Opera vs Brave

by Gralio Feb 27, 2025

Opera and Brave are both privacy-focused browsers with built-in ad blockers. Opera is better for users who prioritize a free VPN and a wider array of integrated features. Brave is a stronger choice for users who value a faster, more minimalist browsing experience and are interested in a cryptocurrency rewards program.

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 725 reviews and 60 websites, saving 4 hours, 31 minutes of reading.

Opera

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Brave

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About

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.

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

Opera offers a free built-in VPN, while Brave's VPN requires a paid subscription. Opera also boasts a wider range of built-in features like a customizable sidebar and integrated messaging apps, whereas Brave focuses on a minimalist approach with core browsing functionalities.

Relative strengths of Opera (compared to Brave)

Free built-in VPN for enhanced privacy and security.
Wider range of built-in features like customizable sidebar, integrated messaging apps, and more.
Generally broader extension support, offering access to Chrome extensions and Opera's own selection.

Relative weaknesses of Opera (compared to Brave)

Performance can be inconsistent and sometimes laggy compared to Brave.
Brave's minimalist approach may be preferred by users seeking a less cluttered interface.
Opera's cryptocurrency integration (Crypto Wallet) is less developed than Brave's reward system.

Who should use Opera VS. Brave

Opera is a fast and secure web browser with a built-in ad blocker, free VPN, and customizable interface. Users praise its privacy features and integrated tools but note occasional performance issues. Ideal for privacy-conscious individuals and those with limited data.

Brave is a fast and privacy-focused browser ideal for users concerned about online tracking and security. It blocks ads and trackers by default, offers a built-in VPN, and rewards users with cryptocurrency for viewing privacy-respecting ads. Some users have reported inconsistencies with BAT rewards and occasional functionality issues.

Best for small businesses (1-100 employees), suitable for medium and large enterprises.
Suitable for businesses across various industries, especially Software, IT & Telecommunications.

Best for small to medium businesses (1-1000 employees), suitable for large enterprises.
Well-suited for software, IT, and telecommunications; suitable for education and professional services.

Opera 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

Partially supported

Opera offers fingerprint protection via extensions such as Font Fingerprint Defender.

Supported

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

Supported

Opera offers built-in malware protection and supports extensions for enhanced security.

Supported

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

Supported

Opera allows extensive customization of appearance, functionality, and performance.

Supported

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

Partially supported

Opera supports private browsing with Tor via browser extensions and a standalone Opera Tor application.

Supported

Brave supports private browsing with Tor on desktop.
Ad blocking

Supported

Opera has a built-in ad blocker for faster browsing.

Supported

Brave blocks most ads with its built-in ad blocker.
Anti-detect browser

Partially supported

Opera does not have built-in anti-detect features, but extensions can provide some level of fingerprint protection.

Not supported

Brave does not aim to be undetectable as a virtual browser, but it enhances privacy through anti-tracking and fingerprinting protection.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0.33

Rather positive sentiment

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

+0.55

Rather positive sentiment

No data
Reliability and Performance

+0.22

Neutral sentiment

No data
Ease of Implementation

+0.78

Strongly positive sentiment

No data
Scalability

No data

No data

Opera and Brave Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Rather positive

+0.33

We couldn't find a pricing page for Opera.

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for Brave.

Opera and Brave review insights

203 reviews analysed from

Users love

Built-in free VPN for enhanced privacy and security.
Integrated ad blocker for a cleaner browsing experience.
Customizable UI with themes and wallpapers.
Sidebar with integrated messaging apps and other tools for enhanced productivity.
Chromium-based, allowing access to some Chrome extensions.

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

Lags and slow performance compared to other browsers.
Limited extension support compared to alternatives.
Occasional freezing and crashing issues, especially with multiple tabs.
UI can feel bloated and overwhelming with various bars and options.
Some websites display incorrectly or have compatibility issues.

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

Opera and Brave Ratings

G2

4.2/5

(205)

G2

4.6/5

(487)
TrustPilot

3.0/5

(40)

Company health

Employee growth

No data

Web traffic

No data

11% increase in the last quarter

Financing

No data

How does Opera's free VPN compare to Brave's paid VPN offering?

Opera offers a free, built-in VPN with limited server locations, while Brave's VPN is a paid feature offering a wider range of server locations and additional security features like tracker blocking. Essentially, Opera's free VPN provides basic privacy protection, while Brave's paid VPN offers a more comprehensive and feature-rich service.

Which browser provides a more seamless and less disruptive browsing experience?

Brave provides a more seamless and less disruptive browsing experience due to its built-in ad blocker and tracker blocking. While Opera also has an ad blocker, Brave's core focus on privacy and speed, combined with features like private search with Tor, results in a less cluttered and faster browsing experience. Brave users consistently praise the speed and clean browsing experience.

What are the advantages of Opera?

Opera offers a free built-in VPN, a customizable UI with themes and wallpapers, and a sidebar with integrated messaging apps for enhanced productivity. It also boasts a built-in ad blocker for a cleaner browsing experience and is Chromium-based, allowing access to some Chrome extensions.

What are the disadvantages of Opera?

Opera users report lagging and slow performance, limited extension support compared to alternatives like Chrome, occasional freezing and crashing, a potentially bloated UI, and website compatibility issues.

Alternatives to Opera and Brave

Firefox Multi-Account Containers

Firefox Multi-Account Containers is a free browser extension that lets you separate your online activities into different, color-coded tabs. This means you can use multiple accounts on the same website at the same time, without having to log in and out. It also helps prevent websites from tracking your browsing activity across different containers, better protecting your privacy.

Mozilla Firefox

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.

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 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.

Symlex VPN

Symlex VPN is a virtual private network service that prioritizes speed and security. It encrypts your internet connection, protecting your online activity on public Wi-Fi. With servers in 95+ locations, Symlex VPN lets you bypass geographic restrictions to access blocked websites and content. They offer different pricing plans to fit individual and business needs and promise a strict no-logging policy to protect user privacy.

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.

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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