7 Secure Browsers to Protect Your Privacy and Stay Safe

A secure browser that protects your privacy is a critical tool for staying safe online and keeping your data secure from third parties.

Unless properly configured, most browsers contain vast amounts of private information that can potentially be exploited – or simply collected – by various third parties:

• Browsing history: all the websites you visit
• Login credentials: usernames and passwords
• Cookies and trackers: these are placed on your browser by the sites you visit
• Autofill information: names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.

And even with a locked-down and hardened browser, there may still be exploits that reveal your data and potential identity. We discuss these issues (and solutions) in our guides on browser fingerprinting and WebRTC leaks.

In this browser security and privacy guide, we’re going to cover the following topics:

1. Best secure browsers that respect your privacy
2. Problems with other browsers
3. Browser privacy compartmentalization
4. Secure browser add-ons
5. “Private browsing” mode is NOT very private (and why you need a VPN)

WARNING: When using “private” or “incognito” mode in your browser, your real IP address and location are still being revealed to every website, ad, and tracker that loads in your browser. The best way to achieve true privacy while hiding your real IP address and location is to also use a VPN service in conjunction with a good browser. Here are our top two recommendations from the best VPN list (with discounts):

Now let’s examine the most secure browsers that you can combine with a VPN for maximum privacy.

Secure browsers that protect your privacy

In this section we will examine the best browsers based on two main factors:

• Security: How well does the browser protect you from hackers, vulnerabilities, and online exploits?
• Privacy: How much data is the browser itself collecting about you and who is this data being shared with? How does the browser protect your privacy?

Conflicting opinions! Just like with Tor, opinions about browser privacy and security can be wildly divergent and contentious.

This guide is not meant to sell everyone on one browser that beats all others. Rather, it is just a summary of information about different web browsers that do well with both privacy and security. Choose the best browser for you based on your own unique needs and threat model.

So here are the most secure and private browsers:

1. Firefox (modified and tweaked for privacy)

Firefox is a great all-around browser for privacy and security. It offers strong privacy protection features, many customization options, excellent security, and regular updates with an active development team. The newest version of Firefox is fast and light-weight with many privacy customization options.

Out of the box, Firefox is not the best for privacy, but it can be customized and hardened, as explained in my Firefox privacy modifications guide. Be sure to disable telemetry in Firefox, which is a feature that will collect “technical and interaction data” and also “install and run studies” within your browser.

Within the Privacy & Security settings area, there are many useful customization options for different levels of privacy: Standard, Strict, or Custom.

Another great benefit with Firefox is the ability to use numerous browser extensions that will enhance your privacy and security. We’ll go over some of these extensions further below.

Firefox highlights:

• Open source code that has been audited by a third party
• Active development with frequent updates
• Excellent privacy features and customization options
• Many browser extensions supported
• Telemetry and tracking needs to be manually disabled
• Other modifications necessary for more privacy and security

If you want to keep using older add-ons that are no longer supported by the latest Firefox release, you can go with the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR). If you want a privacy-focused version of Firefox for Android, you could try Firefox focus.

For additional customization and privacy settings, check out our Firefox privacy guide.

https://www.mozilla.org/firefox

2. Iridium browser

Iridium is a secure browser that is based on Chromium, configured for more privacy. This might be a good option for anyone wanting a browser that supports Chrome extensions, while also having much more privacy than you’d get from Chrome.

Note: While Iridium supports Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, there is no option for mobile users on iOS and Android.

The following excerpt from Iridium’s official site provides a good overview of this secure browser:

Iridium Browser is based on the Chromium code base. All modifications enhance the privacy of the user and make sure that the latest and best secure technologies are used. Automatic transmission of partial queries, keywords and metrics to central services is prevented and only occurs with the approval of the user. In addition, all our builds are reproducible and modifications are auditable, setting the project ahead of other secure browser providers.

Iridium offers numerous security and privacy enhancements over Chrome, along with regular updates and releases. You can see how Iridium differs from Chromium here. All source code is available on GitHub.

https://iridiumbrowser.de

3. GNU IceCat browser

GNU IceCat is a fork of Firefox from the GNU free software project. IceCat is entirely “free software” as defined here and also includes various privacy add-ons and tweaks by default. Here are the privacy-protection features listed from the IceCat page:

• LibreJS
• HTTPS-Everywhere
• SpyBlock
• AboutIceCat
• Fingerprinting countermeasures

Learn more about IceCat on the official page below.

https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/

4. Tor browser

Next up we have the Tor browser. The Tor browser is a hardened version of Firefox that is configured to run on the Tor network. By default, the Tor Browser is a secure browser that protects you against browser fingerprinting, but it also has some disadvantages.

