Top 10 Secure Browsers to Preserve Your Privacy in 2023
A secure browser that safeguards your privacy is an essential tool for staying safe online and protecting your data from others. The most recent recommendations for 2022 are contained in this guide because we have been evaluating, testing, and ranking browsers for the last six years.
Top 10 Secure & Private Browsers
1. Brave – The most private and secure browser
Brave is arguably the safest browser with simple, out-of-the-box privacy. It is a Chromium-based fast, secure, and privacy-focused browser by default. It has a built-in browser fingerprinting protection and ad blocker while giving you access to numerous add-ons and extensions. The leading developer behind Brave is Brandon Eich, who formerly worked for Mozilla.
Brave is based on open-source Chromium to summarise this browser but configured for more privacy. It does well with its default privacy settings and extra features. Here is a brief overview:
- It offers fingerprint randomization and guards against browser fingerprinting
- Blocks trackers and ads by default
- Blocks all third-party storage
- Built-in script blocker
- Easy access to the Tor network
- Automatically upgrades to HTTPS (HTTPS Everywhere)
2. Firefox
Firefox is an excellent all-around browser for security and privacy. Robust privacy control measures, a wealth of customization possibilities, frequent updates, superior protection, and responsive development staff are all provided. The most recent Firefox version has several privacy customization features and is fast and light.
Firefox isn't the best for privacy out of the box, but you can alter and strengthen it, and we'll demonstrate to you just how in our guide on Firefox privacy improvements. Ensure you turn off Firefox's telemetry feature, which records "technical and interaction data" and "install and runs studies" inside your browser.
Firefox highlights:
- Continuous improvement and upgrades
- Independently verified open-source code
- Many browser extensions supported
- Excellent customization options and privacy features
- Additional changes require increased privacy and security.
- You must turn off telemetry and track manually.
3. Tor browser
The Tor browser comes next on the list. A modified version of Firefox configures to function on the Tor network, also known as the Tor browser. The Tor Browser has a few drawbacks but is a safe browser that guards against browser fingerprinting by default.
The Tor browser's data speeds can be pretty slow because it utilizes the Tor network, which distributes traffic over three hops. Because of script restrictions, the default version can also crash some websites. Lastly, there are issues with the Tor network itself, including dangerous or harmful exit nodes, high latency, reliance on US government funding, and some believe it is fundamentally compromised. Numerous websites also filter IP addresses coming from the Tor network.
4. Ungoogled Chromium browser
Ungoogled Chromium is an open-source platform that offers the Chromium browser without the security concerns associated with Google:
Google Chrome, without reliance on Google internet services, is known as Ungoogled Chromium. Additionally, it has several changes that improve openness, control, and privacy (almost all of which need manual enabling or activation).
The default Chromium experience is near as preserved as possible in Ungoogled Chromium. Ungoogled-chromium is effectively a drop-in substitute for Chromium, in contrast to other Chromium forks that have their ideas about what a web browser should be.
5. Bromite (Android)
Chromium-based browser Bromite is available only on Android (no desktop support). Aside from ad blocking, it has several privacy-enhancing features as standard. From the Bromite website, the following are some of its salient features:
- To combat the notion of "browser as an advertisement platform," only minor UI changes are made.
- The primary objective is to offer a clutter-free browsing experience without any features that invade users' security and with the addition of a quick ad-blocking engine.
- Bromite is only compatible with versions of Android Lollipop (5.0, API level 21) and higher.
- All fixes are released under the GNU/GPL v3 licence to facilitate use by other open-source projects.
6. LibreWolf – A secure and private fork of Firefox
An increasingly popular fork of Firefox is called LibreWolf. Delivering a browser focusing on security, privacy, and freedom is one of the project's declared objectives. According to the LibreWolf website, LibreWolf has some security enhancements to enhance protection against fingerprinting and tracking techniques. Our privacy- and security-focused settings and fixes help us accomplish this. LibreWolf also intends to disable anti-freedom aspects like DRM and eliminate all data collection, telemetry, and annoyances.
7. DuckDuckGo privacy browser (Android and iOS)
We've recently added the DuckDuckGo privacy browser to our selection. This browser has several privacy-focused capabilities by default and is accessible for mobile phones on Android and iOS. DuckDuckGo's browser provides the following:
- Update Encryption via Smarter Encryption technology
- Tracking protection by default
- Fast speeds
- Easy clearing options and data management
8. Waterfox
For several years, a single person managed the Firefox branch called Waterfox. News of the sale to System1, a pay-per-click advertising firm, went viral on Reddit in February 2020. As a result of the information spread by others, System1 and Waterfox officially announced the acquisition (but only after the news broke).
9. Pale Moon
Another open-source derivative of Firefox that focuses on customization and efficiency is Pale Moon. Pale Moon includes various customization choices, support for earlier Firefox add-ons, and a selection of its add-ons, according to my tests. Although the style is a little old, it is lightweight, quick, and not overly cluttered.
10. GNU IceCat
A Firefox fork created by the GNU open-source software project is called GNU IceCat. IceCat is "free software" by this definition and comes pre-configured with several privacy add-ons and adjustments. The following is a list of the privacy-protection options found on the IceCat page:
- HTTPS-Everywhere
- LibreJS
- AboutIceCat
- SpyBlock
- Fingerprinting countermeasures
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