Brave is a privacy-focused browser established in 2016 as an alternative to google’s chrome browser. It uses the same chromium-based technology under the hood and is reportedly three times faster than its Google counterpart.
In this article, we will compare the pros and cons of the Brave browser and find out if it’s worth checking out.
Pros of Brave browser
Native Ad Blockers
Have you ever received inappropriate pop-ups at the most inconvenient of times? The brave browser blocks most online trackers such as cookies and eliminates all digital adverts posted on websites. This prevents websites from monitoring your activity and gives a sense of privacy that other more popular browsers currently lack.
Built on chromium-based technology
Another advantage of the Brave browser is that it is based on the same chromium-based technology, and users will feel right at home. Brave does not try to reinvent the wheel here and uses the same code base of the tired and tested chromium-based technology. This ensures compatibility with the majority of other Chromium-based browser extensions, so you can still use your favorite chrome extension without much problem. To use an extension in Brave, browse to the Chrome Web Store and install your desired extension; it will be automatically added in brave.
Light on Hardware Resources
There are many popular memes on the internet about how the chrome browser hog down your computer. Although not as dramatic, popular browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox rely heavily on the use of system resources and can slow down your computer. In older devices, opening just a few tabs can crush your browser, ruining the overall experience. The brave browser, on the other hand, is far lighter on system resources according to various tech evaluations and can be used on older devices without much of an issue.
The speed you need
Another notable feature of Brave as a web browser, particularly when compared to other popular options, is its speed, and tech reviewers have verified this claim. Brave browsers feel snappy, and most websites open instantly. Although if you open multiple tabs, you will notice some degradation in performance, but it is still faster than other popular options. There are other browsers like Opera Mini, which is just as snappy but does not look good and misses many advanced features. This is where Brave pulls ahead, as it does not compromise on the visual side of things. It looks good and feels snappy at the same time, a combination that most other browsers do not offer.
Cons of Brave Browser
Unfair to Publishers and Content Creators
Ads can be annoying, but the majority of digital publishers and content providers get money through internet ads. As a result, businesses will not get any revenue from users who visit their websites using Brave or other ad-blocking browsers. The rise in popularity of these browsers may jeopardize the profitability and long-term viability of smaller publishers who rely primarily on advertising revenue. It is essentially unjust to remove online advertisements from websites since ad revenues allow them to generate and publish content.
It has an internal ad model
Although Brave browser markets itself as a privacy-focused company that hates online advertisement, it is counterintuitive to have its own ad model. Several publishers voiced their concern about how Brave browser manages ads and incentivizes companies they partner with. Users may earn tokens for seeing adverts and send tokens to websites they wish to support once the feature is turned on.
Bottom line: is the new Brave browser worth using?
Considering the pros and cons, the Brave browser is a great option to try, especially for people who crave speed and are on an older, less powerful device. But you may need some time to get used to the newer interface, but after the initial phase, Brave feels much like any other mainstream browser.
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