Brave Browser vs w3m

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.

w3m is a pager that also functions as a text-mode web browser. When reading HTML, it lets users follow links and open images through an external image viewer. Its internet message mode checks a document’s header and renders content marked text/html as HTML. Plain-text URL descriptions can be converted into links, supporting terminal-oriented browsing and document reading. w3m is free and open source, listed at free, with no paid plans or usage limits stated. Linux is a documented platform for desktop use. Building it on MS-Windows requires Cygwin and development tools. The installation notes require the GC library and describe a configure, make, and make install process. The project permits use, modification, and redistribution when copyright notices remain in copies, applications, and derived works. Documentation identifies poor online manuals as a current problem. The GitHub repository says the package is maintained for Debian and forked from the original SourceForge version, while its releases page lists no releases. The software is provided without express or implied warranty.