Brave and Chrome are both built on Chromium, but they take fundamentally different approaches to browsing. Chrome prioritizes Google ecosystem integration and market dominance with ~3.98 billion monthly active users. Brave prioritizes privacy and ad-blocking with 100+ million MAU and growing.

This comparison uses real data from our browser database and PrivacyTests.org to help you decide: should you switch from Chrome to Brave?

Quick Comparison

Category	Brave	Chrome
Engine	Chromium/Blink	Chromium/Blink
Monthly Active Users	100M+	~3.98B
Privacy Tests Passed	103/146 (70.5%)	30/146 (20.5%)
Built-in Ad Blocker	✅ Brave Shields	❌
Built-in VPN	✅ (paid, $9.99/mo)	❌
Default Search	Brave Search	Google
Crypto Wallet	✅ Built-in	❌
Sync	Brave Sync (no account)	Google Account required
Price	Free	Free
Revenue Model	Opt-in ads + premium	User data / ads
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

Privacy: Brave Wins Decisively

This is the biggest difference between the two browsers — and it’s not close.

Brave passes 103 out of 146 privacy tests on PrivacyTests.org. Chrome passes only 30 out of 146. That’s a 70.5% vs 20.5% pass rate — Brave blocks more than 3× the tracking vectors that Chrome allows.

Brave Shields blocks ads, trackers, fingerprinting scripts, and third-party cookies by default. It also upgrades connections to HTTPS automatically and blocks bounce tracking — a technique where trackers redirect you through intermediary domains.

Chrome, by contrast, has no built-in ad blocker and its privacy features are minimal. Google’s business model depends on advertising, so Chrome is designed to allow tracking rather than prevent it. Chrome’s “Enhanced Protection” mode sends browsing data to Google for analysis.

Fingerprint protection: Brave randomizes fingerprint values (canvas, WebGL, audio context) on each session, making cross-site tracking via fingerprinting unreliable. Chrome does nothing to prevent fingerprinting — it even exposes detailed hardware information via Client Hints.

Third-party cookies: Brave blocks them by default. Chrome abandoned plans to deprecate third-party cookies in 2024, keeping them enabled for all users.

Performance

Both browsers share the same Blink rendering engine, so raw page rendering speed is effectively identical. The difference comes from what loads on the page.

Brave’s ad-blocking means fewer network requests, fewer scripts executing, and faster page loads. Brave claims pages load 3-6× faster on ad-heavy sites because blocked ads don’t consume bandwidth or CPU.

Chrome loads every ad, tracker, and analytics script on the page, which adds significant overhead on ad-heavy sites. However, Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine optimizations are shared with Brave, so compute-heavy web apps perform identically.

Memory usage is comparable. Both are Chromium-based and share the same multi-process architecture. Brave’s ad-blocking can reduce memory usage on ad-heavy pages by eliminating tracker iframes and scripts, but the base browser overhead is similar.

Startup time: Chrome may have a slight edge due to deeper OS integration (especially on ChromeOS and Android), but the difference is negligible on modern hardware.

Features

Brave-Exclusive Features

Brave Shields: Built-in ad and tracker blocker with per-site controls
Brave Search: Independent search engine, no Google dependency
Brave Rewards: Opt-in system to earn BAT tokens by viewing privacy-respecting ads
Brave Wallet: Built-in multi-chain crypto wallet (Ethereum, Solana, Filecoin)
Brave VPN: Powered by Guardian, $9.99/month
Brave Talk: Built-in video calling (based on Jitsi)
Brave News: Privacy-preserving news feed
Tor integration: Private windows with Tor routing (built into the browser)
IPFS support: Native InterPlanetary File System node

Chrome-Exclusive Features

Google Account integration: Seamless sync with Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Photos
Google Translate: Built-in page translation (Brave uses a different engine)
Google Lens: Visual search from right-click context menu
Gemini AI: Integrated AI assistant in the address bar
Chrome Remote Desktop: Built-in remote access
ChromeOS integration: Chrome is the operating system on Chromebooks
Password Manager: Google Password Manager with passkey support
Reading Mode: Built-in reader view (also available in Brave)

Shared Features (Chromium Base)

Both browsers support Chrome Web Store extensions, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), Developer Tools, tab groups, profiles, and PDF viewing. Any Chromium feature that isn’t Google-specific works in both.

