Brave is a free, open-source web browser built on the Chromium engine that blocks privacy-invasive ads and trackers by default. By removing third-party ads, social media trackers, and intrusive cookie consent pop-ups automatically, Brave delivers a faster and cleaner browsing experience without requiring any setup or additional extensions.

Because unwanted content is blocked at the source, webpages load significantly faster compared to other browsers — Brave claims pages load 3x to 6x faster than competitors. This also translates into reduced data consumption, lower battery drain, and less CPU usage, which is particularly valuable for mobile users on limited data plans.

Brave includes Shields, its built-in ad and tracker blocker, alongside Global Privacy Control to prevent websites from selling or sharing user data. A premium Firewall + VPN service is available as a subscription add-on, providing encrypted protection for all device activity — not just browser traffic — across up to five devices on Android, iOS, and desktop.

The browser features Leo, a built-in AI assistant that can answer questions, summarize pages, and generate content directly within the browser interface. Brave also integrates Brave Search, its own independent search engine with a private, self-built index that does not profile users. An optional Brave Rewards program lets users earn Basic Attention Token (BAT) by viewing privacy-respecting ads, with the option to support content creators or store tokens in the integrated Brave Wallet.

Brave is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, and supports nearly 160 languages. Enterprise group policy installation is supported for organizational deployments.