Comparison

Brave Browser & Search Engine vs Avast Secure Browser

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Brave Browser & Search Engine

A fast, private web browser with built-in ad blocking and a VPN. It offers an AI assistant, a crypto wallet, and a privacy-focused search engine. Enjoy offline media playback and enhanced security features.

Highlights
  • Built-in Adblock and Pop-up Blocker
  • Firewall + VPN
  • AI Assistant (Brave Leo)
  • Secure Crypto Wallet (Brave Wallet)
  • Privacy-Focused Search Engine (Brave Search)
  • Offline Media Playback (Brave Playlist)
  • Voice Search
Features
Read full description

Brave is a fast, private web browser that blocks ads and trackers on every site, automatically. No settings to change, no extensions to install. Over 125 million people browse with Brave. It's free, open source, and independent — we don't sell your browsing data. Everything below is built into the browser. One app, not a stack of them. BLOCK ADS ON EVERY SITE Brave Shields stops banner ads, pop-ups, autoplay interruptions, and the ads that play before and during videos. Same on news sites, shopping sites, forums and video pages — no per-site setup, no ad blocker extension. It dismisses cookie consent banners too, and it's on from your first tab. PRIVATE BROWSING THAT BLOCKS TRACKERS Private mode in most browsers only hides your history from your own phone. Brave blocks the cross-site trackers and fingerprinting scripts that follow you from a shopping page to your social feed, strips tracking codes from links you copy, and turns on Global Privacy Control by default. SHRED: DELETE ONE SITE'S DATA, NOT ALL OF IT Clearing browser data usually logs you out of everything. Shred deletes the cookies and storage for one site and leaves your other sessions intact. Set Auto Shred to run whenever you close a tab. BRAVE SEARCH: A PRIVATE SEARCH ENGINE, BUILT IN Brave Search is the default search engine in the browser, running on its own independent index — not resold results from Google or Bing. It doesn't profile you or log your searches. Ask Brave puts search results and AI answers in one place. Switch search engines any time. BRAVE LEO: A FREE AI ASSISTANT Summarize a long article, translate a page, or draft a reply without leaving the tab. Choose from several AI models. Leo doesn't record your conversations, share them, or use them to train models. BRAVE NEWS: A FEED WITH NO PROFILE BEHIND IT Personalize a news feed from hundreds of sources or any RSS feed with Brave News. FASTER PAGES, LESS MOBILE DATA Ads and trackers are most of what a modern page downloads. Blocking them means fewer requests, less data and less battery drain. We rebuilt Brave's ad blocking engine to use 75% less memory, so it stays responsive with many tabs open. MAKE BRAVE YOUR DEFAULT BROWSER Open Settings, scroll to Brave, choose Default Browser App. Every link you tap — from Mail, Messages or any app — opens with ad and tracker blocking already on. WHAT'S FREE AND WHAT ISN'T Free: the browser, ad and tracker blocking, Shred, Brave Search, Brave Leo, Brave News, Sync and night mode. Subscriptions: - Brave Firewall + VPN encrypts your whole device, not just browser traffic, with a kill switch and smart proxy. - Brave Leo Premium unlocks more capable AI models. - Brave Origin: The streamlined, minimalist browser that gives you Brave's industry-leading privacy and ad-blocking, with none of the extras. One-time purchase: Brave Origin, an ultra-minimalist build of Brave — no AI, no crypto, nothing but the web. One purchase covers all your devices. Also inside: encrypted Sync, a self-custody Brave Wallet (off by default), night mode, voice search, password autofill, custom app icons, and bookmark import from Safari or Chrome. OPEN SOURCE Brave is open source, so anyone can audit what the browser does. Read what we collect at https://brave.com/privacy/ Our mission is to protect your privacy online by building a fast, private browser — while growing a fairer revenue model for creators. Enjoying the app? Please leave us a 5 star review! Brave.com · Support: https://brave.com/support Terms of Use: https://brave.com/terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://brave.com/privacy/ SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Price may vary by location. Subscriptions are charged to your Apple Account. Firewall + VPN and Leo Premium are offered monthly and annually, and renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Account Settings. Free trials may be used once; any unused portion is forfeited on purchase.

About

Avast Secure Browser

This browser prioritizes your online privacy and security with built-in VPN, ad-blocking, and data encryption. It protects you from trackers and ISPs, ensuring your browsing is truly private and secure. Enjoy faster browsing without ads and sync your encrypted data across devices.

