Mozilla Firefox vs Brave

by Gralio Feb 20, 2025

Both Firefox and Brave are privacy-focused browsers. Firefox offers greater customization through extensions, while Brave provides built-in features like ad blocking and VPN.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1007 reviews and 60 websites, saving 6 hours, 5 minutes of reading.

Mozilla Firefox

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Brave

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About

Mozilla Firefox is a free web browser available for desktop and mobile devices. Developed by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation, Firefox prioritizes user privacy and internet health. It offers a range of features including tracker blocking, enhanced privacy controls, and a built-in password manager. Firefox is compatible with multiple operating systems and allows for customization through themes and extensions.

Brave is a free web browser that prioritizes speed and privacy by blocking ads and trackers by default. It offers a built-in ad blocker, VPN, and a private search engine. Brave also allows users to opt-in to viewing privacy-respecting ads in exchange for rewards in the form of cryptocurrency. With a focus on user experience, Brave aims to provide a faster, safer, and less intrusive browsing experience.

Summary

Main difference

Firefox is better for extension support and customization. Brave is better for privacy and built-in features like ad blocking and VPN.

Relative strengths of Mozilla Firefox (compared to Brave)

Extensive extension support for added functionality.
Highly customizable interface and settings.
Strong open-source community and development.

Relative weaknesses of Mozilla Firefox (compared to Brave)

Can consume significant system resources (RAM).
Occasional performance issues like freezing or crashing.
Limited built-in privacy features compared to Brave.

Who should use Mozilla Firefox VS. Brave

Firefox is a customizable web browser prioritizing user privacy and security. Users praise its robust privacy features and add-on support but note occasional performance issues and high RAM usage. Ideal for users seeking a personalized browsing experience.

Brave is a fast and privacy-focused browser ideal for users concerned about online tracking and ads. It blocks ads and trackers by default and offers features like a built-in VPN and private search with Tor. Users praise its speed and privacy features, but some find the cryptocurrency integration intrusive and experience inconsistencies with the reward system.

Ideal for small, medium, and enterprise companies.
Suitable for various industries, including Healthcare, Finance, E-commerce, and more.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses.
Ideal for software, IT, and telecommunications companies.

Mozilla Firefox and Brave features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Fingerprint browser

Supported

Firefox offers built-in fingerprinting protection and extensions for enhanced privacy.

Supported

Brave modifies browser fingerprint using farbling and other techniques to prevent tracking.
Malware protection

Supported

Firefox has built-in malware protection and supports extensions for enhanced security.

Supported

Brave protects against web-based malware using Google Safe Browsing.
Customizable Settings

Supported

Firefox allows customization of settings, toolbar, themes, and add-ons.

Supported

Brave allows customization of settings such as the new tab page, home page, and top sites.
Private browsing with Tor

Not supported

Firefox does not support private browsing using Tor.

Supported

Brave supports private browsing with Tor on desktop.
Ad blocking

Partially supported

Firefox supports ad blocking through various extensions.

Supported

Brave blocks most ads with its built-in ad blocker.
Built-in VPN

Not supported

Firefox does not have a built-in VPN, but Mozilla offers a separate VPN service.

Supported

Brave offers a built-in VPN for secure browsing, but it requires a paid subscription.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

-0.71

Strongly negative sentiment
Customer Service

No data

-0.2

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.85

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.61

Rather positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.33

Rather positive sentiment

+0.49

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

No data

+0.33

Rather positive sentiment
Scalability

No data

No data

Mozilla Firefox and Brave Pricing

Mozilla VPN offers monthly and annual subscription plans to protect internet connection and privacy across devices. It provides access to over 500 servers in 30+ countries and allows up to 5 device connections. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available for first-time subscribers.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly positive

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-0.71

We couldn't find a pricing page for Brave.

Mozilla Firefox and Brave review insights

967 reviews analysed from

Users love

Strong privacy and security features, including built-in tracker blocking and enhanced privacy controls.
Highly customizable through themes, extensions, and add-ons, allowing for personalized browsing experiences.
Cross-platform compatibility and synchronization across devices, providing a seamless user experience.
Open-source nature promotes transparency and community involvement.
Active development and regular updates address bugs and introduce new features.

