Information about what you eat, what you watch, who you text, who you sleep with and where you\u2019re going on vacation has long been a commodity. You basically give it to your browser for free, which then passes it on to companies you have no interest in for them to monetize. If that makes you uncomfortable, you\u2019ve come to the right place \u2014 we\u2019re here to help you find a private browser that respects your privacy! But before listing these alternatives, we need to highlight what\u2019s actually wrong with the world\u2019s most popular browser \u2014 used by two-thirds of the world\u2019s netizens.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re interested in the topic of user data collection, you probably already know all about Google, and so you can skip this part. But for those who\u2019ve just joined us so to speak, we\u2019ll briefly explain Chrome\u2019s attitude to user privacy, and why the browser is best avoided.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to realize that Google gets the lion\u2019s share of its revenue (in 2022 more than 80%) from selling ads. And the basis of such outstanding success of the company in the advertising business is user data. It\u2019s this data that allows advertisers to target audiences far more precisely than through other platforms. That\u2019s because Google can \u2014 and does \u2014 collect far more of your data than anyone else.<\/p>\n
Its sources of user data are wide-ranging: from highly visible products and services used by everyone (search, YouTube, Android, etc.), to invisible ones like Google\u2019s analytical tools, which are used by most websites<\/a> and applications<\/a>. Of course, Google\u2019s own browser, Chrome, plays a not-insignificant role in all this.<\/p>\n If you use Chrome, Google can see<\/a> just about everything you get up to online. And there\u2019s nothing you can do about it: delete as many cookies as you like or browse in Incognito mode, it won\u2019t make a lot of difference \u2014 Google will still hoover up data<\/a> about your internet activity.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget that, besides Google, hundreds of other companies are also tracking your actions <\/a>in cyberspace. And Chrome doesn\u2019t really do much to stop this. But never fear, there are lots of other browsers out there that treat your data far more delicately: they collect less data, link it less rigidly to a concrete identity<\/a>, and are more proactive in preventing data collection by other parties.<\/p>\n These more privacy-minded alternatives to Chrome are the topic of this post. But since it would take too long to list them all, we\u2019ll focus here on some of the more interesting options \u2014 in ascending order of complexity.<\/p>\n\n Great news for those too lazy to download and install something else: you can get rid of Chrome without lifting a finger. Users of Windows or macOS\/iOS just need to switch to the preinstalled browser: Microsoft Edge or Apple Safari, respectively.<\/p>\n Operating systems:<\/strong> iOS, macOS User security and privacy have been priorities for Apple for some time now. It first took action against third-party tracking of Safari users five years ago. The latest versions of the native iOS and macOS browser block trackers on sites by default, and are able to hide the user\u2019s IP address and report how many tracking elements have been blocked on viewed pages.<\/p>\n And while Safari may not be the most private browser of all (it allows some trackers and has a unique fingerprint), everything works by default right away \u2014 you don\u2019t have to configure anything or enable private mode. In short, if you have an iPhone, iPad or Mac, Safari is a great way to increase online privacy with no effort at all.<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Operating systems:<\/strong> Windows, Android<\/a>, iOS<\/a>, macOS<\/a>, Linux<\/a> Following Apple\u2019s example, Microsoft felt obliged to beef up privacy in its own browser. The current version of Edge features highly effective built-in tools for combating web trackers; however, they\u2019re not enabled by default. On the plus side, as before, Windows users don\u2019t have to install anything \u2014 the browser comes with the operating system.<\/p>\n There are three main drawbacks to Edge\u2026<\/p>\n First, there\u2019s the fact that it\u2019s based on Google\u2019s open-source browser Chromium<\/a>, which underpins Chrome \u2014 the very browser we\u2019re trying to avoid. Chromium has in the past been caught<\/a> sending data to Google (to be fair, this was quickly rectified).<\/p>\n Second, Edge sends quite a lot of data<\/a> to Microsoft\u2019s servers. This isn\u2019t good, of course, but at least Microsoft\u2019s cross-platform tracking abilities are less developed than Google\u2019s.<\/p>\n Third, in the default basic mode, Edge does nothing to deter web trackers. To combat them, you need to enable strict privacy mode in the settings \u2014 something that few users will bother to do.