Seven Reasons Why I Use Brave

Aug 24, 2023 · 6 min read ·

While Google's Chrome, and Apple's Safari are the most popular web browsers, there are lots of other browsers to choose from. You're probably aware of Microsoft's Edge browser and Mozilla's Firefox. But you aren't limited to these, either. I'd like to tell you why I use a browser called Brave and why you should give it a try, too.

I first discovered Brave when I was looking for ways to protect myself online. When I learned that big tech companies were tracking my every move and sharing the data they collect about me with those wanting to use my data for profit, I wanted a way to prevent that that wasn't expensive or cumbersome to use. Using Brave as your Internet browser solves most of those privacy problems and it's free!

So without further adeu, let's go over the seven reasons why I use Brave:

1. It's Chrome without the Google

Brave is built on the chromium engine that Chrome is built on, so Brave behaves like Chrome in most respects. If a website works in Chrome, it will almost certainly work in Brave, too. There are a few exceptions, but these are not usually page rendering problems. Because Chrome is the most popular browser in use today, websites are tested to work with Chrome. That makes Brave highly compatible, and you can rest assured that web pages will render properly.

2. Built-in ad blocking

There was a time in my life when cellular data was the only Internet I could get at my house. I quickly discovered that 5GB/month was not enough for both personal and professional work-from-home use. I also learned that by putting ad-blockers on all our phones and computers made our cellular data last a lot longer. Today, data usage may not be as big of a concern. But it also takes time to download, process, and render all that advertising data. And time is money! Internet ads can also be a way of getting malware onto your computer. It's also just creepy to see the things you search for showing up on every web page you visit. You can stop all that by using Brave because all ads are blocked automatically--even YouTube ads! One more important point: if you are using a mobile device, you'll get extended battery life, too, because the downloading and processing of ads consumes power.

Brave takes all kinds of measures to ensure that data about your browsing habits isn't collected without your knowledge. In fact, it even shows a badge in the URL bar that indicates how many trackers are being blocked on that page. It's scary sometimes! Brave blocks all kinds of tracking cookies outright. Some sites use fingerprinting to determine whether you are a repeat visitor, even when cookies are blocked. Brave foils those attempts, too. Because Brave does such a good job at blocking cookies, Brave will even block most of those pesky cookie notifications that are on every site since they started being required by GDPR. A few websites may not work with all the tracking disabled. If you still think you want to use a website that insists on tracking you, you can disable shields for a given site, just by cliking on the tracking badge in the URL bar.

4. Offline viewing

Do you want to listen to that playlist while on the subway? Or watch those YouTube videos on your next flight? There's no need for special download software that might have malware embedded in it. Just save for offline viewing and go on your trip. That's really handy!

5. On all platforms with cross-device syncing

Brave is available on Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, so unless you still use a Blackberry or Palm, you can probably use Brave on your favorite device. You can even sync browsing data (bookmarks, history, password, etc.) across all your devices while keeping it all private. It's really quite cool. The sync feature is opt-in, so your data stays on your device if you don't want it shared.

6. Compatible with Chrome extensions

Extensions written for Chrome will work in Brave, so if you have browser extensions you can't live without, don't worry. Just be careful. There are browser extensions that can siphon data off to their developers (or some place worse), so make sure you trust your software vendors. This is one reason I like Brave's built-in ad blocking. I can't trust many of the ad blocking extensions I used in the past. Especially when there are so many trying to look like other popular extenstions. It just raises too many suspicions.

7. Built-in Tor functionality

This may be a niche feature, but onion routing support is built in to Brave. It's not something I use very often, but it's nice to not have to have a whole separate browser installed for the rare occasion I want it. Now if you're really paranoid, Brave's anti-fingerprinting is different from that in the Tor browser. That means you might stand out among Tor users on onion sites, so keep that in mind. (Tor makes sure all users have the same fingerprint.) Read up on the feature and understand the implications. Otherwise, it's a nice way to be a little bit more anonymous in those instances when that's what you want.

Bonus reasons

Here are a few more reasons you might like to use Brave, but these reasons aren't for everybody.

1. Brave Rewards Program

If you opt in to Brave Rewards, you can earn BAT for viewing ads. You can use this BAT to reward registered Brave Creators. Some creators register so they can earn tips from their Brave using patrons. I think that's fair since they aren't earning anything with ads when I visit. You can also choose to keep your BAT and cash it out or trade it using a cryptocurrency exhange. You probably won't make much by doing that. I think I might make about $20/year if I did that, but the hassle of tracking gains and reporting to the IRS isn't worth the $20. (Just my opinion.)

2. Support Brave Creators

With all the ad-blocking that Brave does, it should be readily apparent that websites that support themselves by displaying ads are getting short changed. I'm glad that Brave offers a way to support sites despite their ads being blocked. Sites can register as Brave creators and then receive tips in BAT (Basic Attention Token). The BAT can be earned through the Brave Rewards program, or purchased on a cryptocurrency exchange. Creators probably won't get rich this way, but it is certainly a nice gesture that allows content consumers to reward the creators they love. Creators can be tipped and rewarded on registered websites, YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit.

3. Built-in crypto wallet

Brave has a built-in crypto wallet. It's reminiscent of Metamask, but it supports a few other blockchains, too. If you find yourself on Web3 sites, it's a nice to have. You may already have a wallet that works just fine and that's okay, but the built-in wallet is worth checking out.

What do you think?

Do you value privacy when surfing the web? Or do you not care and would rather just use a mainstream broswer? Is there some other obsure feature of Brave that drives you to use it--or not use it? Let me know in the comments.