I want to switch to a more privacy focused browser, would like to hear what yall use currently and why.
Edit: I’m currently using edge.
Edit: Thanks everyone for your input. I have decided to go with floorp (a firefox fork) with betterfox. Here’s my decision process,
- Firefox based browser
- To help with browser monopoly
- I really like the sidebery extension
- I chose floorp instead of ff or other ff forks because of the ease of customization
- I also tried zen browser but experienced a bug just from my short usage so I think it’s not mature enough for me currently, but I do like the project.
- Betterfox + extensions for better privacy settings
- Ublock Origin
- ClearURLs
- Decentraleyes
Did not choose to go with LibreWolf, Mullvad etc because I’m worried about site breakages.
Librewolf + uBlock Origin on desktop. Mull + uBlock Origin on mobile.
This. Thread can be closed
In descending order of good privacy:
- Tor (not necessary for the majority of use-cases)
- Hardened Firefox (you can find tutorials for this with a quick Google)
- Mullvad
- Librewolf
- Brave (yes there’s controversy about crypto and the founder being a dick, it’s still miles better than Chrome)
- Everything else
- Chrome itself (seriously, don’t use Chrome)
My number 1 recommended plugin for privacy and getting rid of ads is always ✨ uBlock Origin ✨ (not uBlock, that’s not the one by the OG dev).
I swear this question comes up everyday in Lemmy 😅.
Firefox, I just use Firefox because, it works, it has enough privacy measures, and everyone is looking at the codebase, something that cannot be said about most (if not all) forks.
Any issue with websites breaking? Since sites only care about chromium support nowadays
Not op, but I’ve yet to encounter a website that doesn’t work with Firefox. (In the last 5 years)
there are plenty, you just don’t happen to use them
Technically true
when i do a lot of them are fixed by just making it pretend to be chrome
I have been encountering it more lately, but that’s because of the types of sites I was using.
The ones that may not work tend to be; banking (usually okay though), work-related (ranging from applications to gig work to job specific), and then if you happen to run into something that requires chromium as a way to function, such as some specific extensions or most functional web music creation tools, like MIDI support.
B-b-b-buuuuut I only use Firefox and all my stock and banking sites work fine on FF, those job sites that needed chromium can get by with Edge, and if you’re using web browsers for MIDI tools, really, what are you doing?
I’ve had a couple sites break but idk if that’s because of Firefox or because of my privacy add ons.
The only broken thing is very specific stuff like Slack calls. In fact, it’s the only broken thing I’ve seen in a long while. Also fuck Slack.
Vast majority of sites work for me (librewolf), but for the few that don’t I also have Vivaldi installed
The pay bill button on my capital one CC account doesn’t work on Firefox. Once a month I have to use a chromium based browser.
Domino’s pizza website is super flakey on Firefox (on mobile) but it will work if you refresh enough times
I haven’t really had any problems with any sites yet. Except for Google Meet. For some reason it’s totally laggy and sluggish on Firefox but works perfectly on Chrome.
Currently using Firefox since half a year for everyday stuff and work.
valid question, idk why would people downvote it
broken websites on desktop are rare and not nearly enough to drive a browser change, but they usually fall into two categories:
-
websites that “break” on purpose for no good reason when they detect it’s not chromium. Either avoid the site or change the user agent.
-
websites that degrade some functionalities because they rely on newer features or on how things appear on chromium. They’re usually CSS breakages and do not affect browsing that much.
Support for manifest v2 greatly outweighs these potential issues imo.
-
I use Firefox, and have Brave installed incase I encounter a site that breaks. I havent had to use Brave yet because I never encountered any sites that break …
My car insurance does not work on Firefox. Bungie website does not work half the time. Maybe some others I can’t think of. It really sucks. I just have chrome installed for when something breaks really sucks.
Please stop recommending vanilla Firefox. Although you could argue that it is less privacy invasive than Chrome, Edge or at leat fucking Opera, it still invades your privacy WITH DEFAULT SETTINGS. For a solid out-of-the-box Browser you can choose:
- LibreWolf (Firefox fork that’s just plain good)
- Mullvad (based on Firefox and created in collaboration with Tor Browser devs - if paired with VPN (e.g. Mullvad) anonymity can be archived)
- Tor Browser (anonymity can be archived)
I’m sorry but I won’t bother switching to a ultra-minor browser for having to toggle something in the settings once every 2 years after 500 articles pop up about it.
more privacy focused browser
Librewolf is the best, Mullvad Browser is cool, if you use their VPN, ungoogled-chromium is good, if you need a chromium based browser. Despite its popularity among privacy-enthusiasts Brave is virtually a spyware.
