Brave Browser Reviews & Ratings

4.6/5

“Privacy is tight—but switching settings anywhere takes time”

I switched from Firefox because Brave had stronger default privacy blocks—fingerprinting randomization, behind the scenes HTTPS upgrades. Browsing feels safer. But some sites break until I disable a shield, so switching modes per site got old fast.

Pros : Shields block trackers, fingerprinting, and force HTTPS

Cons : Some sites break, and toggling shields per site is often needed

Switched from : Mozilla Firefox

Reason to switch : Wanted maximum privacy by default, without juggling extensions.

4.5/5

“Less resource and battery drain—especially on mobile”

I switched from Brave competitor Kiwi Mobile but stuck with Brave because it uses less data and my phone battery lasts longer each day. On desktop it still uses more RAM than lightweight browsers like Firefox, but runs leaner than Chrome.

Pros : Uses less data and drains battery slower, great on mobile

Cons : Still heavier on desktop than lightweight alternatives

Switched from : Google Chrome

Reason to switch : Needed mobile browsing efficiency on limited-data and battery.

4.5/5

“Supports Chrome extensions and most work”

I switched from Safari to Brave on desktop because I could keep using my favorite Chrome add-ons. Overall compatibility is great. A few extensions misbehave here and there, but nothing truly critical so far.

Pros : Uses Chrome’s extension library, familiar interface

Cons : Some extensions don’t work perfectly or are less stable

Switched from : Safari

Reason to switch : Needed Chrome extension support on macOS with more privacy.

4.5/5

“Feels safer, but Chrome is still snappier”

I left Chrome for Brave months ago because I was fed up with Google's tracking. Brave made me feel more secure. But recently when I used Chrome again—things just felt snappier. Maybe it's placebo, but there's a perception Chrome is lighter on animations or responsiveness.

Pros : More secure by default

Cons : Chrome sometimes feels faster and more responsive

Switched from : Google Chrome

Reason to switch : Wanted privacy, yet missed the buttery feel of Chrome’s performance.

4.3/5

“Builtin VPN costs a bit—but neat”

I used Firefox plus a standalone VPN. I switched to Brave and subscribed to their builtin VPN for $10/month. Nice to have firewall and VPN integrated, but it costs more and misses features like server choice and high-speed streaming.

Pros : Has a paid built-in VPN/firewall plugin option, integrated privacy features

Cons : VPN is paid and limited compared to dedicated services

Switched from : Mozilla Firefox

Reason to switch : Wanted convenience of built-in VPN and firewall under one browser.

4.3/5

“Builtin crypto rewards—neat but modest payouts”

I switched from default adfree browsers to Brave because it’s the only one letting you earn crypto for watching privacy-respecting ads. I earned some BAT over a month—cool. Still, income was small, and converting requires crypto accounts.

Pros : Brave Rewards let you earn BAT tokens for opting into ads

Cons : Earning potential is low, and payout options are limited

Switched from : Safari

Reason to switch : Was curious about privacy with rewards, not just ad-free browsing.

4.3/5

“Adblocking magic but tabs get heavy”

I switched from Chrome because I wanted builtin ad blocking and privacy. Brave did just that—pages load faster and daily browsing feels cleaner. But watching YouTube, it chewed through 1.8GB RAM just for one tab compared to Chrome’s ~700MB. That surprised me.

Pros : Blocks ads & trackers automatically, speeds up page loads

Cons : Uses more RAM than Chrome—one YouTube tab hit 1.8?GB!

Switched from : Google Chrome

Reason to switch : Wished for default ad-blocking and less tracking without extensions.

4.3/5

“Tor tab is awesome—but limited”

I switched from Chrome's incognito to Brave’s private with Tor mode for anonymity. It’s convenient to box that in a tab. But there was a bug leaking DNSnames a while back—though Brave patched it later. Tor mode can also feel snailpaced.

Pros : Built-in Tor mode for private browsing

Cons : Tor browsing still leaks DNS unless patched; slower load times

Switched from : Tails

Reason to switch : Needed quick Tor-level anonymity occasionally.

4.3/5

“Lossy sync experience once cost me years of data”

I switched from Chrome because Brave’s sync was appealing and encrypted. It mostly works, but one time I lost my sync key and lost years’ worth of bookmarks and history. Chrome bounceback is better in that scenario.

Pros : Sync bookmarks and settings across devices

Cons : Lost all sync data when key got lost, years of data gone

Switched from : Google Chrome

Reason to switch : Wanted encrypted data sync over Googledependent syncing.

4.2/5

“Open source trust feels real”

I moved from Edge to Brave because of open-source transparency—no mystery tracking. That felt good. But I remember reports that Brave auto-added affiliate links to crypto sites years ago. They reversed it, but that mishap stuck in my mind.

Pros : Fully open source, code publicly auditable

Cons : Fully open source, code publicly auditable

Switched from : Microsoft Edge

Reason to switch : Sought an open-source, noGoogle, transparent browser.