Internet browsers
Your searches, bookmarks, login sessions, and every click you make—it all gets logged somewhere. But who actually owns that data?
Chrome, Edge, Safari: sure, they're convenient. But they're also surveillance tools. Every site you visit, every product you research, every topic you explore gets recorded. They build a psychological profile of your daily life—your political views, your health concerns, your financial struggles, your relationships. That data gets sold to advertisers, shared with data brokers, or used to manipulate what you see next. If you're okay with being constantly profiled, fine. But if you think your thoughts are private, you need to ask yourself if that's the right deal.
Privacy-focused browsers offer a different model. No telemetry, no behavioral profiling, just browsing. Many of them block trackers by default, meaning your digital footprint stays on your device unless you choose to sync. And because European options like Vivaldi and LibreWolf fall under strict EU law, you can actually enforce your rights under GDPR.
Our proposed alternatives:
Solution comparison
| Feature | Firefox (USA/Non-Profit) | Vivaldi (Norway/EU) | LibreWolf (Community) | Brave (USA/EU) | Mullvad Browser (Sweden/EU) | Safari (USA/Denmark) | Chrome (USA) | Edge (USA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Privacy Rating How well does the browser protect you from trackers? "Very Good" means it blocks trackers by default. "Poor" means it sends your browsing data to the company. | Very GoodStrong anti-tracking by default. Owned by a US non-profit foundation dedicated to an open web, not shareholders. | Very GoodExcellent privacy controls. No telemetry by default. Built by a Norwegian company that respects user data. | Very GoodHardened Firefox. Blocks everything by default. No telemetry. The gold standard for privacy. | Very GoodBlocks ads and trackers out of the box. Fast and private, though owned by a US company. | Very GoodDesigned for maximum anonymity. Prevents fingerprinting. Best for high-risk users. | GoodGood anti-tracking (ITP), but limited customization. You are locked into the Apple ecosystem. | PoorBuilt by Google. Tracks your browsing to feed their ad empire. No real privacy protections. | PoorBuilt by Microsoft. Heavy telemetry, forces Bing search, and integrates deeply with Windows tracking. |
| Platforms Where can you install this browser? "All" means Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. "Desktop+Android" means no iOS version (due to Apple's restrictions). | All | All | Desktop Only | All | Desktop Only | macOS + iOSOnly works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Not available for Windows, Android, or Linux. | AllAvailable everywhere, but syncing requires a Google account. | AllAvailable everywhere, but syncing requires a Microsoft account. |
| Browser Engine The "engine" powers the browser. Most use Chromium (Google's code). Firefox uses Gecko, keeping the web diverse and preventing Google from controlling the internet. | Gecko (Firefox) | Chromium | Gecko (Firefox) | Chromium | Gecko (Firefox ESR) | WebKitApple's engine. Exclusive to Apple devices. Not open to competition. | ChromiumGoogle's engine. Controls the web. If Google changes it, everyone changes. | ChromiumMicrosoft uses Google's engine. Same risks as Chrome, just with Microsoft tracking added. |
| Fingerprinting Protection Does the browser protect you from being uniquely identified by websites? "Strong" means it actively resists fingerprinting. "None" means websites can easily track you. | Good | Moderate | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | ModerateSome protection, but limited due to Apple's ecosystem tracking. | PoorNo protection. Google actively uses fingerprinting to track users. | PoorNo protection. Microsoft uses fingerprinting for tracking. |
| Tracker Blocking Does the browser block third-party trackers by default? "Built-in" means it blocks trackers without extensions. | Built-in | Extension Required | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in (Limited)Blocks some trackers, but not as aggressively as privacy-focused browsers. | NoNo built-in tracker blocking. Requires extensions like uBlock Origin. | NoNo built-in tracker blocking. Requires extensions. |
| Add-ons Support Can you install extensions like uBlock Origin? "Full" means access to thousands of extensions. "Limited" means you can only use a curated, approved list. | Full (Firefox Store) | Full (Chrome Store) | Full (Firefox Store) | Full (Chrome Store) | Full (Firefox Store) | LimitedOnly allows extensions from the Apple App Store. Harder to install privacy tools. | FullAccess to Chrome Web Store, but Google can block or remove extensions at any time. | FullAccess to Chrome Web Store, but Microsoft pushes its own extensions and tracking. |
| Data Collection Does the browser send your history to the company? "None" means it stays on your device. "Extensive" means they build a profile of your life. | Minimal (Opt-out)Telemetry is enabled by default but can be disabled in settings. | NoneNo telemetry or data collection. | NoneNo telemetry or data collection. | None (Opt-in Rewards)No data collection unless you opt-in to Brave Rewards (crypto). | NoneNo telemetry or data collection. | Indirect (Ecosystem)Collects data to improve Apple services. Hard to disable completely. | ExtensiveEvery site you visit is logged to Google's servers for advertising and AI training. | ExtensiveHeavy telemetry sent to Microsoft. Integrates with Windows tracking. |
| Open Source Is the code public? "Yes" means anyone can check for spyware. "No" means you must trust the company blindly. Note: Chrome is based on open Chromium, but the browser itself is closed. | Yes | Partial (Chromium-based)Uses open-source Chromium but the Vivaldi browser itself is closed source. | Yes | Mostly (Rewards Closed)Browser is open source, but Brave Rewards (crypto) is closed source. | Yes | NoClosed source. You must trust Apple that there is no hidden tracking. | No (Proprietary)Based on open Chromium, but the Google Chrome browser includes closed proprietary code and tracking. | NoClosed source. Microsoft adds proprietary tracking layers on top of Chromium. |
| Business Model Who pays? "Donation/Foundation" means they work for you. "Ads/Data" means you are the product being sold. | Non-Profit Foundation | Subscription/Donations | Community/Donations | Ads (Optional) + Crypto | Free (Mullvad VPN) | Bundled Free with Apple devices. Used to lock you into the Apple ecosystem and sell your data indirectly. | Ads + Data Free, but your browsing data is the product sold to advertisers. | Ads + Data Free, but pushes Bing ads and collects data for Microsoft's ad network. |
| Add own search engine Can you add a custom search engine? Links provide instructions for each browser. | Click here | Click here | Click here | Click here | Click here | Click here | Click here | Click here |
| Speed How fast is it? "Very Good" means instant loading. "Moderate" might be slightly slower due to heavy privacy checks. | Good | Very Good | Good | Very Good | Good | Very GoodExtremely fast on Apple hardware, but slow on Windows/Android. | Very GoodFast, but slows down as it collects more data and runs background scripts. | Very GoodFast on Windows, but heavy on RAM due to background telemetry. |
*Note: LibreWolf and Mullvad do not have iOS versions because Apple forces all iOS browsers to use its own engine, which breaks their privacy hardening. Firefox is US-based but run by a non-profit. Chrome is based on open-source Chromium but the browser itself is proprietary.
Sources: Firefox Privacy, Vivaldi Privacy, LibreWolf FAQ, Brave Privacy, Mullvad Browser, Safari Privacy, Chrome Privacy, Edge Privacy.