A side-by-side comparison
Brave vs Safari
As the default on Apple devices, Safari is the second most widely used browser in the world. It’s generally considered more private than Chrome, and is optimized for iOS and macOS. But despite Apple’s best efforts, it still doesn’t match up to a privacy-and-performance browser like Brave.
Brave is faster and more private, even on macOS and iOS devices. And—unlike Safari—it also works on every other device and operating system. So which is right for you?
Let’s compare.
Is Brave more private than Safari?
Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world. But unlike other Big Tech players like Google or Facebook, Apple is far less dependent on advertising revenue; most of their money comes from sales of hardware and software. As such, they have less incentive to collect your data (or allow it to be collected), and more incentive to protect you online.
Still, Safari doesn’t go nearly as far as it could in terms of specific privacy and security protections. Brave, meanwhile, blocks nearly every attempt to track you:
Chart describes default settings.
- Full protection
- Limited protection
- No protection, or off by default
As you can see, Safari still allows ads and trackers to appear on the webpages you visit. It still allows some fingerprinting techniques, and even those annoying cookie-consent notices (which Brave blocks by default). With Safari, you’re still followed across the Web. Your browsing and search history are recorded and linked directly with you—all without your knowledge or consent.
Brave, meanwhile, is private by default.
Does Brave have more features than Safari?
Brave is built on the open-source Chromium browser engine (the same one that powers Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi).1 Safari is powered by Apple’s open-source WebKit engine.
Basic functions like bookmarks and tabs are there in both Brave and Safari. For Safari extensions, you’ll need to visit the Apple App Store; for Brave extensions, you can visit the much larger selection in the Chrome Web Store. But with all of Brave’s built-in features, you likely won’t need any extensions.
Beyond these core similarities, Brave has lots of custom features that are missing in Safari:
Better browsing
Privacy & security
Web3
Better browsing
Privacy & security
Web3
Chart describes default settings.
- Full functionality
- Limited functionality
- No functionality, or off by default
Some sub-features like Translations and Tab groups are available in both browsers. But to get real parity in Safari, you’d need to install multiple extensions that, unfortunately, can introduce security risks and slow down your Web browsing.
When looking at browser functionality, Brave far outperforms Safari.
Brave cleans up webpages, giving you a less distracting browsing experience on every site—including YouTube.
Safari, on the other hand, shows pages cluttered with ads…and countless other junk you can’t see. One look at a side-by-side, and you’ll immediately notice the difference.
Grab the slider to see the difference between Brave and Safari and try a few sites below
Daily Mail
All Recipes
YouTube
FAQs
Does Brave work well on Mac computers?
Brave works on all Mac laptop and desktop computers. It performs far better on macOS machines than Safari does. By blocking ads and trackers, it uses less RAM and CPU, and saves memory.
Does Brave work well on iPhones?
Brave works on all Apple mobile devices. It performs far better on iOS devices than Safari does. By blocking ads and trackers, it uses less battery, less bandwidth, and less mobile data.
Does Brave work on mobile and desktop? Does it work on all operating systems?
Brave is available on Android and iOS, macOS and Windows, and even Linux. No matter which device or operating system you use, Brave will run better than the default browser—or any other browser you might install—on that device.
Is Safari more private than Brave?
No, Brave provides better out-of-the-box privacy. Safari still lacks support for several important privacy features. Safari does not support Global Privacy Control (GPC), a protocol that opts the user out of the sale and sharing of their data on websites in certain jurisdictions like California. Safari also offers limited anti-fingerprinting support in comparison to other more privacy-friendly browsers—this would make it easier for websites to track Safari users based on unique device and browser characteristics. Safari’s ability to remove query parameters and block tracker scripts and pixels by default is similarly limited. For a comprehensive comparison of Safari against more privacy-focused browsers like Brave, you can refer to privacytests.org, which evaluates browsers on open source privacy tests.
Who makes Brave?
Safari is owned by Apple, one of the largest (and richest) companies in the world. Brave, meanwhile, is made by Brave Software Inc., an independent company based in North America. Since it’s not owned by Big Tech, it’s not beholden to Big Tech.
What search engines are available in Brave?
Safari does not have its own search engine, so Safari users must default to Google or Bing, or one of the “alternative” engines that are in fact just powered by Big Tech. The default search engine in the Brave browser is Brave Search, which is built to keep you private and secure. Brave Search can’t sell, lose, or use your data—we don’t collect it in the first place.
As for quality, Brave Search has indexed more than 18 billion pages (and counting). And while Google’s index has far more pages, it’s important to note that a huge percentage of that is either duplicate content, spam pages, or other junk. Brave Search actually delivers results that are higher in relevance, timeliness, and utility.
And of course, any other search engine will work in Brave as well.
Does Brave have Incognito windows? Doesn't Incognito keep me safe online?
Yes, Brave has the same feature, though we call them private windows instead. But it’s important to note that Incognito windows are not some privacy hack. All these windows do is delete cookies from that particular browsing session, so they’re not connected to future Incognito sessions, or browsing you do in a regular window. When you browse in an Incognito window, you’re still being watched by trackers on the sites you visit.