How up to date is that info about Brave? Because their default search is brave-search, not Google as claimed.
Not 100% up to date, of course, but for the most part, it still applies. And furthermore, trusting a company with that kind of reputation is definetely not a good idea.
What is their reputation? Genuinely asking, I’ve been ignoring Brave since ever, but lately I thought I should evaluate it for broken sites that depend on chromium.
[Brendan Eich, founder of Brave made a] 2008 donation of $1,000 to California Proposition 8, which called for the banning of same-sex marriage in California,[18]and donations in the amount of $2,100 to Proposition 8 supporter Tom McClintockbetween 2008 and 2010.
It also has optional ads to pay you in crypto. I view 99% of crypto as a scam btw
What the hell is wrong with tech bros and other people’s genitals? How hard is it not to be an asshole and leave people be?
Thanks for the info.
People who promote crypto are usually scammers (they also usually promote their own currency), but in general it’s a very useful tool. Considering you have to give up an arm and a leg to use SWIFT nowadays, crypto offers a fast and cheap way to pay someone across the border. The price is that you need to know a thing or two about the technology, else you’ll pay the same or even more than with traditional methods.
I saw crypto from home screen to settings. While anecdotal, that made them very difficult to trust.
I think Mullvad is great even if you don’t use their VPN :)
Good choices. I too run Librewolf by default, with ungoogled Chromium standing by for the occassional asshat website intentionally designed to work exclusively on Chrome
Is Librewolf any different than Firefox with good privacy extensions?
Yes
How so? I already use both, I’m just curious
It’s just a hardened version of Firefox. You can archive this with Firefox, but it is a hassle.
Based on their website i don’t see how.
Firefox with ublock (blokada on mobile), do not track, a few settings tweaks, and using ddg or startpage for search seems to be pretty much what librewolf is.
It is not. It is pretty much a completely tweaked Firefox.
Do not track request makes you stick out which results in easier tracking.
Cromite is a good brave alternative without crypto, built-in adblocking, secure defaults (better security hardening), and cross-platform (Linux, Windows, Android). Best experience is on Android. Cromite is an actively updated fork of Bromite, released by a former contributor of Bromite. Cromite also comes without any proprietary libraries on Android (unlike Brave, Mulch, or Vanadium).
i don’t use brave but i tried it once when i learned that it’s open source. google was not the default search and telemetry was off by default. also i don’t think it auto updates on linux because updates are handled by system updater.
Firefox with a handful of extensions, same on phone.
Last time a site “needed” chromium based a user agent switch did the miracle…
Just Firefox, I like the way it looks, and it’s open source.
firefox on desktop: to keep away a browser monopoly for another day.
iceraven on mobile: more extensions.
Librewolf is pretty good, i like having privacy features out of the box
Zen browser. Its a browser that looks like arc browser but its based on Firefox and has tracking removed. Its really nice. They also have their own theme system to change how the browser looks and acts
Oh cool, I’ll have to switch. I’ve been using Arc for a few months now and really like it, but would rather move away from chromium. I’d been using Firefox for years before that
The say zen is suspicious. Brand new and not really tested. Keep an eye on it.
Zen Browser, love the split view feature, and native vertical tabs !
It’s a Firefox fork btw
Firefox here
Zen Browser since last week. Is a Firefox fork.
I love the split-screen feature.
For the unfamiliar, here’s their home page: LINK
Does it have a mobile version with sync?
It works with firefox sync so you can use firefox mobile and sync with it
Firefox for most things, but I keep a copy of Vivaldi installed because sometimes my firefox setup breaks capcha.
I have the exact same setup
Mullvad Browser when I’m on my Desktop, which is basically the Tor Browser but without the Tor network. The Mullvad Browser is instead designed to be used with a VPN.
Vanadium when I’m on my phone, which is is a hardened variant of Chromium providing enhanced privacy and security, similar to how GrapheneOS compares to AOSP.
And when I’m at work or using any other computer I try to mainly use Firefox.
Firefox because of extensions on mobile, literally the only browser capable of that
Waterfox will too. Big fan of it.
Kiwi does extensions, too. Do not use it, though.