Highlights
  • Built-in VPN
  • Ad blocker
  • Data encryption
  • Automatic privacy protection
  • Faster browsing
  • Cross-platform sync
Read full description

Over 400 million users trust Avast! Avast Secure Browser is a next generation browser that is designed from the ground up for unparalleled privacy and security with built-in VPN, ad-blocker, and complete data encryption. Did you know other "private browsers" do not actually make you invisible? For real privacy and security, you need built-in VPN and total data encryption. Avast Secure Browser has all the browsing tools you love plus all the privacy tools you need for secure browsing that’s actually private. Download the best encrypted private browser for iOS today! BROWSER FEATURES Automatic Privacy: Avast Secure Browser keeps you hidden from the prying eyes of hackers, trackers, and ISPs. Browse securely with powerful privacy tools such as built-in VPN, ad blocker and full data encryption. Browse Faster Without Ads: Avast Secure Browser automatically blocks ads and trackers that slow you down. Powerful Encryption: Your browsing data is protected and private. This is incognito mode that is actually incognito and convenient. That means your bookmarks, IP address and browsing history are all encrypted and kept private and secure. Built-In VPN: Secure your mobile device and unblock the internet with fast VPN protection. Secure Cross Platform Sync: Sync your encrypted bookmarks and browser history with Avast Secure Browser.

Screenshots

Brave Browser & Search Engine4 screens
Avast Secure Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Brave Browser & Search Engine at 655K against Avast Secure Browser's 2.1K. Brave Browser & Search Engine also leads on chart position (#21 vs unranked). Avast Secure Browser's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Brave Browser & Search Engine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Avast Secure Browser sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Brave Browser & Search Engine against 4.7 for Avast Secure Browser. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brave Browser & Search Engine has 655K ratings behind it against 2.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Brave Browser & Search Engine's written reviews are positive against 79% of Avast Secure Browser's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brave Browser & Search Engine ships an update every 3 weeks, Avast Secure Browser every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Brave Browser & Search Engine versus Avast Secure Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrave Browser & Search EngineAvast Secure Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (655K ratings) — better4.7 (2.1K ratings)
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews79.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings655K — better2.1K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#21 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size361 MB110 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBrave SoftwareAVAST Software s.r.o

Customer experience

Brave Browser & Search Engine

All ratings655,391 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews7,473 reviews
Positive73.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative19.2%

Avast Secure Browser

All ratings2,065 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews498 reviews
Positive79.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative13.9%

User reviews

Brave Browser & Search Engine

From 655K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient browsing
  • 🔒 Strong privacy and security features
  • 👍 Customizable settings and options
  • 💰 Earning potential with Brave Rewards

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive UI changes
  • 🚫 Lack of full sync capabilities across devices

Avast Secure Browser

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 👍 User-friendly
  • 🚀 Quick and responsive
  • 👍 Excellent protection

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 💰 Paywall for premium features
  • 🔋 Can slow down device performance
  • 🔍 Limited customization options
  • 🤖 Aggressive ad/upsell tactics

Bugs and requests

Brave Browser & Search Engine

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Disappearing tabs and lost browsing data
  • Compatibility issues with certain websites
  • Problems with the Brave Playlist feature

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to clear browsing history and data in bulk
  • More customization options for the home screen and UI
  • Improved integration with other apps and services
  • Expanded Brave Rewards program and payouts

Avast Secure Browser

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sync issues between mobile and desktop
  • Compatibility problems with certain websites
  • VPN disconnects unexpectedly
  • Ad blocker not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved tab management
  • Sync bookmarks/history across devices
  • More granular privacy controls
  • Better integration with other Avast products

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Brave Browser & Search Engine

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Firewall + VPN7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Brave Leo AI (monthly)7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Annual Firewall + VPN7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Brave Leo AI (annual)7 Days trial$149.991 Year
One-time1
  • Brave Origin$59.99
6 purchases

Avast Secure Browser

Subscriptions6
  • Avast Pro 1 Month7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Avast Pro 1 Month7 Days trial5 variants$7.491 Month
  • Avast Pro 1 Month7 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Avast Pro 12 Months7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Avast Pro 12 Months$29.991 Year
  • Avast Pro 12 Months7 Days trial2 variants$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Brave Browser & Search Engine free?
Brave Browser & Search Engine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Avast Secure Browser free?
Avast Secure Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Brave Browser & Search Engine or Avast Secure Browser?
Brave Browser & Search Engine is rated higher. Brave Browser & Search Engine averages 4.8 out of 5 from 655K ratings, while Avast Secure Browser averages 4.7 from 2.1K ratings.
Do Brave Browser & Search Engine or Avast Secure Browser have ads?
Neither Brave Browser & Search Engine nor Avast Secure Browser shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brave Browser & Search Engine or Avast Secure Browser?
Brave Browser & Search Engine ships an update every 3 weeks, and Avast Secure Browser every 5 weeks. Most recently, Brave Browser & Search Engine was updated on September 24, 2026 and Avast Secure Browser on September 24, 2026.

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