Built-in ad blocker and tracker blocking for a cleaner browsing experience
Faster browsing speed compared to other browsers, especially on mobile
Privacy-focused features, including private search with Tor
Chromium-based, offering compatibility with Chrome extensions
Brave Rewards program for earning BAT by viewing privacy-respecting ads
Built-in VPN
Open-source software

Users dislike

High RAM usage, impacting performance, especially on older or less powerful machines.
Occasional freezing or crashing, requiring browser restarts.
Some websites exhibit compatibility issues, not rendering correctly or experiencing broken features.
Updates can be disruptive, sometimes causing add-on compatibility problems or requiring frequent restarts.
Mobile version lacks some features and polish compared to desktop.

Address bar stops responding and requires restart
Password vault integration issues, particularly with mobile unlock
Some websites do not function optimally due to ad-blocking and privacy settings
Limited extension support compared to other browsers
Mobile app experience is subpar, with issues like unorganized downloads and lack of folder selection
BAT reward payouts are inconsistent or delayed
Forced BAT/cryptocurrency integration
Concerns about background processes and data exchange, even with offline installer

Mozilla Firefox and Brave Ratings

G2

4.4/5

(489)

G2

4.6/5

(487)
TrustPilot

3.0/5

(40)

Company health

Employee growth

2% increase in the last year

No data

Web traffic

7% increase in the last quarter

11% increase in the last quarter

Financing

September 2004 - $2M

No data

How do Firefox and Brave compare in respecting user privacy beyond just blocking ads?

Both Firefox and Brave prioritize user privacy, but they employ different approaches beyond ad blocking. Firefox focuses on providing strong default privacy settings and giving users granular control over their data through customizable settings and a rich ecosystem of privacy-focused extensions. Brave, on the other hand, takes a more aggressive approach by blocking trackers and ads by default and offering built-in features like Tor integration for private browsing. While both offer VPN services, Brave's requires a paid subscription. Ultimately, the best choice depends on the user's technical comfort level and desired level of privacy.

Which browser offers a more stable and reliable browsing experience, Firefox or Brave?

Brave has a slightly higher reliability and performance score (0.49) compared to Firefox (0.33), suggesting a potentially more stable browsing experience. However, user reviews for both browsers mention occasional performance issues like freezing or unresponsiveness. Therefore, while Brave might have a slight edge in terms of measured reliability, the actual difference in stability might not be substantial.

What are the advantages of Mozilla Firefox?

Firefox offers stronger privacy protections out-of-the-box compared to Brave, with features like enhanced tracker blocking and anti-fingerprinting measures. While both support extensions, Firefox boasts a wider selection and deeper integration capabilities. Furthermore, Firefox enjoys a more positive user sentiment around its reliability compared to Brave.

What are the disadvantages of Mozilla Firefox?

Firefox can have high RAM usage, potentially impacting performance on less powerful machines. It also suffers from occasional freezing or crashing. Some websites may have compatibility issues with Firefox, and updates can sometimes disrupt add-on compatibility. Finally, the mobile version of Firefox has fewer features compared to the desktop version.

Alternatives to Mozilla Firefox and Brave

Google Ad Manager

Google Ad Manager is a comprehensive platform designed to help website and app owners earn money from their online content by displaying ads. It provides tools to manage various types of ads, connect with numerous advertisers, and track ad performance to maximize revenue. Google Ad Manager is a robust solution suitable for businesses of all sizes seeking to streamline their online advertising operations.

Opera

Opera is a web browser known for its speed and user-friendly features. It offers a built-in ad blocker, free VPN, and a visually clean interface. Opera emphasizes user privacy and security and is available across various devices, including computers and mobile phones. It aims to provide a smoother and more secure browsing experience compared to default browsers.

Chrome

Chrome is a free web browser created by Google, designed to provide a fast and modern web browsing experience. It's known for its speed, security features, and wide range of available extensions to customize functionality.

Google Ads

Google Ads is an online advertising platform developed by Google, where advertisers bid to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, or videos to web users. It can place ads both in the results of search engines like Google Search and on non-search websites, mobile apps, and videos. Google Ads enables businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience, increase website traffic, and generate leads or sales. Its self-service platform allows for campaign customization, budget control, and performance tracking.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is Microsoft's web browser, offering a fast and secure browsing experience. It features built-in tools for productivity, like the ability to search directly from the address bar and sync your browsing data across your devices. Edge aims to give you control over your online privacy and streamline your workflow.

BrowserStack

BrowserStack is a software testing platform that helps businesses make sure their websites and mobile apps work smoothly on different devices and browsers. It offers both manual and automated testing options, including accessibility and visual testing. BrowserStack is trusted by major companies worldwide and is known for its comprehensive coverage, ease of use, and robust security features.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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