Is Brave Browser Better Than Chrome? (Brave Browser 2021 Review)

As of today, Google Chrome browser still controls around 60% of the total market share when it comes to internet browsing. It has always been the king since it dethroned Yahoo a decade ago. Its dominance, however, is currently challenged by a FREE and open-source browser that is laser-focused on privacy — the Brave Browser.

I personally use the Brave browser for its fast, private, secure, and ad-free browsing experience. But is the Brave Browser better than Chrome? For me, it’s a BIG YES! Otherwise, I would find myself going back to Chrome. 

And in this Brave Browser 2021 review, I’m going to discuss why I am deeply fascinated by this browser. 

What is Brave Browser?

If you haven’t heard about Brave before, here’s a quick overview of what it is all about.

Brave is a privacy-focused browser. It was built with the intention to provide faster and more efficient browsing experience than other browsers. Brave is built with Chromium, the same source code Google Chrome has. This just means that navigating the Brave browser looks and feels very similar to Chrome. 

The good thing about Brave, however, is its absence of Google’s spyware. I really find this part a real deal since we all know how huge companies like Google and Facebook are exploiting our data without being more transparent about it. 

I already knew the Brave browser sometime around 2017 but I wasn’t really enticed to use it until my Facebook account got hacked last February 2019. The cyberattack was so serious, it even went to the point when all of my bookmarked account details with autofill passwords got compromised. In spite of having two-factor authentication to all of my online accounts, some of my funds were still stolen so I had to change ALL of my accounts details. Pro tip: Use different emails for your socmed and online bank accounts. 

Now, I am more relaxed knowing I have complete control over my privacy while using Brave.

Brave Browser Features

1. Browse Safer and Faster

Brave claims it is 3x to 6x faster than other browsers. I can testify how lighter and faster Brave is compared to Chrome. I used to have a lot of extra extensions in Chrome for privacy concerns but I don’t have to use them anymore since some of these tools are already built natively in the Brave Browser. Tools like ad blocking, cookie controls, and HTTPS upgrading tools to mention a few.

But is Brave really faster than the other Browsers? I don’t want this review to be one-sided so I tried to look for experiments comparing its speed. Here’s a good video from Play4Tech comparing the speed while loading popular sites among 4 huge browsers: Chrome vs Firefox vs Edge vs Brave.

The following parameters were set to be as accurate as possible:

• Cache and browser data is cleared
• Incognito mode is enabled
• Internet speed is set to 40 Mbps

The guy also tested the RAM usage of the 4 browsers with these parameters:

• 6 tabs loaded
• Each browser tested individually

And the results are amazing!

	Google	Brave	Firefox	Edge
google.com	2.04	1.01	1.65	1.83
reddit.com	6.98	6.53	9.99	9.26
netflix.com	2.97	5.57	3.73	5.96
canva.com	6.06	3.30	6.47	6.14
youtube.com	3.50	3.60	6.18	4.15
cnn.com	10.72	4.15	7.13	6.30
RAM USAGE	870 MB	730 MB	960 MB	990 MB

As you can see, Brave loaded faster than the other browsers in 4 out of 6 popular sites. It also consumed the least RAM usage. Take note, however, that this experiment did not test how fast the browsers performed while browsing each site. It just tested the initial loading speed. 

But based on personal experience, I can navigate websites faster than what I experienced in Chrome due to the fact that ALL ADS are blocked in Brave. I can also open multiple tabs without lagging. This is a very huge plus if you’re into web research and if you’re suffering from OCD who blows different tabs all at once. Peace out!  

2. Switching is Easy

You don’t have to be afraid of losing the bookmarks you had in your previous browser. It doesn’t even take a minute to make the switch.

Here’s how you can import your Chrome bookmarks and settings into Brave:

Aside from Chrome, you can also import bookmarks from Safari, the old version of Brave, and via HTML file (if you’re importing from a browser other than the first three I mentioned).

Here’s how to do it:  

3. Earn Rewards

Admit it. One of the biggest turn-offs when it comes to browsing is the ads popping up everywhere. Annoying, I know. Although Brave does block every ad you usually see in Chrome and other browsers, it does not completely eliminate ads. But it introduces native ads without being pesky.

Brave ads are shown natively so you can have complete control to choose whether to view them or not. You also have full control of the frequency of the ads being shown in a specific period of time. If you deem the whole ad thing annoying, you can even turn it off completely.

For every ad that you click, you receive 70% of the ad revenue in form of BAT (Basic Attention Token), a cryptocurrency that is built to reward its users for their time and attention.

It is also notable how Brave manages to keep your personal data private:

• Brave Ads do not collect any information about you.
• Brave uses an anonymous accounting process to confirm your ad viewing activity without compromising your privacy.
  
  

How much can you earn with Brave?

Your earnings from your ad activities in Brave greatly depends on several factors as follows:

• Your chosen frequency of how often you want ads to be shown (e.g. 5 ads per hour)
• Your browsing activity. Ads won’t obviously occur unless you’re actively using the Brave browser
• The current USD value of BAT in the crypto market.

Personally, my average monthly earnings from Brave’s ad viewing activity is around $5 USD. Not that much but not that bad either. In fact, I already consider this a bonus on top of all the benefits I get from Brave.

What it means for content creators

Now, if you’re a content creator like I am who earns a share in ad viewing activities of our audience, it could also mean a drop in our ad revenue, particularly the ones we get from Google Adsense if most of our viewers are using Brave. 

But Brave ensures that the content creators’ efforts will not be put to waste. After all, they’re the very reason why people use browsers. As a publisher, you can sign up as a verified content creator on Brave Rewards to be eligible to receive tips from your readers. With Brave’s monetization model, both the publishers and the viewers are incentivized for their effort and attention.

So if you’re a content creator of any kind, I encourage you to signup for the Brave rewards program. Visit this link to start: https://creators.brave.com/sign-up

On the other hand, any Brave users can send a tip to their favorite content creators as long as they’re a Brave Verified Creator. You can send a one-time tip or set an automatic monthly contribution. 

Here’s how you can support your favorite publishers:

1. Visit their website/channel.
2. Click the BAT token icon on the right side of the address bar.
3. Choose SEND A TIP or set MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION.
4. Input the number of BAT tokens you want to contribute.

4. Anonymous Browsing

Another thing that is captivating is Brave’s built-in privacy window with Tor. In a nutshell, using Tor is the best way to browse anonymously on the web.

Is Brave Browser Better Than Chrome?

So is Brave browser better than Chrome? Absolutely. In fact, I believe it may outgrow Chrome in the coming years if Chrome fails to evolve to meet the ever-changing demand the same way Yahoo did in the past. 

Are you a Brave Browser user? If so, how was your experience so far? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!