Some browsers promise real privacy by blocking trackers, limiting data leaks, and putting control in your hands. Others need careful setup to deliver. Know what each one offers—and what it takes to keep your browsing truly private.
Brave
Brave is built on Chromium. That means it works a lot like Google’s Chrome browser and it’svery easy to switch. It has the same speed and the same extensions. But,unlike its snoopy sibling, it puts privacy first from the moment you install it.
You don’t have to mess around with settings or add-ons, either. Ads, trackers, and cookies that follow you across sites are all blocked by Brave automatically. It also stops hidden tracking codes in links and those redirect chains some affiliate schemes use to keep tabs on you.
Brave Search is the default engine. Using it means you’re not feeding Google with its daily data diet. It also partitions storage in a way that keeps third-party trackers from seeing what you do across different sites. Basically, it makes sure data on any site you are browsing stays there and temporary data is cleared when you close it.
If you want to go even further, there’s a Private Window with Tor option. When taking advantage of this, the data you generate is routed through multiple encrypted nodes. This makes tracking you significantly more difficult. It does slow your browsing down a bit, and you’ll have to solve those irritating CAPTCHAs more frequently, but it’s a solid option if you’re serious about anonymity.
Brave also upgrades connections to HTTPS automatically. This means you’re using the secure, encrypted version of any website whenever possible. There’s also an optional stricter mode you’re able to turn on in the browser’s settings that will warn you or even block you if a site isn’t secure.
Then there is the amount of “referrer” information websites get. Normally, when you click a link, the next site can see where you came from. Brave limits this so they can’t easily tell which other pages you’ve visited.
Fingerprinting, a sneaky way sites try to identify your device using details like your language, screen size, or system settings, is also thwarted by Brave. The browser adds random noise to things like language settings and your user-agent string to make you appear like a different user every time. It also blocks access to certain APIs, which are the technical tools often used to collect this kind of tracking information.
Google AMP pages are blocked by default, too. These are pages that are designed to load fast. However, they also funnel data through Google. Brave sends you to the original page instead.
Most of this is on by default. No extra setup is required. It’s not perfect, however. You’ll sometimes run into sites that won’t load right, and Tor mode can be a hassle at times. You should also keep in mind that Brave has its own ad network and cryptocurrency rewards system, so it’s replacing traditional tracking with its own advertising approach.
But if you want a browser that feels like Chrome without that creepy Google-breathing-down-your-neck feeling, Brave is an easy recommendation.
Firefox
There are manyreasons you might want to switch to Firefox. One is that it is more private than Chrome. As soon as you install the Firefox browser, Enhanced Tracking Protection is active. It blocks things like third-party cookies that advertisers use to follow you around and known fingerprinting scripts that pick up on details, such as your screen size or language settings, to figure out who you are without cookies. Cryptomining scripts that try to use your computer’s processing power in the background are blocked too.
If you want even more blocking, there’s a stricter mode you canturn on in the settings. Just know it can break some websites, or at least parts of them. That could mean checkout pages that won’t load or videos that don’t play right. It also blocks those nosey little social media trackers like the Facebook “Like” or “Share” buttons that appear across other websites. Usually, when you click on those buttons, they load code that lets Facebook see which pages you’re visiting — even when you’re not logged in to Zuckerberg’s sneaky social network.
Private Browsing mode is just for keeping things like history, cookies, or site data off your computer, which is good if you’re on a shared device at home or work. It doesn’t hide your activity from your internet provider or the sites themselves. If that’s what you want, you’ll need toget yourself a good VPN service.
Mozilla says it doesn’t collect data to sell to advertisers the way some big tech companies do. Your history stays on your device. Technical and usage data are sent by default, but there are clear settings that you can tweak to turn off all telemetry, which has been one of Firefox’s main selling points for many years.
But that trust took a bit of a hit in 2025 when Mozilla updated its Terms of Use and Privacy Notice. Early language suggested users were granting the company a broad license to anything typed into Firefox. This sparked backlash, and Mozilla revised it.
It still states it doesn’t claim ownership and only uses data as needed to make features work. Still, Mozilla has changed the wording in the site’s FAQ, dropping the old promise that Firefox “doesn’t sell your personal data to advertisers.” Now it just says it helps protect your personal information.
