Comprehensive browser comparison — February 2026
| Feature | Brave | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Chromium (Blink) | Chromium (Blink) |
| Open Source | Full Fully open source (MPL 2.0 on GitHub) | Partial Chromium core is open; UI layer is proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| User Base | ~101 million monthly active users | Significantly smaller (est. ~3–4 million) |
| Founded By | Brendan Eich (co-founder of Mozilla, creator of JavaScript) | Jon von Tetzchner (co-founder of Opera) |
| Philosophy | Privacy-first, speed, Web3/crypto | Extreme customization, productivity, user control |
| Business Model | Optional privacy-respecting ads (BAT rewards); Brave Search; paid VPN | Revenue from search engine partnerships; no ads, no crypto |
| Chrome Extensions | Yes — full Chrome Web Store support | Yes — full Chrome Web Store support |
| AI Integration | Built-in "Leo" AI assistant (free & premium models incl. Claude) | None Explicitly anti-AI; CEO calls AI in browsers "hype" |
| Feature | Brave | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| UI Design | Clean, minimal, Chrome-like. Low learning curve. | Feature-dense, highly configurable. Steeper learning curve. |
| Themes / Colors | Basic dark/light mode | Superior Adaptive themes that change color based on visited site; full custom theming |
| Sidebar / Panels | Basic sidebar for bookmarks, history | Superior Web panels — pin any site in the sidebar for quick access |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Standard Chrome shortcuts | Superior Fully customizable shortcuts, Quick Commands palette |
| Mouse Gestures | Not available natively | Built-in Configurable mouse gestures for navigation |
| Status Bar | No | Yes (optional, toggleable) |
| Feature | Brave | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| Tab Grouping | Basic Chrome-style groups (color, name, collapse) | Superior Two-level Tab Stacks; drag tabs onto each other to group |
| Tab Tiling / Split View | No Not available | Built-in Tile 2+ tabs side-by-side, horizontally, vertically, or in a grid |
| Workspaces | Not available | Built-in Virtual desktops within the browser — separate tab sets for Work, Personal, etc. |
| Tab Position | Top only (standard) | Flexible Top, bottom, left (vertical), or right |
| Tab Hibernation | Not native (extension needed) | Built-in Suspends inactive tabs to save RAM |
| Feature | Brave | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| Email Client | No | Built-in Full email client (IMAP/POP3) |
| Calendar | No | Built-in Calendar with CalDAV support |
| RSS / Feed Reader | No | Built-in |
| Notes | No | Built-in Notes panel with markdown support |
| Pomodoro Timer | No | Built-in Break timer in status bar |
| Translation | Uses Google Translate integration | Built-in Vivaldi Translate (Lingvanex, no Google) |
| Search Engine | Own Brave Search — independent, privacy-first index | Defaults to Google/Bing/DuckDuckGo; no proprietary search |
| Crypto / Web3 | Built-in Crypto wallet, IPFS, BAT rewards, Solana self-custody | None — no crypto features |
| Feature | Brave | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| Page Load Speed | Faster Aggressive ad/tracker blocking speeds up loads | Generally fast, but heavier feature set can slow initial loads |
| RAM Usage (10 tabs) | ~2.3 GB (higher baseline) | ~960 MB Tab hibernation & stacking reduce usage |
| Battery Life | Slightly better Fewer background features | Slightly higher drain due to built-in tools |
| Startup Time | Fast — minimal UI overhead | Slightly slower due to feature-rich UI loading |
| Feature | Brave | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| Sync Method | Brave Sync — peer-to-peer, no account required (uses sync code) | Vivaldi Sync — requires Vivaldi account, end-to-end encrypted |
| Mobile (Android) | Full-featured; ad blocking, Brave Rewards | Full-featured; tab stacking, side-by-side pages, ad blocking |
| Mobile (iOS) | Full Brave Sync; Shields; Brave Search | Available; some desktop features missing (e.g., tab stacking) |
| Feature | Brave | Vivaldi |
|---|---|---|
| Ad / Tracker Blocking | Aggressive default Brave Shields blocks ads, trackers, cross-site cookies & scripts out-of-the-box. Per-site adjustable. | 3 levels Off / Block Trackers / Block Trackers & Ads. Not enabled by default — requires manual activation or uBlock Origin. |
| Fingerprint Protection | Native Built-in fingerprint randomization — randomizes canvas, WebGL, audio, and other vectors per session. | None native No fingerprint randomization. EFF testing confirms unique identification. Requires third-party extensions. |
| Bounce Tracking Protection | Yes Detects and strips bounce trackers & redirect tracking | Not natively supported |
| URL Tracking Params | Auto-strip Removes tracking parameters (fbclid, gclid, etc.) | Not natively supported |
| Cookie Handling | Blocks third-party cookies by default; cross-site cookie isolation | Configurable cookie blocking; relies on user settings |
| HTTPS Upgrades | Default Automatic HTTPS upgrades on all connections | Available but must be configured |
| Tor Integration | Built-in Private Window with Tor — browse .onion sites, IP fully masked. Only mainstream browser with native Tor. | None No Tor support. Requires external Tor Browser or VPN. |
| VPN | Brave Firewall + VPN — paid ($9.99/mo), 10 devices, includes firewall | Integrated Proton VPN — free tier available (auto-assigned server); paid tiers for server choice |
| WebRTC Leak Prevention | Blocks WebRTC IP leaks by default | Has "Broadcast IP" setting that must be manually disabled |
| Google Dependencies | Minimal Proxies Google connections through its own servers. Strips Google telemetry from Chromium. | Moderate Uses Google Safe Browsing and Google DNS by default. Direct connections to Google servers. |
| Telemetry | Opt-in only No telemetry by default. Crash reports are opt-in. | Minimal mandatory Sends approximate location, randomized ID, version, architecture, screen resolution every 24 hours. |
| Phishing / Malware | Own Safe Browsing proxy + Google’s list (proxied, not direct) | Relies on Google Safe Browsing directly |
| Password Manager | Basic built-in (Chromium-based) | Built-in with password generation, autofill, and secure storage |
| Auditability | Full Fully open-source; third-party security audits published | Partial Chromium core auditable; proprietary UI cannot be independently verified |
| Data Collection Policy | Collects no browsing data; no user profiling | Pledges no user tracking or data sales; servers in Iceland anonymize IPs |
| Pre-installed Bookmarks | None (clean start) | Has some Pre-installed bookmarks (e.g., Amazon); can be deleted but occasionally re-added during updates |
Brave is the stronger choice if privacy and security are your top priorities. It delivers aggressive protections out-of-the-box — fingerprint randomization, native Tor, bounce tracking protection, URL parameter stripping, and minimal Google dependencies — all with zero configuration. It’s also fully open-source and independently auditable.
Vivaldi wins decisively on customization and productivity. Tab tiling, workspaces, built-in mail/calendar/notes/RSS, mouse gestures, and the web panel sidebar make it a power-user’s dream. Its privacy is decent but requires more manual setup, lacks fingerprint randomization, and has a proprietary UI layer that can’t be independently audited.
Vivaldi’s tab tiling is a genuine standout feature that Brave simply doesn’t offer. If you’re a heavy multitasker who needs to see multiple pages simultaneously, that’s a real advantage. But if privacy is the priority, Brave is the more hardened option by a significant margin.