I’ve been using Microsoft Edge and Chrome on my Windows PC for as long as I can remember. Both browsers work well, but after trying Brave, I can’t see myself going back. Below, I’ll explain why I now prefer Brave over other options.
1 Brave Prioritizes User Privacy
While Edge and Chrome prioritize user privacy, Brave stands out in this area. Its Brave Shields feature blocks ads, third-party trackers, website scripts, fingerprinting, and third-party cookies. It prevents companies from collecting data about my browsing habits and tracking me across the web.
Chrome, as a Google product, relies heavily on user data for targeted ads, which is how it generates revenue. In contrast, Brave blocks ads and trackers, ensuring my online interactions aren’t monitored. I can even see how many ads, trackers, and other elements have been blocked on each site.
Even though Edge has improved its data collection practices, it still gathers information for personalized services as part of the Microsoft ecosystem. The only drawback of Brave Shields is that it occasionally disrupts certain site features, and in some cases, I need to turn it off to continue browsing the site.
2 Brave’s Reward System Is Unmatched
Brave offers a unique reward system that neither Edge nor Chrome can match. With Brave, I can view privacy-respecting, non-intrusive ads and earn cryptocurrency rewards called BAT (Basic Attention Token). Whenever I browse, I accumulate BAT tokens, which I can later convert to other cryptocurrencies, like stablecoins, or use to tip my favorite content creators.
Edge’s reward system, Microsoft Rewards, doesn’t compare to Brave’s for a few reasons. First, Microsoft requires using Bing as the search engine to earn rewards, while Brave allows me to use any search engine. Brave’s reward system, being based on cryptocurrency, is decentralized, whereas Microsoft Rewards is not.
However, Microsoft Rewards does have the advantage of giving points for shopping on Microsoft platforms or completing specific tasks, which Brave doesn’t offer. Unlike Brave’s rewards, which are focused on web browsing, Microsoft Rewards are more integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem.
3 Brave Is Faster and Consumes Less Resources
I find Brave faster than both Chrome and Edge. Brave blocks ads, trackers, and other unnecessary elements when loading a webpage, so there’s less to process. This helps get faster load times. In my experience, if you have a slow internet connection or visit ad-heavy websites that take ages to load, you’ll notice a big improvement after switching to Brave.
As a Windows user, I had to deal with high resource usage constantly, but switching to Brave has made things much easier. Besides being faster, Brave is much less demanding on my computer’s hardware. The difference is especially noticeable compared to Chrome, which is known for being a resource hog. That gave me a reason to switch from Chrome.
While Edge performs better than Chrome, it still uses more resources than Brave in my testing, where I compared resource consumption across both browsers running the same processes. Brave also makes tracking resource usage simple. Hovering over an open tab lets you see how many resources it consumes—something neither Chrome nor Edge offers.
4 Brave Has a Cryptocurrency Wallet, But Others Don’t
Brave offers a built-in cryptocurrency wallet, a feature that neither Chrome nor Edge provides. The wallet supports Ethereum, Solana, and many other chains and tokens built on those networks. It also allows you to store NFTs and interact with decentralized apps (dApps), making it a one-stop solution for managing your cryptocurrency needs. I can also connect hardware wallets.
Plus, it’s a non-custodial wallet, meaning I have full control over my crypto keys. It’s not tied to the Brave installation either, so if I uninstall the browser, I can reinstall it, enter my keys, and regain access to my funds. When I used to use Chrome and Edge, I had to use separate wallet extensions to manage my crypto.
This used to not only put my funds at risk but also add extra strain to my browser, requiring me to manage one more extension. Given the security risks targeting these wallet extensions, I find Brave’s integrated wallet more secure since it safeguards my funds as long as the browser remains uncompromised.
5 Comes With a Built-in VPN and Can Browse Via Tor
Brave includes a built-in VPN service, a feature neither Chrome nor Edge offers. With Brave’s VPN, I can browse securely and anonymously without needing third-party extensions, which always come with some risk. On Edge or Chrome, I always had to rely on third-party VPN extensions. However, Brave’s VPN isn’t free.
There’s a 7-day free trial, but after that, it costs $9.99 per month. This might be a drawback since many VPN extensions offer free usage.
Brave also surpasses both Chrome and Edge in terms of private browsing. Besides standard private browsing, Brave allows me to browse via Tor, which routes traffic through the Tor network. This process anonymizes my IP address and keeps my online activity highly private. That eliminates the possibility of surveillance while using the incognito or private window.
6 I Now Talk to My Team Directly via Brave
Lastly, Brave allows me to host meetings directly through the browser with its Brave Talk feature. It lets me arrange video conferences for up to four people for free, with a paid plan available for larger groups. What I like most is that there are no time limits on meetings, unlike other conferencing apps. Setting up a meeting and sharing the link takes less than a minute.
This feature is not available in either Chrome or Edge. From my experience, Brave Talk offers almost every feature you’d expect from a video conferencing app, such as raising hands, managing participants, controlling screen sharing, and more. The only downside is the participant limit, as most other video conferencing apps allow more attendees.
However, if you only need to coordinate with a small team or have a quick call with a few friends, Brave Talk is a great alternative to the other video conferencing apps you might use.
For these reasons, I’ve switched to Brave after using Chrome or Edge for years. With the improvements I experienced so far, I don’t see myself returning to either of those browsers anytime soon. If you find these reasons compelling, I recommend trying Brave for a few days—you’ll likely notice a significant difference.