Because it uses the Tor network, which routes traffic over three different hops, download speeds with the Tor browser can be quite slow. The default version may also break some sites due to script blocking. Finally, there are also drawbacks with the Tor network itself, including malicious exit nodes, high latency, dependence on US government financing, and some consider it to be fundamentally compromised. (See the pros and cons of Tor here.)

Another option is to use the Tor browser with the Tor network disabled. In this sense, the Tor browser will work like the other browsers we’ve covered above. Additionally, you can simply run a VPN in the background. Like the Tor network, a VPN will also encrypt your traffic and hide your IP, but it will be much faster.

The instructions for using the Tor browser without the Tor network are in my browser fingerprinting guide. Be careful when adjusting the settings for the Tor browser, however, as this may compromise the browser’s built-in privacy and security features.

https://www.torproject.org/

5. Ungoogled Chromium browser

Ungoogled Chromium is an open source project to provide a Chromium browser, without the Google privacy issues:

ungoogled-chromium is Google Chromium, sans dependency on Google web services. It also features some tweaks to enhance privacy, control, and transparency (almost all of which require manual activation or enabling).

ungoogled-chromium retains the default Chromium experience as closely as possible. Unlike other Chromium forks that have their own visions of a web browser, ungoogled-chromium is essentially a drop-in replacement for Chromium.

Ungoogled Chromium receives regular Chromium security updates.

https://github.com/Eloston/ungoogled-chromium

6. Brave browser

Brave is a Chromium-based browser that is fast, secure, and privacy-focused by default. It has a built-in ad blocker and browser fingerprinting protection. The main developer behind Brave is Brandon Eich, who formerly worked for Mozilla. For out-of-the-box privacy and security, Brave is a decent option.

Like Iridium, Brave is based on open source Chromium, but configured for privacy. It does well with its default privacy settings and extra features. Here is a brief overview:

• Blocks ads and trackers by default
• Protects against browser fingerprinting
• Built-in script blocker
• Automatically upgrades to HTTPS (HTTPS Everywhere)

Brave now has ads – Despite offering “ad blocking” in the browser, Brave officially launched its own ad program in April 2019. The ads will be vetted by Brave and there’s a revenue-sharing model for users or certain websites to get a percentage of the revenue. Some have called this move hypocritical for a “privacy” browser to roll out an advertising program – but it’s also not too surprising.

Brave has also attracted some criticism because it layers over websites with its own ads, while also blocking the site’s ads from showing. This allows Brave to profit from other peoples’ work, while robbing the original creator of profits.

While Brave may have mixed reviews in the privacy community, it does offer basic, out-of-the-box privacy. This is especially useful to people who don’t want to tinker around with about:config settings. Just download it and you’re good to go.

You can read more about Brave’s privacy and security features here.

https://brave.com

7. Pale Moon browser

Pale Moon is another open-source fork of Firefox, which aims for efficiency and customization. In testing out Pale Moon, it does indeed offer great customization options, as well as support for older Firefox add-ons and its own lineup of add-ons. The design feels a bit dated, but it’s also not overly-cluttered and is lightweight and fast.

Pale Moon is currently available on Windows and Linux, with other operating systems in development. Unlike other Firefox forks, Pale Moon runs on its own browser engine, Goanna, which is a fork of Gecko (used by Firefox).

Opinions on Pale Moon can be rather mixed. The Pale Moon website has some interesting information; here are a few useful links I found:

https://www.palemoon.org

Issues with other browsers

While some browsers claim to be secure against vulnerabilities, they might not be the best choice from a privacy perspective.

1. Google Chrome

Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser. Unfortunately, it’s a data collection tool as well and not a good choice for anyone looking for privacy.

You can safely assume that everything you do through Google Chrome is collected, saved to your data profile, and used for targeted advertising.

2. Microsoft Internet Explorer/Edge

Edge is a Microsoft product.

Just like with Windows, it’s a good idea to avoid Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer, and their newer browser called Edge. Internet Explorer and Edge are also closed-source, so there’s no telling what’s going on behind the scenes, and they’re also not the best for privacy reasons.

