Alternatives / Brave
Brave is already open source and privacy-focused, so alternatives mainly differ in browser engine, governance, built-in services, productivity features, and privacy defaults. These options include Chromium browsers, Firefox-based browsers, and Ladybird, an experimental independent engine.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
Brave, Helium, and Flow use Chromium/Blink, providing broad compatibility and Chrome extensions but keeping them in the same engine ecosystem. Zen, Waterfox, LibreWolf, and modern Midori use Firefox/Gecko and Firefox extensions, supporting engine diversity and privacy customization. Ladybird is developing a new engine from scratch, which matters for diversity but has much further to go in web compatibility.
Helium is the closest fit for users who want Brave's Chromium compatibility without Brave's wider product ecosystem. Both offer Chrome extensions and privacy protections such as tracker and ad blocking and HTTPS protections. Helium minimizes built-in rewards, wallet, search, VPN, AI, and cloud services.
LibreWolf takes a more aggressive privacy approach than Brave, starting from Firefox, removing telemetry and sponsored content, including uBlock Origin, and hardening defaults. This can improve privacy but may cause more site compatibility problems or restrict DRM depending on setup.
Zen is less focused on maximum privacy hardening and more focused on productivity and customization. Vertical tabs, workspaces, split views, compact mode, themes, and Zen Mods are central to its Firefox-based experience.
Helium includes strong default ad and tracker blocking. LibreWolf ships with uBlock Origin. Waterfox includes native blocking capabilities, and modern Midori provides a privacy extension based on the uBlock Origin filtering engine. Zen relies more on Firefox's privacy architecture and extensions.
Switching from Brave to Helium or Flow changes the browser but not its Chromium engine. Moving to Zen, Waterfox, LibreWolf, or Midori moves to Gecko. Ladybird is the only project here building a genuinely independent engine, but it is experimental and not yet a production-ready Brave replacement.
People look beyond Brave to avoid rewards and crypto features, reduce dependence on Chromium, use Firefox extensions, remove telemetry, gain stronger fingerprinting resistance, customize tabs and workspaces, support a nonprofit, or encourage independent browser engines. Brave itself is open source and privacy-focused; the choice is about architecture, governance, feature set, and privacy trade-offs.
| Alternative | Engine | License | GitHub popularity | Privacy focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladybird | Independent | BSD-2-Clause | ~66.3k | Strong | Independent browser engine |
| Zen Browser | Gecko | MPL-2.0 | ~44.6k | Strong | Customizable Firefox experience |
| Helium | Chromium | GPL-3.0 | ~20.9k | Very strong | Privacy-focused Chromium |
| Waterfox | Gecko | MPL-2.0 | ~6.3k | Strong | Firefox power users |
| LibreWolf | Gecko | MPL-2.0 | ~1.3k indexed source repo | Very strong | Maximum Firefox hardening |
| Flow | Chromium | GPL-3.0 | ~1.1k | Moderate | Productivity and workspaces |
| Midori Browser | Gecko | MPL-2.0 | ~395 | Strong | Lightweight Firefox-based browsing |
Want Chromium compatibility without Brave's broader ecosystem
Helium retains Chromium and Chrome extension compatibility while focusing on tracker/ad blocking and minimizing built-in services such as rewards, wallet, VPN, and AI.
Want to leave Chromium
Zen, Waterfox, LibreWolf, and modern Midori use Firefox's Gecko engine and Firefox WebExtensions.
Want maximum Firefox privacy hardening
LibreWolf removes telemetry and sponsored content, includes uBlock Origin, and applies aggressive privacy and fingerprinting protections by default.
Want balanced privacy and power-user features
Waterfox is Firefox-based, removes telemetry, and adds native blocking, tree-style tabs, private containers, and privacy-focused DNS features.
Want a customizable modern browsing interface
Zen centers on vertical tabs, split views, workspaces, compact mode, themes, and Zen Mods while using Firefox technology.
Want to support an independent browser engine
Ladybird is building an engine from scratch without Chromium, Gecko, or WebKit, but remains alpha-stage and is not yet a mature everyday browser.
Want lightweight Firefox-derived browsing
Modern Midori is Gecko-based and offers a lightweight positioning, tracker blocking, workspaces, and Firefox WebExtension compatibility.
Need Chrome extensions
Helium and Flow use Chromium and support Chrome extensions; the Firefox-based alternatives use Firefox's WebExtension ecosystem.
Want the largest GitHub community
Ladybird has the most GitHub stars in this list, but star counts do not reflect production readiness; it remains far less mature than Firefox- or Chromium-based browsers.