Brave Browser, an innovative web surfing solution, debuted in early 2016 and quickly earned popularity, controversy, and a loyal user base. Today, we will discuss what Brave browser is, its pros and cons, and why you should use it. Meanwhile, you can learn what a browser is and how it works.
What is Brave Browser?
Brave is a free, open-source web browser that prioritizes user privacy and security while providing a faster, more efficient surfing experience. It was launched back in 2016 by Brave Software Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California.
As of May 2023, Brave Browser has over 58 million monthly active users and about 22 million daily active users. Having said that, it currently holds only 0.05% of the global desktop browser market share. Most userbase comes from the United States accounting for 37% of total users, followed by India at about 6% and France at 5%.
One of the most notable features of the browser is its integrated ad blocker, which prevents intrusive ads and trackers by default. This increases privacy and surfing performance by preventing unwanted data from loading.
Through its Brave Rewards program, it also takes an innovative approach to online advertising. Users can watch ads that respect their privacy in exchange for Basic Attention Tokens (BAT), a cryptocurrency native to the Brave ecosystem. Users can then decide whether or not to support their favorite websites or content creators.
Basically, the browser aims to provide a more private, safe, and efficient surfing experience while also giving users a choice over their online advertisements and the ability to support the content they appreciate.
Advantages of Brave Browser
Brave browser packs several advantages, majorly dominated by built-in features which you’d otherwise have to rely on extensions for in other browsers. Keep reading:
- Ad-Free Experience: The browser, by default, removes unwanted ads, resulting in a clean and distraction-free browsing environment.
- Enhanced Privacy: Brave Browser protects your online privacy from trackers and intrusive ads.
- Speed and Performance: Brave provides incredible speed and optimized performance due to its streamlined design and excellent blocking methods.
- Brave Rewards: By joining the Brave Rewards program, individuals may actively contribute to the material they appreciate while receiving rewards.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Brave is available for a variety of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, ensuring device compatibility and accessibility.
- IPFS: IPFS has been implemented into Brave’s desktop web browser for Windows, macOS, and Linux. When Brave finds an HTTP gateway URL to IPFS content or a native IPFS address, it prompts the user to install and enable the native IPFS node or utilize an HTTP gateway.
- Crypto Wallet: Brave provides a wallet that allows you to buy, store, send, and swap practically any crypto asset and NFT, as well as connect other wallets and web3 DApps to manage your entire crypto portfolio. You can save BAT earned through Brave Rewards in the Brave Wallet, but the two functions are not linked.
- SpeedReader: The Brave browser’s SpeedReader makes reading easier without being distracted. It allows users to read the text on the website faster as it clears distracting items such as ads and other unwanted elements. It also improves the page’s appearance for a better reading and viewing experience.
- Wayback Machine Integration: The Brave web browser will identify when a webpage is offline and will offer to check the Wayback Machine for a backup. Although the most well-known error code is 404, the feature also works for many other error codes.
- Customization Options: With a variety of settings and add-ons, users can customize their browsing experience as per their choice.
- Tor Integration: Browsing the web with Brave is secure, but the Tor integration takes it to the next level. Your IP address is hidden while you surf the web using Brave’s Private Browsing with Tor, and you still have access to all of the standard private browsing capabilities.
- Brave Talk: Users can use Brave Talk to make video calls directly from their browsers. It eliminates the requirement for video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Google Meet, etc. Users do not require any apps or to sign in to any accounts. Brave Talk is free, and video calls can be initiated with a simple click.
Disadvantages of Brave Browser
While Brave has a long list of enticing features, it does have several disadvantages, like any other browser in the market. Here are some of the Brave browser cons you must know:
- Compatibility Issues: Due to Brave Browser’s ad and tracker blocking features, certain websites may not render as intended on occasion. This is usually fixed by altering the browser settings.
- Crypto Integration: While some people find it useful, people who desire a clean, clutter-free, and Chrome-like experience on Brave may be disappointed because the browser’s UI revolves around crypto and Web3 aspects. You can check out our dedicated guide to remove crypto from the browser.
- Ad-blocking Limitations: While ad-blocking is a very useful feature and can improve page load times and privacy, it can also have a negative effect on the profitability of content creators who rely only on advertising to monetize their content.
- Lack of popularity: Because Brave Browser is less well-known than other popular web browsers, it may be more difficult to get help or information.
- Ethical Issues: A number of individuals have complained about ethical issues regarding Brave’s ad-blocking feature. They claim that it is unfair for users to receive the benefits of ad-blocking while also viewing ad-supported material.
- Rewards program limitations: The browser’s rewards program is not available in all countries, and in the supported countries, many users are unable to take advantage of the feature. Also, it’s currently limited to particular categories of content.
Why Should You Use Brave Browser?
Barring the pros and cons, there are actually some good reasons to use Brave as your default browser. This includes privacy, better performance than Chrome, and other onboard features, mentioned below.
1. Privacy Protection
As we stated earlier, Brave puts your privacy first and foremost. Thanks to its comprehensive privacy protections, you can browse the web confidently, knowing your personal information is protected.
2. Improved Performance
Brave Browser speeds up website loading by removing bandwidth-hogging advertising and trackers, resulting in a more fluid surfing experience. It might be one of the reasons why you should use Brave instead of any other browser (including Chrome and Edge) to enjoy uninterrupted internet access and complete chores quickly.
3. Battery and Data Optimization
Brave is meant to be resource-efficient, making it a good alternative for devices with limited battery life or data plans. It conserves battery power and reduces data usage by decreasing the number of ads and trackers that run on web pages.
4. Transparency and Openness
Brave Browser takes great pleasure in its dedication to transparency and openness. Because the browser is open-source, users may analyze the code to ensure no hidden agendas or backdoors compromise their privacy and security.
5. Cross-Platform Syncing
Whether you use Brave on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, your bookmarks, browsing history, and preferences will be synchronized across all your devices. This feature ensures that your browsing experience is constant, no matter where you are.
6. HTTPS Everywhere
By default, Brave enforces secure connections that ensure you always use the HTTPS protocol while browsing websites, providing an encrypted route for data transmission, preventing bad actors from intercepting sensitive information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who Created Brave Browser? Is Brave Chinese?
Brave Browser was developed and released by Brave Software Inc. The company is headquartered in San Fransisco, California, and was co-founded by Brendan Eich and Brian Bondy. Both were previous employees at Mozilla, which developed the infamous Firefox browser.
Q. What Sets Brave Browser Apart From Other Browsers?
The browser sets itself apart from the crowd by emphasizing privacy and security. It has built-in ad-blocking and tracker-prevention capabilities, making it a safer and more private surfing experience than other browsers.
Q. Can I Import My Bookmarks From Another Browser to Brave?
Brave has a straightforward import option that lets you transfer your bookmarks from other browsers. This lets you pick up where you left off and provides a smooth transition. We have a dedicated guide on importing and exporting bookmarks in Brave.
Q. Does Brave Browser Slow Down Web Browsing?
No, Brave is intended to speed up browsing. Web pages load faster when resource-heavy advertising and trackers are blocked, resulting in a smoother and more efficient browsing experience.
Wrapping Up
This brings us to the end of the article. I hope the above article helps you understand what Brave Browser is, its pros and cons, and why you should use it. If you have any queries related to the article, let us know, and stay tuned on BrowserToUse for more such articles and how-tos.
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