<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Now let\u2019s look at a couple of options that require downloading and installing. Note that both are noticeably better at combating web trackers than the native browsers in Windows, iOS and macOS, and at the same time they\u2019re still quite simple and user-friendly, so switching over is relatively painless.<\/p>\n Operating systems:<\/strong> Windows<\/a>, Android<\/a>, iOS<\/a>, macOS<\/a>, Linux<\/a> Mozilla Firefox is the only browser that was developed from start to finish independently of any IT giant (at least directly). Firefox is particularly notable for its in-house web engine. Mozilla gets most of its revenue from the search engines <\/a>Google, Yandex and Baidu for setting them as default (depending on the region, of course) in the browser settings. But that\u2019s about it: Mozilla doesn\u2019t sell user data and doesn\u2019t try to stop you changing the default search engine in Firefox to something else.<\/p>\n Even in basic mode, Firefox offers great protection against online tracking. And if you crank up the privacy slider to the top, it\u2019s one of the best in the business. Incidentally, in addition to the regular Firefox, there\u2019s also a version for mobile OSes called Firefox Focus, which is even more privacy-focused (available for both Android<\/a> and iOS<\/a>).<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Operating systems:<\/strong> Windows<\/a>, Android<\/a>, macOS<\/a>, Linux<\/a> Vivaldi\u2019s developers concentrate primarily on privacy. The brains behind this browser belong to Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner<\/a>, the legendary creator of Opera (once considered one of the most secure browsers, even having a built-in VPN). Vivaldi boasts a lot of customization options: its settings cover two dozen screens.<\/p>\n The browser has a built-in ad and web-tracker blocker, which does a fine job. Another interesting feature: Vivaldi lets you set different search engines for normal and private windows, which makes it possible to quickly switch between, say, Bing, Google, and DuckDuckGo.<\/p>\n Like Mozilla, Vivaldi earns its crust from user searches in search engines, as well as from placing links to various internet services on the browser\u2019s home screen. At the same time, Vivaldi\u2019s creators openly state<\/a> that they don\u2019t engage in any kind of user data collection, profiling or tracking. The only thing to bear in mind is that Vivaldi, like Edge, is based on Google\u2019s Chromium engine (see above for potential issues).<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Lastly, for extreme privacy seekers, there are DuckDuckGo, Tor Browser and Mullvad Browser. Although there\u2019s nothing hugely complex about them, maximum anti-tracking protection comes at the expense of surfing speed and user-friendliness. So if you want total control over your data, you\u2019ll have to put in some effort.<\/p>\n Operating systems:<\/strong> Windows<\/a>, Android<\/a>, iOS<\/a>, macOS<\/a> The DuckDuckGo browser was created by the team behind the private search engine of the same name, so, as you might guess, that\u2019s the default option. An important detail: you can\u2019t change the default search engine, so it may take some time to get used to both the browser and the search interface.<\/p>\n Among other things, DuckDuckGo helps against user tracking on YouTube: it offers a browsing mode in which it opens all YouTube videos in the native Duck Player.<\/p>\n DuckDuckGo\u2019s developers make no secret of the fact that they earn money from ads in search results, but point out that they do so without tracking or profiling users<\/a>, based only on the content of search queries: \u201cIf you search for cars, we\u2019ll show you ads about cars. It\u2019s that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Operating systems:<\/strong> Windows<\/a>, Android<\/a>, macOS<\/a>, Linux<\/a> Tor Browser is Mozilla Firefox on steroids. Its creators made it as secure as possible against online tracking, with strict privacy mode enabled out of the box. Tor is great at blocking trackers, has a minimally unique fingerprint, and uses the DuckDuckGo search engine by default (can be changed in the settings).<\/p>\n But the main feature is that all traffic in Tor Browser is routed through the Tor (The Onion Router) network \u2014 with all the advantages and disadvantages this entails. The chief plus, of course, is maximum anonymity and anti-tracking protection; the main minus is the low surfing speed. For those accustomed to modern connection speeds, browsing in Tor will be quite painful. It\u2019s possible to configure<\/a> Tor Browser to work without the Tor network, but there\u2019s a better option, which we discuss below.<\/p>\n Tor Browser is available for all desktop operating systems, as well as for Android. But not for iOS: instead, the Tor Project recommends that iPhone owners use the Onion Browser<\/a> app, made by a Tor-friendly developer.