Why use Brave instead of Edge and Chrome on Windows 11?

Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome both work well on Windows 11 PCs, but once you try Brave , you probably won't go back. Here's why people now prefer Brave over other options.

Table of Contents

• 1. Brave prioritizes user privacy
• 2. Brave's reward system is unparalleled
• 3. Brave is fast and consumes less resources
• 4. Brave has a cryptocurrency wallet, other browsers don't
• 5. Comes with built-in VPN and can browse through Tor
• 6. You can now chat directly with your team via Brave

1. Brave prioritizes user privacy

Brave stands out in this area. Its Brave Shields feature blocks ads, third-party trackers, web scripts, browser fingerprinting , and third-party cookies . It prevents companies from collecting data about your browsing habits and tracking you across the web.

Chrome, being a Google product, relies heavily on user data to target ads, which is how it generates revenue. Brave, on the other hand, blocks ads and trackers, ensuring your online interactions aren’t being tracked. You can even see how many ads, trackers, and other elements are blocked on each site.

While Edge has improved its data collection practices, it still collects information for personalized services as part of the Microsoft ecosystem. The only downside to Brave Shields is that it sometimes disrupts some website features, and in some cases, you need to turn it off to continue browsing the site.

2. Brave's reward system is unparalleled

Brave offers a unique rewards system that neither Edge nor Chrome can match. With Brave, you can view privacy-friendly, non-intrusive ads and earn rewards in a cryptocurrency called BAT (Basic Attention Token). As you browse the web, you accumulate BAT tokens, which you can then convert into other cryptocurrencies, like stablecoins, or use to reward your favorite content creators.

Edge's rewards system, Microsoft Rewards, is not comparable to Brave's for a number of reasons. First, Microsoft requires using Bing as the search engine to earn rewards, while Brave allows using any search engine. Brave's rewards system, which is based on cryptocurrency, is decentralized, while Microsoft Rewards is not.

However, Microsoft Rewards has the advantage of awarding points for shopping on Microsoft platforms or completing specific tasks, which Brave doesn't offer. Unlike Brave's rewards, which focus on browsing the web, Microsoft Rewards is more integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem.

3. Brave is fast and consumes less resources

Brave is faster than both Chrome and Edge. Brave blocks ads, trackers, and other unnecessary elements when loading a web page, so there's less to process. This results in faster load times. If you have a slow internet connection or visit ad-heavy sites that take a long time to load, you'll notice a big improvement after switching to Brave.

Windows users have always had to deal with high resource usage, but switching to Brave has made things much easier. In addition to being faster, Brave is also much less demanding on your computer's hardware. This difference is especially noticeable compared to Chrome, which is notorious for being resource-hungry. It's given many people a reason to ditch Chrome .

While Edge performed better than Chrome, it still used more resources than Brave in our test, which compared resource consumption between the two browsers running the same process. Brave also makes it simple to track resource usage. Hovering over an open tab lets you see how many resources it's consuming — something neither Chrome nor Edge offers.

4. Brave has a cryptocurrency wallet, other browsers don't

Brave offers a built-in cryptocurrency wallet, a feature that neither Chrome nor Edge offer. The wallet supports Ethereum, Solana, and many other chains and tokens built on those networks. The wallet also allows you to store NFTs and interact with decentralized applications (dApps), making it a one-stop solution for managing your cryptocurrency needs.

Plus, this is a wallet where you have full control over your crypto keys. It is also not tied to your Brave installation, so if you uninstall the browser, you can reinstall it, import your keys, and regain access to your coins. When using Chrome and Edge, you have to use separate wallet extensions to manage your crypto.

Not only does this put your funds at risk, it also puts additional strain on your browser, forcing you to manage yet another extension. Given the security risks that these wallet extensions pose, Brave's built-in wallet is safer, as it can protect your funds well as long as the browser isn't compromised.

5. Comes with built-in VPN and can browse through Tor

Brave includes a built-in VPN service, a feature that neither Chrome nor Edge offers. With Brave's VPN, you can browse securely and anonymously without the need for third-party extensions, which always come with some risks. On Edge or Chrome, users always have to rely on third-party VPN extensions. However, Brave's VPN is not free.

There is a 7-day free trial, but after that it costs $9.99/month, which can be a drawback since many VPN extensions offer free usage.

Brave also outperforms both Chrome and Edge in terms of private browsing. In addition to standard private browsing, Brave allows browsing through Tor, routing traffic through the Tor network. This process hides the user's IP address and keeps the user's online activity highly private. This eliminates the possibility of being monitored when using an incognito or private window.

6. You can now chat directly with your team via Brave

Finally, Brave lets you host live meetings right from your browser with its Brave Talk feature. This lets you arrange free video meetings for up to four people, with paid plans for larger groups. The biggest advantage is that there is no time limit on meetings, unlike other online meeting apps . Setting up a meeting and sharing the link takes less than a minute.

This feature is not available in Chrome or Edge. In my experience, Brave Talk offers almost every feature you would expect from a web meeting app, such as hand raising, participant management, screen sharing controls, etc. The only downside is the participant limit, as most other web meeting apps allow for more attendees.

If you just need to coordinate with a small group or have a quick call with a few friends, Brave Talk is a great alternative to other online meeting apps you might use.

For these reasons, many people have switched to Brave after years of using Chrome or Edge. With the improvements you experience, you probably won't go back to either of those browsers anytime soon. If you find these reasons compelling, you should try Brave for a few days to see a noticeable difference.