Brave
Chrome-compatible browser with ad and tracker blocking built in. Official Linux packages from Brave.
Our verdict
Brave is the easiest way to get a Chrome-like browser that is quiet. Ad and tracker blocking is on from the first launch, so news sites and recipe pages load without the usual clutter, and you never have to pick an ad blocker.
Because it is built on the same foundation as Chrome, the sites that demand Chrome are happy, and Chrome extensions install normally. Coming from Windows the layout will feel familiar within seconds.
The annoyance is the crypto wallet and the rewards notifications, which you can turn off but have to go looking for. Install it from Brave's own repository rather than the app store version: Brave itself says the Flatpak and Snap builds lag behind the native packages.
What's good
- Blocks ads and trackers without you installing anything
- Runs Chrome extensions, so your existing add-ons work
- Brave maintains its own Linux packages rather than leaving it to volunteers
- Pages load noticeably faster on ad-heavy news sites
What to know first
- Built-in crypto wallet and rewards prompts that many people do not want
- Some sites break until you switch the shield off for them
- Brave's own site notes the Flatpak and Snap builds do not work as well as the native packages
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (MPL-2.0)
- How you install it
- .deb installer, .rpm installer, App store (Flatpak), App store (Snap), Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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