Privacy browser: Firefox, Brave, LibreWolf and Safari compared
A privacy browser blocks the trackers that follow you from site to site, all the time and not only in a private window. Firefox, Brave and LibreWolf are all open-source browsers that do this by default, and each makes a different trade-off between protection, convenience and security updates. For most people, Firefox with its tracking protection turned up is the balanced choice.
This is the second of three short articles on browser privacy and security, after what Incognito mode and private browsing really do.
In short
- Firefox is the balanced choice for most people: strong tracking protection and the full uBlock Origin blocker.
- Brave blocks ads and trackers with nothing to install. LibreWolf is the strictest, but you update it yourself.
- Safari is a reasonable default on Apple devices. Google Chrome is not open source as Google ships it.
- In any browser: keep it updated, turn on encrypted DNS, send Global Privacy Control, and test it with the EFF's Cover Your Tracks tool.
Why does the browser matter for privacy and security?
The browser sees everything you do online. It sees every site you visit, every form you fill in and every account you sign in to. Advertising networks place trackers on millions of websites so they can build a picture of what one browser does across all of them.
Tracking protection is a security setting as much as a privacy one. Blocking those trackers also blocks some of the adverts that carry malware.
Which privacy browser should you choose?
| Browser | Licence | What it blocks by default | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefox | Open source (MPL 2.0) | Social trackers, cross-site tracking cookies, cryptominers and known fingerprinters; every site gets its own cookie jar | Strict mode blocks more but can break some sites |
| Brave | Open source (MPL 2.0) | Ads, trackers, cross-site cookies and fingerprinting, through Brave Shields | Brave's own ads and crypto rewards are optional extras you can ignore; Brave calls its fingerprinting protection best effort |
| LibreWolf | Open source (MPL 2.0), an independent Firefox fork | Telemetry off, uBlock Origin included, strict anti-fingerprinting | Does not update itself, and Google Safe Browsing warnings are off, so you must update it and accept fewer malicious-site warnings |
| Safari | Apple, not open source | All third-party cookies | Only on Apple devices |
Google Chrome is left out of the table because, as Google ships it, it is not open source. It blocks third-party cookies by default in Incognito, and since 31 August 2026 its store no longer offers the full uBlock Origin content blocker (part 3 explains).
| If you are... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Most people | Firefox, Standard or Strict tracking protection, uBlock Origin, encrypted DNS on |
| Wanting it done for you | Brave with Shields at their defaults |
| After maximum privacy and comfortable updating by hand | LibreWolf |
| Using Apple devices only | Safari is a reasonable default; Firefox runs on Apple devices too |
Why is Firefox the balanced choice?
It has three levels of tracking protection. Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection has three levels. Standard blocks social media trackers, cross-site tracking cookies, cryptominers and known fingerprinters. Strict blocks more, at the risk of breaking some sites. Custom lets you choose.
Every site gets its own cookie jar. Since June 2022, Total Cookie Protection has given every website its own cookie jar for all Firefox desktop users, so a tracker on one site cannot read the cookies it set on another.
It still supports the full uBlock Origin extension, which matters for part 3.
Why choose Brave?
Protection with nothing to set up. Brave is built on Chromium, the open-source core of Chrome, and adds Brave Shields, which block ads, trackers, cross-site cookies and fingerprinting by default. It suits someone who wants strong blocking without installing anything.
The extras are optional. Brave also offers its own privacy-respecting adverts and a cryptocurrency reward scheme; both are switched off unless you opt in.
Why choose LibreWolf, and what does it cost you?
It is Firefox with the privacy settings at the maximum: no telemetry, uBlock Origin built in and strict fingerprinting protection.
Its own documentation is honest about the cost. It does not update itself, so you must install updates promptly, and Google Safe Browsing, which warns you about known malicious sites and downloads, is switched off. It suits someone confident maintaining their own software.
Which settings are worth changing in any browser?
- Keep it updated. A privacy browser that misses security updates is a liability. Let Firefox, Brave and Safari update automatically, and restart when asked.
- Turn on encrypted DNS. Every time you visit a site, your browser looks up its address through DNS, which is usually unencrypted. Firefox can send those lookups over HTTPS (DNS over HTTPS), but switches it on by default only in the United States, Canada, Russia and Ukraine. In South Africa you turn it on yourself, under Privacy & Security. The DNS provider still sees the lookups; Mozilla requires its partners to keep them for no more than 24 hours.
- Send Global Privacy Control. This signal asks websites not to sell or share your data. Brave sends it by default, and Firefox sends it in private windows and in normal windows if you tick the box. Some laws, such as California's, require businesses to honour it; elsewhere it is a request.
- Test it. The Electronic Frontier Foundation's free Cover Your Tracks tool shows whether your browser blocks trackers and how unique its fingerprint looks. The EFF notes that piling on unusual protections can make a browser easier to recognise, not harder.
Read next:
- Ad blockers and browser extensions: what still works and what to remove, part 3 of this series, where privacy and security meet most directly.
- Incognito mode: what private browsing really does, part 1 of this series.
- Privacy-focused operating systems for phones and computers, on privacy below the browser.
Browser privacy covers the device. On public Wi-Fi, a managed VPN from Noiz encrypts the connection from each of your devices as well.
Sources
- Mozilla Support, Enhanced Tracking Protection: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enhanced-tracking-protection-firefox-desktop
- Mozilla, Total Cookie Protection for all users (June 2022): https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/firefox-rolls-out-total-cookie-protection-by-default-to-all-users-worldwide/
- Mozilla Support, DNS over HTTPS: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-dns-over-https
- Mozilla, DoH resolver policy: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/DOH-resolver-policy
- Mozilla Support, Global Privacy Control: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/global-privacy-control
- Brave, Shields: https://brave.com/shields/
- Brave, source and licence: https://github.com/brave/brave-browser
- Brave, fingerprinting protections: https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/wiki/Fingerprinting-Protections
- LibreWolf, features: https://librewolf.net/docs/features/
- LibreWolf, FAQ: https://librewolf.net/docs/faq/
- WebKit, tracking prevention: https://webkit.org/tracking-prevention/
- Chrome for Developers, Manifest V2 deprecation timeline: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline
- EFF, Cover Your Tracks: https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/about
- W3C, Global Privacy Control: https://www.w3.org/TR/gpc/
- California Privacy Protection Agency regulations (section 7025): https://cppa.ca.gov/regulations/pdf/ccpa_updates_cyber_risk_admt_appr_text.pdf
Note: while some of this content was produced with the help of AI, the final editing has been done by a real human being.