3. Opera browser

Opera started off as a decent browser, developed in Norway. However, in 2016 it was sold to a Chinese consortium for $600 million – and a lot has changed. Opera’s privacy policy explains how your data is being collected and shared when you use Opera products. Here’s what I found:

Opera also offers a “free VPN”. As we covered in the Opera VPN review, it’s not really a VPN, it doesn’t offer full-system encryption, and your data is being collected when you use it. Do not use free VPNs, and consider an alternative browser. Not recommended.

4. Epic browser

Epic is a browser based on Chromium, created by “Hidden Reflex” which is based in India. Since 2014, Epic has been claiming they would open source the code, but it remains closed source today. What’s going on behind the scenes? How do they manage Chromium and remove invasive code? Who knows.

Just like with Opera VPN, Epic falsely claims to offer a “free VPN” through the browser, but this is not really true. The browser is merely routing traffic through a US proxy server. As we learned with Opera (and with many other “free proxy” services), proxies are often used for data collection (and they are often not secure). When reading the Epic privacy policy, we find that data from “video download and proxy services” is being collected.

One person who analyzed Epic found it to be connecting to Google on startup. This suggests that Epic is not, in fact, de-googled as it claims.

There are many better Chromium-based browsers to consider, such as Iridium, Ungoogled Chromium, or even Brave.

5. Safari browser

Safari is the default browser for Mac OS and iOS devices. Overall, Safari is not a horrible choice in terms of privacy and tracking protection – but it also cannot be recommended for a few reasons:

On a positive note, however, Apple does somewhat better with privacy than other large companies. The Safari browser blocks third-party cookies by default and also implements cross-site tracking protection.

6. Vivaldi browser

Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser with source-code modifications that can be seen here. It is less popular than other browsers, with less active development than Firefox, for example.

Reading through their Privacy Policy, I did find some concerning information about data collection and the use of unique IDs:

When you install Vivaldi browser (“Vivaldi”), each installation profile is assigned a unique user ID that is stored on your computer. Vivaldi will send a message using HTTPS directly to our servers located in Iceland every 24 hours containing this ID, version, cpu architecture, screen resolution and time since last message. We anonymize the IP address of Vivaldi users by removing the last octet of the IP address from your Vivaldi client then we store the resolved approximate location after using a local geoip lookup. The purpose of this collection is to determine the total number of active users and their geographical distribution.

You can read more about Vivaldi here, although it’s not recommended for privacy reasons.

7. Waterfox

Waterfox is a fork of Firefox that was maintained by just one person for many years. In February 2020, news blew up on reddit that it had sold out to a pay-per-click ad company, System1. The news was also picked up by others, which resulted in Waterfox and System1 formerly announcing the acquisition (but only after the news broke on reddit).

The problem here is the apparent contradiction of an ad company (that relies on data collection) owning a privacy-focused browser. As I previously reported, System1 also acquired a stake in Startpage, the private search engine based in The Netherlands. In researching the company’s background, it appears that System1 is fundamentally in the business of data collection:

“In our business,” Blend adds, “if we can gather as much data as possible, give it off to our engineers and data scientists, and then manage the two effectively, the business can quickly scale.”

So can Waterfox still be trusted now that it’s owned by an ad-tech company that collects lots of data? I’m no longer recommending it.

Secure and private browsers on mobile devices

Many of the recommended browsers above also offer versions for mobile users on iOS and Android.

With that being said, here some good options:

• Firefox Focus – A privacy-focused version of Firefox for mobile users (iOS and Android).
• Bromite – This is a Chromium-based browser that is only available for Android 4.4 and above.

I also like using standard Firefox on mobile devices with customization and configurations for more privacy.

Browser privacy and compartmentalization

One problem that often comes with browser privacy and security is that people want to remain logged in to various accounts, while also browsing the web. But this is problematic. When you stay logged in to Gmail or Facebook, for example, their trackers can record your activity as you browse the web.

One potential solution to this problem is browser compartmentalization. This is when you use different web browsers for different online activities. For example:

• Browser #1 will only be used for accessing your online accounts that require a password. You can stay logged in with only this browser, and it won’t be used for general browsing.
• Browser #2 will only be used for web browsing, with various privacy configurations and no cookies or history being stored on the browser.
• Browser #3 could be completely locked down for maximum privacy and security.

You can also utilize different browsers, configured exactly the way you want, for various purposes, depending on your needs and threat model. The key is to keep the compartmentalization strict and not break the rules/uses for each browser.

Virtual machines – On the topic of compartmentalization, using virtual machines is also a good idea for both privacy and security. You can easily run Linux VMs through VirtualBox (FOSS) on your host computer.

