Brave Browser

Overview

Brave takes the position that blocking should be the default rather than something you install afterwards. Out of the box, advertising, third party tracking and cross site cookies are blocked, scripts known to fingerprint the browser are neutralised, and connections are upgraded to encrypted versions where the site supports it. Nothing needs configuring for any of that to be active.

The engine is Chromium, so the compatibility argument is settled the same way it is for the other members of that family: sites render identically and extensions install without modification. What differs is what happens before the page renders, since the blocking runs inside the browser rather than as an extension and therefore starts earlier and costs less.

Fingerprinting protection is the part that separates it from an ordinary blocker. Rather than only blocking known trackers, it randomises the values that scripts read to identify a browser uniquely, so the same machine looks slightly different to each site. The setting has strict and standard tiers because full randomisation breaks a small number of sites that legitimately read those values.

Private browsing goes further than a window that forgets. Alongside the ordinary private mode there is one that routes traffic over an anonymising network, which hides the connection from the local network and from the sites themselves at the cost of speed. Around that there are the usual conveniences: a sidebar, vertical tabs, tab groups, split view for two pages side by side, and a built in reader mode.

Key Features

• Advertising, tracker and cross site cookie blocking enabled by default
• Fingerprinting protection with randomised values in standard and strict tiers
• Automatic upgrade to encrypted connections where the site supports it
• Private windows with an option to route over an anonymising network
• Chromium engine with full site and extension compatibility
• Vertical tabs, tab groups and split view for two pages at once
• Sidebar for pinned tools and sites without spending a tab
• Built in reader mode and full page screenshot capture
• Per site shield controls for relaxing blocking where a page breaks
• Sync of bookmarks, history and settings across devices without an account

What Changed in This Build

• Blocking filter lists refreshed with cheaper rule matching
• Lower memory use with a large number of open tabs
• Split view improved on narrow windows
• Faster startup on machines with mechanical drives

System Requirements

Processor	Any modern x86 or x64 processor
Memory	2 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended for heavy tab use
Storage	800 MB free
Graphics	Any DirectX 11 capable adapter for accelerated rendering
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit

Release Details

Full title	Brave Browser
Version string	1.93.136
Publisher	Brave Software
Category	Software
Licence	Free and open source
Platform	Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit
Interface language	Multilingual, 30 plus interface languages
Archive size	156 MB
Mirrors	4 active, all reporting online
Listed	refreshed 2 months ago, checked again 40 minutes ago

Installation Notes

• Drop the shield for a single site rather than turning blocking off globally when a page misbehaves.
• Strict fingerprinting protection breaks a small number of sites that read those values legitimately, standard is the safer default.
• The anonymising private window is noticeably slower by design, use it deliberately rather than as your normal mode.

Before You Start

Read the notes above before running setup. Most of the problems people write in about are covered there, and almost all of them come down to an older version of the same software still being installed, a graphics driver that predates the release, or a security suite quarantining part of the package mid install.

There is no archive password on this or any other entry in the library. If something you downloaded elsewhere claims to come from here and asks for one, it did not come from here. Nothing on this site is behind a survey, a shortener or a countdown either.

If the entry does not match what the page describes, say so on the contact page and include the version string from the release details table. Reports naming a specific version get checked first because the checker can reproduce them straight away.

Frequently Asked