Brave Browser vs DuckDuckGo Browser
Brave Browser
brave.comDuckDuckGo Browser
duckduckgo.comSide by side
| Figure | Brave Browser | DuckDuckGo Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $2.50/mo | $8.33/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 6 |
| Spec score · Web browsers | 9.5 (#1) | 9.3 (#4) |
| Spec score · Privacy browsers | 9.5 (#1) | 9.2 (#3) |
| Ad Blocking | Brave blocks third-party ads, including video, search, and social media ads. | Blocks most ads, including ads on videos and YouTube. |
| Built-in ad blocking | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-device sync | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 2015 | 2008 |
| Free Browser | Brave Browser is completely free to use. | The DuckDuckGo browser is free. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | 48 2nd St, Floor 3, San Francisco, CA 94105, United States | Paoli, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Supported platforms | both | both |
| Tracker Blocking | Shields blocks third-party tracking scripts and the ads that depend on them. | Blocks third-party trackers from companies including Facebook and Google. |
Plans
Brave Browser
- FreeFree
- Brave Origin$59.99, paid once
- Search premium$29.99 a year
- Talk premium$69.99 a year
- Brave VPN$99.99 a year
- Leo AI premium$149.99 a year
DuckDuckGo Browser
- Free BrowserFree
- Plus Monthly$9.99 a month
- Plus Annual$99.99 a year
- Pro Monthly$19.99 a month
- Pro Annual$199.99 a year
- Pro$199.99 a year
In their own words
Brave Browser
Brave Browser is a free, open-source browser for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. It blocks third-party ads and tracking, including video, search, and social media ads; Shields also blocks tracking scripts and ads that depend on them. Brave protects against browser fingerprinting and can upgrade webpages to secure HTTPS connections. Users may choose to view privacy-protecting ads and earn BAT through Brave Rewards, and browser ads can be switched off. Brave Search is the default for most new users and works in any browser, but disabling its search ads requires Search Premium. The browser is built on the open-source Chromium Web core under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. Separate services include Search Premium at $29.99 per year, Talk Premium at $69.99 per year, Brave VPN at $99.99 per year, and Leo AI Premium at $149.99 per year. VPN, Talk Premium, and Leo Premium offer seven-day free trials. Brave says its VPN encrypts every connection, follows a no-logs policy, and receives independent software and infrastructure audits. Enterprise group policies can customize enabled and disabled features.
DuckDuckGo Browser
DuckDuckGo Browser is a browser for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, with a free plan and paid subscriptions. It blocks third-party trackers, including those from Facebook and Google, and most ads, including video and YouTube ads. It can block most cookie pop-ups and may opt users out automatically. Cross-device sync and a password manager are included, and a one-click control clears tabs, history, and browsing data. Email protection blocks hidden trackers in emails, while Duck.ai offers optional private chats with popular AI models. DuckDuckGo says those conversations are not used to train AI and that it does not track searches; its tracker list and exceptions are open source. Paid plans add VPN protection, advanced AI models, personal information removal, and identity restoration. Plus costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Pro costs $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year and adds Claude Opus 4.8, GPT-5.6 Sol, higher reasoning effort, and twice Plus’s Duck.ai usage limits. DuckDuckGo has been independent since its founding in 2008 and is based in Paoli, Pennsylvania.