Extensions

Both use the Chrome Web Store, so extension compatibility is nearly identical. The one exception: Manifest V3 changes that limit ad-blocker capabilities in Chrome don’t affect Brave, because Brave’s ad-blocking is built into the browser rather than relying on extensions.

This is a critical distinction. Chrome’s move to Manifest V3 weakened extension-based ad blockers like uBlock Origin (which now requires the “Lite” version on Chrome). Brave users don’t need uBlock Origin because Brave Shields is more deeply integrated and unaffected by Manifest V3.

Mobile Experience

Both browsers are available on iOS and Android. On iOS, both must use WebKit (Apple’s rule), so rendering is identical. The difference is in features:

Brave on mobile includes Shields (ad-blocking), Brave Search, Brave Wallet, Brave VPN, and Brave Rewards — the full desktop feature set. The ad-blocking alone makes mobile browsing significantly faster and less cluttered.

Chrome on mobile offers Google Account sync, Google Translate, Google Lens, and tight integration with other Google apps. If you’re deep in the Google ecosystem (Gmail, Drive, Maps), Chrome’s integration is seamless.

Data usage: Brave’s ad-blocking can significantly reduce mobile data consumption by blocking ads and trackers before they download. This matters on limited data plans.

Sync

Brave Sync works without an account — it uses a sync chain (a seed phrase) to connect devices. This means your browsing data is never tied to an identity. Brave syncs bookmarks, history, passwords, open tabs, and extensions.

Chrome Sync requires a Google Account, which means your browsing data is linked to your Google identity. This enables powerful features (cross-device history, password sharing, tab hand-off) but also means Google has access to your browsing metadata.

For privacy-conscious users, Brave’s accountless sync is a significant advantage. For users who want seamless Google ecosystem integration, Chrome’s sync is more capable.

Revenue Model

Understanding how each browser makes money explains their design decisions:

Chrome is free because it funnels users into the Google advertising ecosystem. Chrome’s default search (Google) generates ~$50 billion/year in search ad revenue. Chrome is designed to maximize Google service usage — that’s why tracking is permissive and ads aren’t blocked.

Brave generates revenue through Brave Search ads (keyword-based, privacy-preserving), Brave Ads (opt-in notification ads that share revenue with users via BAT), and premium services (VPN, Talk premium). Brave also earns referral revenue from default search engine deals.

This fundamental difference means Brave is incentivized to protect your privacy (it’s their selling point), while Chrome is incentivized to allow tracking (it’s Google’s revenue source).

Who Should Switch?

Switch to Brave if:

You want ad-blocking without installing extensions
You care about privacy and don’t want Google tracking your browsing
You want the same extension compatibility as Chrome
You’re interested in crypto features (wallet, BAT rewards)
You want faster page loads on ad-heavy sites
You’re on mobile with limited data (ad-blocking saves bandwidth)

Stay with Chrome if:

You’re deeply invested in the Google ecosystem (Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Photos)
You use ChromeOS (Chromebook)
You rely on Google Translate and Google Lens frequently
You need Chrome Remote Desktop for work
Your organization mandates Chrome via enterprise policy
You don’t mind Google having your browsing data

The Switch is Easy

Since both are Chromium-based, switching from Chrome to Brave takes minutes:

Download Brave
Import Chrome bookmarks, passwords, and history (Brave offers this on first run)
Install any Chrome extensions you need from the Chrome Web Store
Set up Brave Sync across your devices

You lose nothing except Google integration. Your extensions, bookmarks, and passwords all transfer seamlessly.

Verdict

Brave is the better browser for most users in 2026. It passes 103 vs 30 privacy tests compared to Chrome, blocks ads and trackers by default, and maintains full Chrome extension compatibility. The switch takes minutes and costs nothing.

Chrome remains the right choice only if you’re deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem or your workplace requires it. For everyone else, there’s no technical reason to stay on Chrome — Brave does everything Chrome does, minus the tracking.

The numbers tell the story: 70.5% privacy pass rate vs 20.5%. In a world where digital privacy legislation is expanding and data breaches are routine, choosing a browser that protects you by default isn’t just a preference — it’s practical.