Google Chrome vs Brave
Both browsers are free; Brave is open source and blocks ads and trackers by default, while Chrome ties into Google services.
Pick Google Chrome if…
You use a Google account and want Chrome's sync, Google Password Manager and Gemini features.
Pick Brave if…
You want ads and trackers blocked by default and prefer a browser whose core code is open source under MPL-2.0.
Price
- Free
- Free
- Open source
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | Google's web browser for desktop and mobile, with sync through a Google account and Gemini built in. | Free web browser that blocks ads and trackers by default, with optional rewards and paid VPN. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | — | — |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Works on | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Try Google Chrome (opens the Google Chrome website in a new tab) | Try Brave (opens the Brave website in a new tab) |
Chrome is Google's browser. Its site lists tab groups, vertical tabs, split view, sync of bookmarks and passwords with a Google account, and Gemini features, some limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. Google says only most of Chrome's source code is open source.
Brave says it blocks third-party ads on every website and offers Shields against tracking and fingerprinting. Its core code, brave-core, is licensed MPL-2.0 and customizes Chromium.
Both run on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Brave's optional extras include Brave Rewards, a paid Firewall + VPN subscription and Brave Origin, a one-time $59.99 version with some features removed.
If your digital life runs through a Google account, Chrome fits better. If blocking trackers by default matters most, Brave is the one built around that.
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Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money