Brave Browser & Search Engine vs Private Browser
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Brave Browser & Search Engine
A fast, private web browser that automatically blocks ads and trackers on all sites. It offers built-in private search, an AI assistant for summarizing and drafting, and a customizable news feed. Enjoy a cleaner, more secure browsing experience with reduced data usage.
- Automatic ad and tracker blocking
- Private browsing with tracker prevention
- Built-in private search engine
- AI assistant for summarization and drafting
- Customizable news feed
- Faster page loading and reduced data usage
- Shred feature to delete site data selectively
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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.
Private Browser
This privacy-focused browser offers a minimalist, full-screen experience. It automatically clears browsing data upon exit and includes features like app locking and a "Burn Everything" option for complete privacy.
- Full screen browsing
- Automatic private browsing data clearing
- History-less and tracking-less browsing
- Application lock
- "Burn Everything" reset option
- Easy zoom adjustment
- Quick tab access
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Brovacy is a privacy-focused browser with a minimalist design. FEATURES • A full screen experience where you are in full control • Private browsing mode automatically clears everything upon app exit • Multiple zoom level that's super easy to adjust • History-less and tracking-less browsing to protect your privacy • Application lock to protect you from prying eyes • "Burn Everything" makes it easy to reset everything • 5 tabs, all at a single tap's reach. Simple, effective and no clutter.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Brave Browser & Search Engine at 674K against Private Browser's 233. Brave Browser & Search Engine also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and chart position (#22 vs unranked). Private Browser's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Brave Browser & Search Engine sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Private Browser sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Brave Browser & Search Engine holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brave Browser & Search Engine has 674K ratings behind it against 233, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Brave Browser & Search Engine's written reviews are positive against 68% of Private Browser's.
Brave Browser & Search Engine ships an update every 2 weeks, Private Browser weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Brave Browser & Search Engine | Private Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (674K ratings) — better | 4.6 (233 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews — better | 68.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 674K — better | 233 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #22 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 362 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Brave Software | Actowise LLC |
Customer experience
Brave Browser & Search Engine
Private Browser
User reviews
Brave Browser & Search Engine
From 674K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Private Browser
From 233 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Good privacy protection
- 👍 Easy to use
- ✨ Brilliant app
- 👍 Works as intended
Room to improve
- 🐛 Charged for $0 promo
- 🐛 No refund eligibility
- 🐛 App asks for review too soon
- 🐛 Tabs reset on closing
- 🐛 No support reply
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
Private Browser
Reported bugs
4 issues- Charged $10 for $0 promo
- Tabs reset when app is closed
- Randomly switches search engine (Google to Bing)
- Ads appear at start-up after free promotion
Requested features
9 requests- Force dark mode on pages
- Add Chinese language support
- Keep browsing history private and secured
- Add more to keep prying eyes away from history
- Ability to return to previous browsing session
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Dark mode option
- Make it an iOS default browser option
- Individual website zoom setting stick
- Indication of which tabs contain content
In-app purchases
Brave Browser & Search Engine
- 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 moreShow fewer
- Brave Leo AI (annual)7 Days trial$149.991 Year
- Brave Origin$59.99
Private Browser
- Pro Lifetime$4.99
- Pro Lifetime$9.99
Questions
Is Brave Browser & Search Engine free?
Is Private Browser free?
Which has better reviews, Brave Browser & Search Engine or Private Browser?
Do Brave Browser & Search Engine or Private Browser have ads?
Which is updated more often, Brave Browser & Search Engine or Private Browser?
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