10]. - The browser code is public on GitHub under MPL-2.0 [6]. Verdict: Brave suits people who want ad, tracker and fingerprinting protection without adding extensions, and who still want Chrome Web Store add-ons [3][9]. Only you hold the Sync decryption key [5]. The catch: its VPN is a paid add-on that covers the whole device, not just the browser, and passkey storage is not documented on its feature or privacy pages [4][5]. Best for: People who want privacy protections on from the first launch. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Other systems | macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | 8/8 | Download page lists Linux, macOS and Windows, plus Android and iOS versions [2]. | | Privacy and security | Blocks trackers by default | Yes | 8/8 | Shields are on by default; Standard mode blocks third-party trackers, cookies and storage [3]. | | Privacy and security | Built-in ad blocker | Yes | 5/5 | Shields, built into the browser, block third-party ads by default [3][4]. | | Privacy and security | Fingerprinting protection | Yes | 7/7 | Brave says it protects against tracking based on your browser fingerprint by default [3]. | | Privacy and security | Built-in VPN or proxy | No | 0/3 | Brave VPN is a paid subscription that covers every app on the device, so it is not a browser-only VPN [1]. | | Privacy and security | Open source | Yes | 5/5 | Brave Core, the changes that make the Brave browser, is public on GitHub under MPL-2.0 [6]. | | Privacy and security | Public bug bounty | Yes | 4/4 | The security.txt file links a HackerOne bounty policy; a news report describes a bug reported through Brave's bounty [7][8]. | | Privacy and security | Phishing and malware warnings | Yes | 5/5 | Brave alerts you if a site shows evidence of phishing, malware or other bad intent [3]. | | Sync and sign-in | Free sync across devices | Yes | 6/6 | Sync covers bookmarks, history, open tabs, settings and passwords across devices; no fee shown [5][11]. | | Sync and sign-in | End-to-end encrypted sync | Yes | 8/8 | Only you have the decryption key, which is stored on your devices; Sync v2 keeps data encrypted on the client [5][11]. | | Sync and sign-in | Built-in password manager | Yes | 3/3 | The features page names a built-in password manager [4]. | | Sync and sign-in | Saves passkeys | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's features or privacy pages [4][5]. | | Extensions | Chrome Web Store extensions | Yes | 6/6 | Brave says any extension in the Chrome Web Store also works in Brave [9]. | | Extensions | Manifest V2 extensions still work | Yes | 6/6 | Brave names AdGuard, NoScript, uBlock Origin and uMatrix as Manifest V2 extensions it keeps supporting [10]. | | Tabs and tools | Vertical tabs | Yes | 4/4 | The features page lists vertical tabs for organising tabs [4]. | | Tabs and tools | Tab groups | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's features page, which mentions only 'grouping' under vertical tabs [4]. | | Tabs and tools | Built-in page translation | Yes | 4/4 | Built-in webpage translation; the privacy policy says it runs on desktop and Android [4][5]. | | Tabs and tools | Separate profiles | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's features page [4]. | | Price | Cost to use | $0 | 5/5 | Brave says it is completely free to use [1]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Brave browser | Free [1][2] | $0 | Brave sells optional paid products, including a firewall and VPN subscription and a paid browser version called Brave Origin. We price the free browser [1]. ## Strengths - Shields block third-party ads and trackers by default, with fingerprinting and cookie protection [3]. - Extensions from the Chrome Web Store work in Brave [9]. - Brave supports four named Manifest V2 extensions, including uBlock Origin [10]. - Sync encrypts data on the device, and only you hold the decryption key [5][11]. - Brave Core source is public under MPL-2.0 [6]. ## Limits - Brave VPN is a separate subscription that protects the whole device, so it does not count as a built-in browser VPN [1]. - Manifest V2 support covers only four named extensions, not all older ones [10]. - The Register reported in 2021 that Brave's Tor mode leaked onion addresses to regular DNS servers [8]. - Brave's feature page does not document passkeys, profiles or named tab groups [4]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Brave says that by default it has the strongest privacy protections of any popular browser [3]. ## Concerns - In February 2021 The Register reported that Brave's Tor mode sent .onion lookups to regular DNS servers; the bug came through Brave's HackerOne bounty and Brave shipped a fix in stable version 1.20 [8]. ## Sources 1. [Brave browser home page](https://brave.com/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Download Brave](https://brave.com/download/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Brave Shields](https://brave.com/shields/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Brave features](https://brave.com/features/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Brave browser privacy policy](https://brave.com/privacy/browser/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [brave/brave-core](https://github.com/brave/brave-core), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Brave security.txt](https://brave.com/.well-known/security.txt), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Security in brief](https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/22/in_brief_security/), The Register, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Can I use extensions in Brave?](https://brave.com/learn/using-chrome-extensions-in-brave/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [What to do if your Chrome extension is no longer supported](https://brave.com/learn/extension-no-longer-supported/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [Brave Sync v2](https://brave.com/blog/sync-v2/), Brave Software, accessed 2026-10-08