Password managers – It should also be noted that storing your passwords in the browser may be risky depending on the browser you are using, especially since browsers may store passwords in cleartext. A better alternative would be to utilize a secure password manager. We have reviewed many popular options, including Bitwarden, Dashlane, LastPass, and more.

Browser add-ons for security and privacy

In addition to adjusting the settings within your browser, there are also a number of different add-ons or extensions you can install to improve your browser’s privacy and security.

Here are a few different options, but they may not all be supported by the browser you are using:

• uBlock Origin – This is one of the best browser-based ad blockers available that will also protect you against tracking.
• HTTPS Everywhere – An add-on from the folks at Electronic Frontier Foundation, this will force websites to use a secure HTTPS encrypted connection (when available).
• Privacy Badger – Privacy Badger is also from EFF that blocks spying ads and trackers.
• Cookie Autodelete – This will automatically delete cookies that are no longer needed from your browser.
• Decentraleyes – This protects you against tracking via content delivery networks.
• uMatrix – This gives you control over all the requests that may be tracking you as you visit different websites (extensive configuration necessary).
• NoScript – NoScript allows you to customize exactly which scripts run on the websites you visit. Like uMatrix, this is for advanced users and requires lots of customization.

Warning: Be cautious about using third-party add-ons and browser extensions. Do your research first, since add-ons could function as spyware and data collection tools for third parties. This is especially true with free VPN services or browser proxy add-ons, even if they are highly rated in the Google Play or Apple stores.

“Private browsing” mode is NOT private (why you need a VPN)

Many people falsely assume that using “private” or “incognito” mode in a browser actually provides some privacy. This is a false assumption.

Using “private” browsing mode only stops your browser from storing cookies, history, and passwords. But it doesn’t actually make you any more “private” to the outside world. Even when browsing in “private” or “incognito” mode, you are still exposed:

• Your internet provider can still see every site you visit. (And note that internet providers are now forced to log web browsing activity of their customers and provide this data to authorities on request.)
• Your real IP address and location remains exposed to all sites, ads, and trackers. This makes tracking and identification easy since your device has a unique IP address linked back to your identity through your internet service provider.

To easily solve these problems, we strongly recommend using a good VPN service. Using a VPN is simple. You just need to sign up for a VPN subscription, download the VPN app for your device, then connect to a VPN server and browse the web as normal. This offers many benefits:

• A VPN will securely encrypt your internet traffic, which prevents your ISP from seeing what you do online. (Your ISP will only see encrypted data, but not what you’re actually up to.)
• When you connect to a VPN server, the VPN server’s IP address and location will replace your real IP address and location. This allows you to appear to be anywhere in the world.
• A VPN will also allow you to access geo-restricted content, such as streaming Netflix with a VPN from anywhere in the world.

Two of the best VPNs on the market that have come out on top in our testing are:

There are also some good cheap VPNs that offer excellent features and performance without breaking the bank.

Conclusion on secure browsers and privacy

A well-configured secure browser is crucial for protecting your data as you browse the web with privacy.

Finding the best secure browser all comes down to identifying the best fit for your unique needs. Since this is a personal decision with subjective criteria, I tend to avoid recommending only one option for all use cases.

In addition to using a secure browser that is configured to protect your privacy, you should also consider using a good ad blocker. Ads function as tracking to collect your browsing data and serve you targeted ads. If you aren’t blocking ads, your activities can be tracked by third-party advertising networks, with any site hosting ads.

In terms of privacy, you may also want to protect yourself against browser or device fingerprinting and WebRTC browser leaks, which can expose your identity even when using a good VPN service.

Final Disclaimer and Instructions from NetTodays

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A VPN is a service that both encrypts your data and hides your IP address by bouncing your network activity through a secure chain to another server miles away. This obscures your online identity, even on public Wi-Fi networks, so you can browse the internet safely, securely, and anonymously.

NetTodays gives you answers to all questions which are in your mind about VPN.

NetTodays also suggest continually utilizing Best VPN when you are using a newer Wi-Fi Network. Here is a decent dependable guideline: If you’re away from the workplace or home, and you’re utilizing another person’s Wi-Fi (even that of a relative or a companion, since you can’t be sure whether they’ve been compromised), utilize a VPN. It’s especially significant in case you’re getting to help that has specifically distinguishing data. Keep in mind, a great deal goes on in the background, and you never truly know whether at least one of your applications is verifying behind the scenes and putting your data in danger.

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