In this guide:
- The options: free browsers built with privacy in mind.
- How they work: what each one protects, and what it doesn’t.
- Good for: who each browser suits.
- Free: every browser here can be used without paying.
Disclosure: We make Incognito Browser. It is one of the browsers on this list. The list is not ranked: browsers appear in no particular order, and we say where other browsers do more than ours.
Choosing the right browser can make a real difference to your privacy. Incognito or private mode in a regular browser mostly keeps your history and cookies off your device. Dedicated privacy browsers go further in different ways: some block trackers, some resist fingerprinting, and one routes your traffic through the Tor network. Here are free privacy browsers worth knowing, with what each is good for.
Tor Browser
Tor Browser sends your traffic through the Tor network, made up of thousands of volunteer-run servers, and encrypts it three times along the way. Anyone watching your connection can see only that you’re using Tor. It isolates each site so third-party trackers and ads can’t follow you between them, and it tries to make all users look the same to resist fingerprinting. It is free software from the nonprofit Tor Project.
Good for: hiding your IP address and location from the sites you visit. Expect slower pages, and some sites block Tor.
Brave
Brave blocks ads and trackers by default with its Shields feature, protects against browser fingerprinting, and upgrades pages to secure HTTPS connections where it can. Its optional Brave Rewards program lets you earn tokens for ads you see in Brave. Brave is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Good for: an everyday browser with ad and tracker blocking turned on from the start.
Firefox Focus
Firefox Focus is a lightweight mobile browser from Mozilla for Android and iOS. It blocks a wide range of common trackers by default, including social media trackers, and lets you erase your history, passwords and cookies with one tap.
Good for: quick private searches and one-off browsing on your phone.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser
The DuckDuckGo browser is built around DuckDuckGo’s search engine, which says it never tracks your searches. The browser blocks third-party trackers by default, blocks cookie pop-ups, and has a button that deletes your browsing data. It is available for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
Good for: people who want tracker blocking by default on both phone and computer.
Epic Privacy Browser
Epic Privacy Browser is built on Chromium with Google’s tracking and data collection removed, according to its maker. It blocks ads, trackers, fingerprinting, cryptomining and ultrasound signaling, and blocks third-party cookie tracking by default.
Good for: people who like a Chrome-style browser but want heavy blocking built in.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi offers a lot of customization, with built-in ad and tracker blockers and end-to-end encryption for synced data. It is available for desktop, Android and iOS.
Good for: power users who want to set up their browser exactly their way.
Waterfox
Waterfox is a free, open-source browser that uses the same Gecko engine as Firefox. Its maker says it has built-in ad blocking, private DNS, and no telemetry or data collection. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
Good for: Firefox fans who want privacy settings ready out of the box.
Pale Moon
Pale Moon is an open-source browser built on its own rendering engine, Goanna. It focuses on customization, security and privacy, and supports add-ons written in XUL, the older extension format that current Firefox no longer runs. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Good for: desktop users who want a highly customizable, non-commercial browser.
SRWare Iron
SRWare Iron is based on Chromium, the open-source code behind Chrome, but removes Chrome features that send data to Google, such as the unique installation ID and the address-bar suggestions sent as you type.
Good for: people who want a Chrome-like browser without Google’s built-in data sharing.
Avast Secure Browser
Avast Secure Browser is a free browser from the security company Avast. It blocks ads, uses a feature Avast calls Privacy Guard to limit tracking, warns about phishing sites, and makes sure you get HTTPS encryption on sites that support it. Avast also lists a free VPN for mobile devices. It is available for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
Good for: people who want security tools like anti-phishing in the same app.
LibreWolf
LibreWolf is an independent, open-source version of Firefox that removes telemetry and data collection, comes with the uBlock Origin content blocker installed, and is set up to increase protection against tracking and fingerprinting. It is a desktop browser for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Good for: desktop users who want a hardened Firefox without changing settings themselves.
GNU IceCat
GNU IceCat is the GNU Project’s version of Firefox. It is entirely free software and includes privacy features such as LibreJS, which blocks non-free JavaScript, and protections that make your browser fingerprint harder to track across sites.
Good for: people who care most about software freedom, mainly on GNU/Linux.
Opera
Opera includes a free VPN built into the browser that needs no account. Opera says it masks your IP address and hides the sites you visit, uses AES-256 encryption, follows a no-log policy and has been audited by Deloitte. Opera also has a built-in ad blocker and tracker blocker, on both phone and computer.
Good for: people who want a free VPN in their browser without signing up for anything.
Incognito Browser
Incognito Browser is the Android browser we make. It runs in private mode all the time, every tab is private, and it wipes history, cookies and sessions when you exit the app. Downloaded files are kept. It has a built-in ad blocker, lets you choose your search engine, and includes Agent Cloaking, which masks the browser and device the site sees and can load desktop versions of sites. It also opens IPFS, .eth and .crypto addresses, and has settings to turn images, JavaScript and cookies on or off. It has a video downloader, though not every video can be downloaded every time. It is free. Its Google Play Data safety section says it may collect crash logs, diagnostics and other app performance data, for analytics.
Good for: Android users who want every session to be private without remembering to open a private tab.
Where other browsers do more: Incognito Browser is not a VPN and does not hide your IP address. Its ad blocker blocks ads, while Brave, DuckDuckGo, Firefox Focus and Tor Browser block trackers by default. Brave, Tor Browser, LibreWolf and Epic offer fingerprinting protection; Incognito Browser does not. Tor Browser, LibreWolf, Waterfox and Pale Moon are open source; Incognito Browser is not. It is Android only, while most browsers here also have iPhone or desktop versions.
Any of these browsers can improve your privacy without costing anything, but they protect different things. If you want to hide your IP address, use Tor Browser or a trusted VPN. If you want trackers blocked by default, look at Brave, DuckDuckGo, Firefox Focus or LibreWolf. If you mainly want your browsing history kept off your Android phone, a private-by-default browser like Incognito Browser does that.
Take control of your digital life by trying a few of these free privacy browsers and keeping the one that fits how you browse.
