Anonymity on the internet has been in a steady state of decline. In the interest of reversing that trend, this is a list of the top five browsers for privacy and security. While it should be noted that nothing published on the internet is perfectly private or secure, these are the browsers that will do the most to get you close.
The issue
Modern digital marketing agencies, eCommerce sites, and ISPs use cookies to show ads or monetize your browsing data without permission. If there's a buck to be made, someone will make it.
But anonymous browsing can act as some sort of cover. Not complete cover, however, but more than it's more than nothing. To enhance your privacy and security while browsing the web, consider these five browsers.
Tor is fully open-sourced and great for anonymous web browsing. It protects against snooping on web browsing activity. Nowadays a lot of ads agencies use this technique to serve you what they believe to be perfectly tantalizing ad content.
Tor is a cross-platform web browser, which means it supports platforms like Windows, macOS, Linu and more. It can also be used as via a USB device and configured to a user's specifications. While many say it's a browser designed for hackers, it can also be used by those who simply value their privacy.
Tor hides your IP, which means your physical location is unavailable to those looking for where you're searching what. It also helps users get around restrictions used by governments looking to block what can be accessed within their borders.
Pros:
- An open-source browser
- Committed to privacy
- Comes with .onion browser extension for extra security
- Shields IP addresses from websites
- Uses strong server relays
Cons:
- Slower than regular browsers
- Doesn’t block malware
- Tells websites Tor is in use
Epic:
Epic is chromium-based, whereas Tor is Firefox-based. While it looks similar to Google in Incognito mode, it's far more secure and privacy-oriented than Google Chrome. It also protects against predatory ads, fingerprinting, trackers, crypto mining, and other invasive practices.
Pros:
- Can protect IPs through proxy servers
- Clean, easy-to-use Chromium interface
- Deletes cookies and trackers from browses
- Can be set up with HTTPS as preferred service.
- Automatically deletes web history
Cons:
- Proxy makes server run slower
- Is not open-source
Brave was founded by the inventor of Javascript and co-founder of Mozilla as an open-source browser built to combine basic security with smooth searching.
Brave is an excellent browser for those who aren't satisfied with Tor or other slower browsers. While it does not provide the same privacy benefits as Tor, it does provide basic security. Its cookie refusal features help block ads and cookie tracking.
Pros:
- Cookie-blocking features
- Can help prevent ad tracking
- Speedier than other privacy browsers
Cons:
- Doesn’t provide complete anonymity
- Doesn't automatically shield IP addresses
Comodo IceDragon was developed by the security company Comodo, which also offers free security products for antivirus, internet security, and firewalls. Its design is Firefox-based offers the same extensions. Like Tor, it is also available as a portable browser.
Many users ask about the difference between Comodo Dragon and Comodo IceDragon. Essentially, Comodo Dragon is Chromium-based while IceDragon is FireFox-based.
Pros:
- Fast, lightwheght and easy-to-use
- Scans webpages for malware
- Privacy and performance enhancements over Firefox
- Fully compatible with Firefox plug-ins.
Cons:
- Doesn’t provide complete anonymity
Yandex comes with a variety of built-in safety features. It’s not Chromium based, so users shouldn't be fooled by its similar interface. That said, Chrome-savvy users can easily import their settings into Yandex. Plus, Yandex provides safety features like IP shielding, anti-tracking, and more.
To keep from downloading viruses or other dangerous files, Yandex is a great choice. This browser is extremely fast It uses Kaspersky antivirus software to detect malicious content and check downloads.
Pros:
- Enables IP protection
- Helps block third-party tracking
- Helps scan malware in downloads
- Protects against malicious internet content
- High-speed with no lagging
Cons:
- Russian-based, which inspires mistrust among some users
- Limited information about backend usage