Should I choose Microsoft Edge or Brave as the default web browser?

Even more difficult when choosing between two popular browsers like Microsoft Edge and Brave.

In today's post, let's take a look at some of the key differences between the two browsers to help you choose the default browser that's right for you in terms of security, speed, and user experience.

User interface

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Both Microsoft Edge and Brave offer customized user experiences and are built on Chromium.

Microsoft Edge has a variety of functions (mainly for Windows operating systems), which is why the user interface can look a bit complicated. Overall, the user experience with Edge is pretty good.

Brave offers a cleaner user interface when compared to Edge. It may be close to Google Chrome, but with a new perspective.

The choice depends on your preferences. If you want a clean user interface, Brave is more suitable. If you want a more functional or unique user experience, Microsoft Edge can be a good choice.

For the most part, you'll get customization options to a similar extent. However, Edge offers a wide selection of default themes that you can easily apply to the browser.

With Brave, you will have to rely on themes available on the Chrome Web Store.

Microsoft Edge security features compared to Brave

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Basically, Brave is famous for its privacy and security focused features. However, Mircosoft Edge has been added with many improvements to enhance both of these aspects.

Microsoft Edge allows you to block trackers and enable special browsing protection to check for malicious and untrusted websites. While anti-tracking might not be as good as Brave, you get a few more features in Microsoft Edge.

For example, Edge integrates well with Windows security features and also provides the ability to use a secure DNS service. Additionally, you can block downloads of unwanted apps and enable spell checking.

When it comes to Brave, this browser offers reliable features to block trackers and enhance users' online privacy.

Brave's anti-tracking feature is stronger than Microsoft Edge. So if you want better blocking features for privacy, Brave solves this problem.

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Brave also provides more advanced settings such as the ability to toggle WebRTC IP handling policies, enable and disable the Google push notification service, and the option of safety checks. In fact, Brave is also known for introducing some of the industry's leading security-focused features to the browser.

If that's still not enough, you can also establish a Tor connection right through Brave to browse the web anonymously. Note that you will need to use the Tor browser for a completely private web experience.

IPFS . support

While it may not be universally used, IPFS is a decentralized protocol that bypasses censorship. You can easily share files privately using the IPFS protocol without worrying about any restrictions, and the Brave browser provides built-in support for it. This is one of the reasons why Brave is gaining popularity with many users online.

While you can use the companion Chrome extension for IPFS to enable support in Microsoft Edge, the browser does not feature support by default anyway.

Sync support

Microsoft Edge allows you to sign in with your Microsoft account or any account designated by work or school to sync all your settings and browsing data.

When it comes to Brave, it doesn't offer cloud-based syncing that can be linked to an account. Instead, it tries to keep things safe by allowing you to only sync using the Sync Code from another device. In other words, you can't sync the browser on any other platform, unless you have access to one of the systems that already run Brave.

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This may be inconvenient for some, but it can potentially be a safe way to sync your data.

So, if you need cloud-based syncing for ease of use and no problems linking your browsing data to your Microsoft account, then Edge will be a good choice.

Choosing Brave as your preferred web browser shouldn't be a problem if you can manage the minor inconvenience with Brave's sync feature and prioritizing privacy.

Performance on Microsoft Edge and Brave

Brave keeps animations and UI to a minimum, providing a snappy experience.

Brave will be a great choice if you want a fast browsing experience with efficient use of resources. Not to be outdone, Microsoft Edge also offers a great experience.

Of course, it is not easy to notice the performance difference in practice, but it can be said that both browsers have been optimized for the best performance.

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However, Edge goes even further when it comes to providing options that allow tweaking the browser's performance with Efficiency mode (to consume less resources) and Sleeping Tabs (to put tabs into hibernation if you don't like it). they don't work).

Cross-platform support

If you're choosing a default browser, you should check that it's available on all the platforms you use.

In this case, you can also find browsers available for Windows, macOS (Intel and ARM), as well as Linux. They also support Android and iOS mobile devices.

Additional Features

If you are using Windows as your primary operating system and have a Microsoft account, Microsoft Edge can be a convenient option,

For example, you may find it convenient to access the Family Safety feature, which allows you to monitor your children's browsing activities and prevent them from accessing harmful websites.

On the other hand, Brave does not provide any such feature. You can find crypto wallets and some other interesting options with Brave. It's not for everyone, but it's worth exploring if you find it useful.

Is Microsoft Edge or Brave the best choice for you?

We recommend that you choose Microsoft Edge as your default browser if you are using Windows as your primary platform. With many extra features and good user experience, Edge will be an option that will make you happy.

If you prefer a clean and simple user experience with privacy-oriented features, Brave will be a more suitable choice.

Both browsers have been adding more features to ensure your browsing experience. If you are still unsure, you should try both options yourself to come to your own conclusion.

Marvin Fry

Update 15 December 2021