I'm always willing to try something new, especially when it comes to web browsers. Every other release of Firefox, I attempt to use it for a few weeks to see if I can switch from Google Chrome. My last attempt lasted 2 months before I finally gave up due to performance and bugs. I've had stints with Opera and various other browsers, but always end up going back to Chrome.
My latest adventure is with the Brave browser. This Chromium based browser has a few features that caught my attention months ago:
- Privacy and security built in with anti-tracking tools and Tor
- Superb performance and extension support
- Supports Content Creators and Publishers
Privacy
Brave employs a "Shields Up" feature which allows the user to block ads and tracking websites.
Normally on Google Chrome, one would use extensions such as uBlock Origin and Ghostery to accomplish such tasks. I've found that Brave's built in protection is sufficient for most sites since it also includes the ability to block scripting. Honestly, this feature alone is worth the download, but wait there's more!
If you've heard of Tor, it's probably related to some kind of privacy protection situation on the web. We leave digital footprints all over the internet, and Tor is one of the strongest tools to anonymize your activity:
"Tor is free and open-source software for enabling anonymous communication. The name is derived from an acronym for the original software project name "The Onion Router". Tor directs Internet traffic through a free, worldwide, volunteer overlay network consisting of more than seven thousand relays to conceal a user's location and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis." - Wikipedia
Brave includes Tor by default.
Simply hit Alt+Shift+N to open a new incognito tab with Tor. Again, these features can be used with other browsers (including the Tor browser) through extensions or plugins, but Brave bakes it right in.
Performance
I tried Brave for the first time in June 2018 and loved most of the features but the performance reminded me of Firefox. It lacked the snappiness I'm used to with Chrome and other Chromium based browsers.
In December 2018, Brave officially moved to a (forked) Chromium base and performance improvements are through the roof. For the first time in a while, I'm trying a new browser that actually feels much faster than Chrome. This encourages me to continue using the browser and recommend it to others. I suspect performance is a huge reason why users return to Google Chrome and its accompanying extensions. Thankfully, every extension I've tried works without a hitch in Brave. You can even install them directly from the Chrome Web store.
Content Creator Support
Brave supports Content Creators using a concept called "attention". The more you watch a verified publisher of Brave, the more attention you supply in the form of Brave Attention Tokens (BAT) video here
"Basic Attention Token radically improves the efficiency of digital advertising by creating a new token that can be exchanged between publishers, advertisers, and users. It all happens on the Ethereum blockchain.
The token can be used to obtain a variety of advertising and attention-based services on the BAT platform. The utility of the token is based on user attention, which simply means a person’s focused mental engagement." - basicattentiontoken.org
Brave encourages users to automatically "tip" publishers with BAT based on the percentage of attention spent. It's a brilliant system that intuitively rewards creators you watch the most. I've become a verified publisher on this site, twitch, and youtube channels. Users can either tip me directly via the browser interface, or simply allow the auto-tip feature to do its thing over time.
As a publisher, can you cash out your BAT using sites like Uphold or you can use the BAT how you see fit.
Are you switching?
Is Brave worth switching to? Personally, I don't see a lot of risk in doing so. As a matter of fact, one has so much to gain in terms of security and performance. You won't lose much with Chrome extensions and you'll be using a safer, more secure browser in the process.
It takes courage to be Brave. Download Brave today.