Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) vs Private Browser
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN)
This app provides a secure and private browsing experience with built-in ad blocking and an unlimited VPN. It offers features like an encrypted vault for files, audio reading of articles, and protection against fingerprinting. Enjoy a faster, more private internet.
- Free unlimited VPN for browser
- AdBlock and tracker blocking
- Encrypted file vault
- Audio queue for articles
- Fingerprinting protection
- Always-on private browsing
- Built-in video downloader
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Epic, one of the world's best-know privacy browsers, is now available on iOS. The Epic Mac & PC browsers have been rated excellent by PC Magazine, awarded 5 out of 5 stars by CNET, and reviewed favorably in dozens of publications. Epic for Windows and Mac are used by millions of users around the world. Epic for iOS is free & includes a free, unlimited VPN-for-the-browser and AdBlock (enabled via Privacy Features on the new tab page) & no in-app purchases. The Epic Privacy Browser includes many protections and mobile-first features for iPhone & iPad users: • Built for Speed & Security. • Encrypted / Hidden Vault. Hide any files you download or store to protect your privacy. • AdBlock. Activate it via Epic's Privacy Features on the new tab page. Epic was the first browser to block cryptomining scripts. We now bring that protection to iPhone and iPad users. Epic's AdBlock blocks ads, trackers, cryptomining scripts, popups and more. • Strict No-Logging Encrypted VPN for the browser. Activate our Browser VPN via Epic's Privacy Features on the new tab page. It's a free, unlimited VPN for the browser powered by hundreds of servers in seven countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore & India. • Audio Queue. On the road? Going for a run? Add webpages to Epic's audio queue & Epic will read the articles to you. Epic is the first-ever web browser to use iOS text-to-speech support for this accessibility feature. • Fingerprinting Protection. Epic blocks multiple fingerprinting techniques used by trackers and data collectors. • Encrypted Connection Preference / HTTPS Everywhere Support. Epic tries to connect to websites using an encrypted connection whenever possible. • Always-On Private / Incognito Browsing. No browsing history. • Easy Menu-based "Close All Tabs & Delete Data" Option. • Granular, Site-Based Privacy Settings Controls. If a site isn't working, you can disable ad & tracker blocking (if you've enabled AdBlock) as well as other privacy protections. • Tracker Count. See how many trackers are blocked in your browsing sessions when AdBlock is enabled (typically thousands!). • Bookmark Support. • Password Saving Support. Optional for sites of your choice. • Reader Mode Button. Convert pages to text-only for easy reading. • Built-in Video Downloader. Download videos from many websites. • Customized Dials on the New Tab Page. Set each dial on Epic's new tab page to one of your choice. No browsing history to report on your "most visited sites". • Print and Save to PDF Supported. • Request Desktop Site Supported. Try Epic. We think you'll love the faster, more private and convenient "Epic" browsing experience. Epic has historically been one of the few browsers if not the only browser to offer both security and comprehensive privacy out-of-the-box. Many other so-called privacy browsers often don't have an encrypted VPN built-in or use the TOR network which should be considered insecure as many nodes are run by hackers and other malicious hosts. To configure other browsers for privacy often requires many, untrustworthy extensions and multiple, complicated settings pages--all of which won't achieve the level of privacy to which Epic has been engineered. We're proud to protect the privacy of iPhone and iPad users online. SUPPORT: Please visit our forums at forums.epicbrowser.com We've always been transparent about how Epic works so please feel free to email our Founder & CEO directly at alok at hiddenreflex dot com for help, to share your thoughts or ask any other question. Alok is a privacy enthusiast who's spoken at TEDx on how privacy is essential to freedom. To understand our commitment to privacy, please watch his talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJCH0HUhdWU
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 in-app purchases: Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) at none against Private Browser's 2. Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) also leads on iOS requirement (11.3 vs 17.0). Private Browser's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Private Browser sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) against 4.6 for Private Browser. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 393 and 232 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN)'s written reviews are positive against 68% of Private Browser's.
Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) ships an update every 3 weeks, Private Browser weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) | Private Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (393 ratings) | 4.6 (232 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.6% of reviews — better | 68.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 393 — better | 232 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 11.3 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Hidden Reflex | Actowise LLC |
Customer experience
Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN)
Private Browser
User reviews
Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN)
From 393 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Excellent privacy and security features
- 👍 Simple and clean user interface
- 💡 Innovative privacy-focused approach
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 🔌 VPN and ad-blocker not always reliable
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to desktop version
- 🔍 Lack of customization options
Private Browser
From 232 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
Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN)
Reported bugs
3 issues- VPN not working consistently
- Crashes when deleting browsing data
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Dark mode option
- Bookmark/sync functionality
- Integration with other privacy-focused services
- Improved search engine options
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
Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN)
No in-app purchases
Private Browser
- Pro Lifetime$4.99
- Pro Lifetime$9.99
Questions
Is Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) free?
Is Private Browser free?
Which has better reviews, Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) or Private Browser?
Do Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) or Private Browser have ads?
Which is updated more often, Epic Privacy Browser (w/ VPN) or Private Browser?
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