<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Operating systems:<\/strong> Windows<\/a>, macOS<\/a>, Linux<\/a> Mullvad Browser is basically the answer to the above question of how to use Tor Browser without the Tor network. It\u2019s essentially the same browser, only instead of The Onion Router network it offers a secure connection through Mullvad VPN<\/a>, an anonymous VPN service that even allows users to pay in cash sent by snail mail \u2014 all in the name of privacy.<\/p>\n All other features remain in place: excellent protection against web trackers immediately after installation, with the ability to enhance privacy and security using custom settings. Despite this, the connection speeds are still very fast, so surfing with Mullvad Browser doesn\u2019t evoke memories of the dial-up modem era.<\/p>\n Mullvad Browser was launched just recently<\/a>, so currently it\u2019s available only for desktop operating systems \u2014 we\u2019ll have to sit patiently for Android and iOS versions.<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Finally, a few extra tips on how to make internet surfing as private as possible:<\/p>\n Alternatives to Google Chrome that take data privacy more seriously.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2726,"featured_media":25607,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1855],"tags":[1190,1252,16,22,43,742],"class_list":{"0":"post-25606","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-privacy","8":"tag-advertising","9":"tag-browsers","10":"tag-chrome","11":"tag-google","12":"tag-privacy","13":"tag-surveillance"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"en-in","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/25606\/"},{"hreflang":"en-ae","url":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/21025\/"},{"hreflang":"ar","url":"https:\/\/me.kaspersky.com\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/10632\/"},{"hreflang":"en-us","url":"https:\/\/usa.kaspersky.com\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/28237\/"},{"hreflang":"en-gb","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.uk\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/25905\/"},{"hreflang":"es-mx","url":"https:\/\/latam.kaspersky.com\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/26310\/"},{"hreflang":"es","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.es\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/28785\/"},{"hreflang":"ru","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.ru\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/35252\/"},{"hreflang":"tr","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.tr\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/11466\/"},{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/48066\/"},{"hreflang":"fr","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.fr\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/20536\/"},{"hreflang":"pt-br","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.br\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/21249\/"},{"hreflang":"de","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.de\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/30093\/"},{"hreflang":"ja","url":"https:\/\/blog.kaspersky.co.jp\/private_browsers\/33869\/"},{"hreflang":"ru-kz","url":"https:\/\/blog.kaspersky.kz\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/26238\/"},{"hreflang":"en-au","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.au\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/31913\/"},{"hreflang":"en-za","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.za\/blog\/private-browsers-beginners-guide\/31596\/"}],"acf":[],"banners":"","maintag":{"url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/tag\/privacy\/","name":"privacy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25606"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25767,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25606\/revisions\/25767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Simplest: Microsoft Edge and Apple Safari<\/h2>\n
Apple Safari<\/h3>\n
\nBased on:<\/strong> Apple\u2019s own development
\nStrict privacy mode:<\/strong> no<\/p>\n\n
\n
Microsoft Edge<\/h3>\n
\nBased on:<\/strong> Chromium
\nStrict privacy mode:<\/strong> yes<\/p>\n\n
\n
More complex: Mozilla Firefox and Vivaldi<\/h2>\n
Mozilla Firefox<\/h3>\n
\nBased on:<\/strong> Mozilla\u2019s own development
\nStrict privacy mode:<\/strong> yes<\/p>\n\n
\n
Vivaldi<\/h3>\n
\nBased on:<\/strong> Chromium
\nStrict privacy mode:<\/strong> yes<\/p>\n\n
\n
Hardcore: DuckDuckGo, Tor Browser, Mullvad Browser<\/h2>\n
DuckDuckGo<\/h3>\n
\nBased on:<\/strong> Mozilla Firefox
\nStrict privacy mode:<\/strong> maximum privacy by default<\/p>\n\n
\n
Tor Browser<\/h3>\n
\nBased on:<\/strong> Mozilla Firefox
\nStrict privacy mode:<\/strong> maximum privacy by default<\/p>\n\n
\n
Mullvad Browser<\/h3>\n
\nBased on:<\/strong> Mozilla Firefox
\nStrict privacy mode:<\/strong> maximum privacy by default<\/p>\n\n
\n
Private surfing: what else to consider<\/h2>\n
\n