The Best Private Web Browsers

Unprotected browsers can expose sensitive data to advertisers, governments, tech companies, and even criminals, such as:

• Account details
• Autofill information
• Purchases made
• Messages sent
• Websites visited
• Videos watched

While data sharing for services is common, most collection occurs without user knowledge or consent, often justified by unused features.

There’s a significant risk of data being misused, abused, or shared without consent

Third-party data brokers create extensive user profiles, selling them for:

• Targeted advertising
• Loan term adjustments
• Insurance premium calculations
• Service restrictions based on demographics
• Political influence
• Intelligence gathering

Browser cookies and trackers are crucial to this data ecosystem, powering customized content and ads across websites.

Large-scale data collection poses risks and infringes on individuals’ right to control their information.

A private browser with a VPN is the first step towards reclaiming online privacy. Some VPNs even offer built-in ad and tracker blocking.

1. Secure Browser

A secure browser protects against targeted attacks and malware. It may stop a hacker from stealing your account details, but it won’t prevent you from leaving a trail of data behind you as browse the internet.

Google Chrome is an example of a browser that’s secure but not private.

2. Private Browser

A private browser limits data collection and tracking. It doesn’t share your data with tech companies or governments and has robust anti-tracking measures. Ideally it is also open source for transparency.

Smaller development teams and open source software usually means less frequent security updates, potentially increasing vulnerabilities.

Iridium is an example of a browser that is private but less secure.

3. VPN Browser

So-called ‘VPN browsers’ are normally proxies, not full VPNs, which means they don’t offer as much protection.

The privacy claims of these browsers can be unreliable as there no regulations around what constitutes a ‘VPN browser’.

The Opera browser is just one example of a ‘VPN browser’ that undermines your privacy by sharing your data to numerous third parties, including Facebook and Google. Our advice is to avoid using Opera VPN, as it’s not safe to use.

For optimal privacy, combine a trusted VPN with a genuinely private browser rather than relying on ‘VPN browsers’.

Some browsers claim to have full VPN capabilities, but these ‘VPN browsers’ are often glorified proxies with limited protection. The term lacks a strict definition, so don’t assume they offer privacy. Let’s examine the most popular options:

1. The most popular ‘VPN Browser’ is probably the Opera browser. Despite its popularity, Opera is neither a proper VPN nor is it particularly private. We recommend avoiding the Opera browser where possible. For more details on exactly why, you can skip to our chapter on popular browsers to avoid.
2. Tenta Browser is another “VPN browser” that’s only available on Android. Tenta isn’t fully open-source, which is worrying for a browser that sells itself on privacy. The free version of Tenta isn’t a full VPN, although Tenta do sell a “pro version”, which is. It has a firm no-logs policy and is kept up to date from a security perspective, which are both positives.
3. Epic is the third well-known ‘VPN browser’. Epic is closed-source, so it’s hard to know exactly what it does with your data. Like Opera and Tenta it only runs as a proxy, not as a full VPN. Epic is also based in India, with servers in the US – neither of which are good jurisdictions for privacy. It is based on Chromium, and there is some evidence that it still sends your information back to Google.

We can’t fully recommend using any of these browsers. At the very least, you should use them with caution.

We look forward to the arrival of a well-made, transparent, and effective VPN browser. Until then, the term “VPN Browser” is a marketing statement more than anything else.

If you want a lightweight VPN within your browser then the best option is to use a trustworthy VPN add-on, although these are also often proxies. To help you find a safe option, we’ve written guides to the best VPN extensions for Chrome and VPN extensions for Firefox.

If you’re looking for a private browsing experience that includes a VPN, our advice is to avoid “VPN Browsers”. You should be running a full, trustworthy VPN alongside a properly configured privacy-first browser.

1. Select the preferences or settings menu in the top right hand corner of your screen.
2. Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Firefox Data Collection and Use.
3. Uncheck every box in this section.

Firefox also has a feature which can block trackers, cookies, fingerprinters and cryptominers, called Enhanced Tracking Protection.

1. Select the settings menu in the top right of your screen.
2. Navigate to Settings > Search > Default Search Engine.
3. Choose your preferred search engine from the drop-down menu.

Access advanced settings by entering about:config in the address bar. Click “Accept the risk and continue” to access the configuration menu.

To modify settings, search for the preference name and double-click to toggle between true and false.

Here is a list of the most important advanced Firefox privacy settings, and whether it should be enabled for disabled for maximum privacy:

The most important advanced Firefox privacy settings and recommended values:

Preference Name	Set To	Effect
media.peerconnection.enabled	FALSE	Disables WebRTC to prevent IP address leaks
privacy.resistFingerprinting	TRUE	Enables native fingerprint protection
privacy.trackingprotection.fingerprinting.enabled	TRUE	Enhances fingerprint protection
privacy.trackingprotection.cryptomining.enabled	TRUE	Protects against cryptominers
privacy.firstparty.isolate	TRUE	Enables first-party isolation to prevent cross-domain tracking
privacy.trackingprotection.enabled	TRUE	Blocks known third-party trackers
geo.enabled	FALSE	Disables geolocation services
media.navigator.enabled	FALSE	Prevents tracking of camera and microphone information
network.cookie.cookieBehaviour	4	Enables highest cookie protection (New Cookie Jar)
network.cookie.lifetimePolicy	2	Deletes cookies at end of session
network.dns.disablePrefetch	TRUE	Disables DNS prefetching
network.prefetch-next	FALSE	Disables page prefetching
webgl.disabled	TRUE	Disables WebGL to prevent fingerprinting and security risks
dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled	FALSE	Prevents websites from detecting clipboard actions
media.eme.enabled	FALSE	Disables DRM-controlled HTML5 content

Firefox Focus has telemetry turned on by default. Navigate to the settings to disable it.

At the same time, customize the level of privacy to your preferences. As with any super-private browser, turning on all of the protections breaks some websites or makes them display strangely.

Using Tor correctly isn’t difficult, but it isn’t always intuitive. It has two big vulnerabilities:

1. Information leaks when used improperly.
2. Potential eavesdropping at public exit nodes.

To maintain anonymity, follow these steps:

• Avoid logging into personal accounts, such as social media or email.
• Don’t share personal information.
• Use HTTPS sites exclusively.
• Disable mobile two-step verification.
• Never torrent (risks IP leaks and slows the network).
• Use privacy-focused search engines:
  • DuckDuckGo
  • Searx.me
  • Qwant
  • Start Page

Brave can be a secure, privacy-focused browser if you avoid the advertising system. Even when configured properly, it’s still less privacy-effective than Firefox-based browsers however.

Keep BAT rewards disabled. It’s turned off by default and we recommend you keep it that way.

If you’ve already turned on the rewards system, turn it off by clicking the triangular ‘rewards’ button in the top right corner of the browser.

However, it’s important to be aware of the following general safety tips:

1. Choose extensions carefully. Untrustworthy sources may include spyware or data collection scripts. Research before downloading, especially free ones, regardless of ratings. If concerned about spyware, read our article on detecting phone spying.
2. Don’t overuse extensions. Too many add-ons make you more identifiable online through browser fingerprinting. The more customized your browser, the more you stand out.

For best results, choose one trusted extension for each key privacy element. For example, one for blocking ads and another for tracking scripts or CDNs. Avoid overlapping utilities and limit yourself to two or three extensions total.

If you have multiple privacy concerns, consider browser compartmentalization.