Brave vs Microsoft Edge

Brave

• People who want ads and trackers blocked without installing extensions
• Chrome users who want to keep their Chrome Web Store extensions
• Those who want an AI assistant that works without an account
• Crypto users who want a self-custody wallet built into the browser

Microsoft Edge

• Windows users who want Copilot inside the browser
• Comparing options across many open tabs
• People who use Bing, Microsoft Rewards and the Microsoft 365 web apps

Brave

• The VPN is not part of the free browser: it is a subscription at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
• Free access to Leo varies with traffic and usage. Higher rate limits and more models need Leo AI premium at $14.99 per month.
• VPN, Leo, Search and Talk premium are each sold as a separate subscription; the pricing page lists no bundle.
• Brave Origin, the version without Leo, News, Rewards, VPN or Wallet, is a $59.99 one-time purchase on every system except Linux.

Microsoft Edge

• Copilot has usage limits; Microsoft says higher limits, agents and complex multi-step tasks need a Microsoft 365 subscription.
• The iPhone and iPad app lists Microsoft 365 Personal and Premium as in-app purchases, from $9.99.
• Microsoft notes that feature availability varies by device type, market and browser version, and that supported extensions differ between operating systems.
• Password Generator works only when signed in to Edge with password sync turned on.

Brave

Shields ad and tracker blocking

Shields block third-party ads, trackers, fingerprinting and cookie consent notices by default on every site, including video ads on YouTube. The settings can be customized or left alone.

Leo AI assistant

Leo summarizes webpages, PDFs and Google Docs, answers questions and drafts text with no account required. Chats are not retained or used for training, and Bring Your Own Model connects local or remote models.

Brave Search

The default search engine for most new Brave users serves results from Brave's own independent index of the web, offers AI answers and does not profile the people using it.

Private Windows with Tor

Tor integration in private windows proxies the IP address, and fingerprint randomization makes the browser look different to every site on each visit.

Sync, vertical tabs and extensions

Bookmarks, passwords and tabs sync encrypted across devices, tabs can be stacked vertically, and Chrome Web Store extensions work, including those that rely on MV2.

Rewards, Wallet and Talk

Brave Rewards pays BAT to people who opt in to privacy-preserving ads, Brave Wallet is a self-custody crypto wallet, and Brave Talk runs private video calls in the browser.

Microsoft Edge

Copilot in Edge

Copilot sits in the browser to summarize pages, PDFs and videos, answer questions about the page being viewed and compare details across open tabs.

Journeys and the Copilot new tab page

Journeys group related pages, searches and chats so earlier research can be picked up again. The Copilot new tab page takes a question, a search or a web address in one box.

Workspaces and split screen

Workspaces keep sets of tabs separate and color coded, split screen shows two pages side by side in one tab, and tabs can be grouped by topic in one click.

Microsoft Password Manager and passkeys

Password Generator, Password Monitor and Password Health suggest strong passwords, sync them between devices and flag saved credentials found in known leaks. Passkeys are supported too.

Built-in security tools

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen blocks known phishing sites and malicious downloads, a scareware blocker targets fake warnings and support scams, and InPrivate clears history, cookies and form data on close.

Performance and gaming features

Energy saver extends battery life, PC gaming boost cuts the browser's resource use when a game launches, and Edge for Game Bar is an in-game browser for PC gaming.

Brave

• Free$0

  The full browser with Shields ad and tracker blocking, encrypted sync, the free tier of Leo, Brave Search and Brave Talk video calls.

• Search premium$3.00

  per month, or $29.99 per year

  Ad-free Brave Search results and a cleaner view on all results pages.

• Talk premium$7.00

  per month, or $69.99 per year

  Video calls with hundreds of people, call recordings, participant muting and passcodes. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Brave VPN$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  Whole-device VPN for up to 10 devices across desktop, Android and iOS, with speeds up to 500 Mbps. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Leo AI premium$14.99

  per month, or $149.99 per year

  More AI models, higher rate limits and early access to new Leo features. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• Brave Origin$59.99

  one-time purchase

  A minimalist version of the browser that can switch off or remove Leo, News, Rewards, VPN, Wallet and other features. Free on Linux.

Microsoft Edge

• Free$0

  The full browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, with Copilot built in and sync between signed-in devices.

Brave

• Annual discount

  About 17% off with yearly billing

  Each Brave premium subscription costs about 17% less when paid yearly: Brave VPN is $99.99 a year against $119.88 for twelve months at $9.99, and Leo AI premium is $149.99 against $179.88.

Microsoft Edge

No public discounts listed.