While Firefox’s technical privacy features remain strongand customizable, Mozilla’s recent policy changes mean it’s wise to distinguish between the browser’s blocking capabilities and the company’s evolving approach to user data.
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LibreWolf
LibreWolf is an open-source Firefox fork maintained by an independent community who are serious about cutting ties with big tech. Out the box, you don’t have to manually open private browsing windows or adjust preferences. It’s preconfigured with hardened privacy settings, and Enhanced Tracking Protection is set to strict. This blocks over 3,000 known trackers and ads without any fuss.
However, LibreWolf takes things further than the standard Firefox browser. uBlock Origin prevents ads and trackers, while cookies and site data are cleared on exit by default. Total Cookie Protection also isolates third-party cookies so they can’t follow you across sites, meaning advertisers can’t track you easily.
It also has anti-fingerprinting features built in, blocking things like canvas, font, and WebGL methods that sites use to collect details about your system and identify you. WebRTC is also turned off by default to help prevent IP leaks — a common browser flaw many people don’t realize exists. It can expose your real address, even when using a VPN. In other words, LibreWolf makes sure sites can’t easily piece together who you are from the details your browser gives away.
Many privacy-centric browsers, such as LibreWolf or Vivaldi, are not really for people who want a perfectly smooth, hands-off experience. Most are better suited to those who want real control and don’t mind doing a bit of extra work to keep their browsing private.
Additionally, whatever you’ve typed into forms and your search history aren’t saved either. While it may be convenient, things like your private address or credit card number aren’t stored for anyone else using your device to stumble across later. Furthermore, when you close the browser, it clears out leftover data like cached files and temporary storage.
Connections are kept secure with HTTPS-Only Mode by using encrypted links whenever possible. Additionally, it sticks to search engines that don’t track you, such as DuckDuckGo, by default to avoid sending data back to Mozilla.
LibreWolf is open source, so anyone can check how it works, and it’s upfront about cutting out extra features that could create security holes. To ensure things are kept secure, updates come from the LibreWolf team, though they don’t roll out as quickly as Firefox’s. It also keeps Firefox’s customization options for anyone who likes tweaking interface layout, search engines, or toolbars.
Like other browsers that put privacy first, LibreWolf gives up convenience for stronger protection. Therefore, some sites may not function properly, namely those that rely on tracking scripts, cookies, or fingerprinting. You might have to adjust settings or accept some trade-offs to get them working well.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi is another Chromium-based browser for people who want privacy tools without giving up flexibility. It works with Chrome extensions, though Vivaldi warns that not all of them respect your privacy equally, and it has a built-in ad and tracker blocker with adjustable settings.
You can block everything or allow only those you trust. But, beyond that, you get HTTPS-Only Mode to keep connections encrypted and a standard private window you can use to browse without saving your history while blocking third-party cookies. You also get easy-to-control permissions on a per-site basis for things like camera, mic, and notifications.
If you skip the welcome screen, the built-in ad and tracker blocker may not be automatically switched on. This is because Vivaldi guides you through the initial setup here, and if you do skip it, you’ll need to manually enable them in the settings later.
There’s a solid password manager with local storage, plus optional end-to-end encrypted syncing to keep your passwords and settings in sync across devices. Additionally, browsing history and downloads stay local in secure folders that nobody but you can see.
But, to be honest, if you want real privacy, you have tospend time in the settings. While Vivaldi markets itself as a privacy-first browser—and it really is—it relies on the user to lock it down properly. Unlike browsers that strip Google completely, Vivaldi’s Chromium base still includes some Google services like Safe Browsing. It’s enabled out of the box and sends requests to Google that can potentially leak browsing data as it checks for malware, phishing, and harmful content.
The browser also pings Vivaldi’s own servers for updates and collects minimal stats tied to a unique ID. By default, third-party cookies are permitted in normal windows, and WebRTC is turned on.
The upside is you get a ton of control. You can turn off or adjust most of these features, use non-tracking search engines like DuckDuckGo, and customize blocking to the exact level you want. Vivaldi isn’t a one-click “privacy magic wand,” but for people willing to do a bit of tweaking, it offers one of the most flexible and feature-rich privacy setups you can get in a mainstream browser.
Privacy online isn’t one-size-fits-all. From strict, ready-to-use setups to those needing careful tuning, these browsers offer different paths to control. Choosing the right one means balancing convenience with how much you want to lock out trackers and protect your data.
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