Five Most Secure and Private Browsers You Can Use on Windows and Android
In this guide, I will explain to you which are the most secure and private browsers that you can use now on Windows and Android as well. It is important to emphasize that security and privacy are not exactly the same, although many people tend to think that they are. After all, browsers like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge are completely safe, because they receive support and updates from the developers concerned, but they are not the best in the matter of privacy.
Below, I suggest the best browsers that are not only secure, but also private. They are all actively developed, receive constant support from their creators and updates, and also include advanced features to block ads, trackers, and more. These private browsers are available for Windows, but some of them are also listed among the best web browsers for Android.
- Brave
Although there are many things about Brave that don’t convince me, such as all the options related to cryptocurrencies or its advertising systems that replace other ad networks, I recognize that it is one of the most complete alternatives in terms of security and privacy. Brave includes a large number of tools to protect you online, such as ad-blocking filters, trackers, and cookie acceptance requests. All of this functionality is integrated into the settings panel, eliminating the need to install extensions.
Another strong point of Brave is that it is based on Chromium, which is compatible with extensions, is also a fast browser, has mobile versions and integrates features that you might find interesting. For example, Brave News is a special way to follow your favorite sources, and Leo is a very useful AI assistant in some cases.
- FreeWolf
Some say that LibreWolf comes prepared to be a new Firefox. In this case, I'm talking about a modified version of Firefox. The goal of its creators is to make Firefox more private. What does it change?
To start, it disabled Pocket integration, and switched Google to DuckDuckGo as the default search engine. Plus, it comes with uBlock Origin built in, one of the most recommended ad blockers that has stopped working in Chrome (at least, its full version). It’s simple: if you like Firefox, but want its more private side, install LibreWolf.
- DuckDuckGo
But wasn’t DuckDuckGo an alternative to Google Search? Well, yes, but now it also has its own web browser. It’s currently available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Beyond using a single engine across all platforms, the truth is that DuckDuckGo’s move is quite interesting: it uses the default engine on each system. For example, on macOS it takes advantage of Safari technology, while on Windows it takes advantage of Edge. In theory, doing this ensures optimal performance on each system.
DuckDuckGo includes the basic features of other browsers, such as syncing bookmarks, passwords, and more. It also blocks trackers and ads, and sets DuckDuckGo as your default search engine. It also comes with an email anonymizer, similar to temporary email services.
- Tor Browser
Although Brave has the option to access the internet through the Tor network, you also have a dedicated browser at your disposal. The Tor Browser is based on Firefox and allows you to navigate through the Tor network, to both traditional sites and dark web pages. When you browse through this network, web trackers are blocked, as the browser isolates each website to prevent cross-site tracking. It also deletes your history and cookies by default every time you close the browser.
The Tor network is also responsible for rerouting and encrypting your traffic up to three times. This way, it is impossible for anyone spying on your network to know what pages you are visiting. Similarly, the Tor Project browser makes all users equal, preventing tracking by browser and device. Finally, it is also the browser to bypass government censorship, if any.
- Mole Browser
The latest suggestion is the Mullvad browser. Again, this is a modified version of Firefox that integrates advanced privacy options. Basically, this browser blocks everything that websites can use to track you. The company behind it also has a VPN service that you can easily integrate with their browser.
With this browser, private browsing is also enabled by default, which prevents your history and other data from being stored. It also clears all cookies every time you leave a website and blocks fingerprint requests made by sites. The latter is interesting, because Mullvad browser tells all sites that the time zone is UTC, no matter where you are, disables API components, and hides other relevant data, such as keyboard layout or screen size. If you want to see a full list of tweaks applied to Firefox to increase privacy, check out its support page .