DuckDuckGo Browser vs Google Chrome
We give DuckDuckGo Browser a 3.2 GPA and Google Chrome a 3.6, out of 4.0. Google Chrome grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DuckDuckGo Browser
Free browser that blocks trackers, ads and cookie pop-ups by default
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Google Chrome
Google's free browser for desktop and mobile, with Gemini built in
Free
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADuckDuckGo BrowserVery good | 3.6GPAGoogle ChromeExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe browser is free. Plus is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, about the going rate, and it bundles a whole-device VPN on up to 5 devices with advanced AI models, Personal Information Removal and Identity Theft Restoration. Pro is $19.99 for the top AI models. | BThe browser is free, so there's no bad deal to be had. The one thing to pay for is auto browse, which needs a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription and only works in the U.S. Chrome's pages don't say what that costs. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole browser is free on every platform: private search, tracker, ad and cookie pop-up blocking, a password manager, Email Protection and the basic Duck.ai models. Plenty of people will never need to pay. | AAll of it, on every device: sync, the password manager, Safe Browsing, tab groups and extensions. No trial and no locked buttons. Only auto browse sits behind a subscription. |
| Features | BIt blocks third-party trackers and most ads, YouTube video ads included, opts you out of cookie pop-ups and clears everything with one button. A password manager and anonymous AI chat are built in. Nothing on the listing about extensions, though, and the VPN is paid. | BTab groups, vertical tabs, split view, a password manager with passkeys, and the Chrome Web Store for everything else. But no ad or tracker blocker is on the feature list, and Gemini in Chrome depends on your account, country and device. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating to go on. The blocking is on by default with nothing to configure, and you can import passwords and bookmarks from browsers such as Chrome. | A4.7 from about 3.9 million App Store ratings. Download it, sign in with your Google Account, and your bookmarks and passwords are already there. A new version lands every four weeks. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, iPhone and Android. No Linux version is listed, and there are no integrations or API on record. The paid extras are reached through this browser. | AWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android. Sign in and tabs, bookmarks, passwords and payment details sync across all of them. You can even send a tab from your laptop to your phone. |
| Best for | private browsing with nothing to set up | the same browser on every device you own |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DuckDuckGo Browser and Google Chrome. How we grade
Where they differ
- DuckDuckGo Browser starts at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Plus subscription). Google Chrome is free.
- Only Google Chrome lists a Linux app.
- Google Chrome also covers passkeys.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSiOSAndroidAI featuresPassword managerWeb browser
At a glance
| DuckDuckGo Browser | Google Chrome | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Plus subscription) | Free |
| Free plan | The browser is free on every platform, with private search, tracker, ad and cookie pop-up blocking, Email Protection, a password manager and the basic Duck.ai chat models. | Chrome is downloaded and installed at no charge on every platform. The auto browse feature of Gemini in Chrome needs a separate Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription. |
| Free trial | Free trial of the subscription for new subscribers; its length was not shown when read | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | DuckDuckGo | |
| Price read from | duckduckgo.com | support.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
DuckDuckGo Browser
- People who want tracker and ad blocking with no setup
- Private search and anonymous AI chat in one app
- Those who want a VPN and identity services bundled with their browser
Google Chrome
- Google Account users who want the same bookmarks, passwords and tabs on every device
- People who depend on extensions from the Chrome Web Store
- Those who want Gemini and Google's AI search inside the browser
Worth knowing
DuckDuckGo Browser
- The VPN, advanced AI models, Personal Information Removal and Identity Theft Restoration need a subscription from $9.99 per month.
- The subscription is sold only in the US, Canada, the UK and listed EU countries, and its features are accessed through the DuckDuckGo browser.
- The desktop browser is available only for Windows and Mac; no Linux version is listed.
- DuckDuckGo says no service can block all hidden tracking, and it keeps a list of exceptions to avoid breaking websites.
Google Chrome
- Auto browse, where Gemini carries out multi-step tasks, is available only to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.
- Gemini in Chrome needs a signed-in, eligible account in a supported country, and Google's FAQ says it is not available on Android yet.
- Enhanced Safe Browsing requires browsing data to be sent to Google.
- Desktop requirements start at Windows 10, macOS 13 Ventura, and 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04, Debian 10, openSUSE 15.5 or Fedora Linux 39.
Key features
DuckDuckGo Browser
- Tracker and ad blocking
- Third-party trackers from companies such as Google and Facebook are blocked by default, along with most ads before they load, including ads on YouTube videos.
- Cookie pop-up handling
- The browser detects cookie consent pop-ups and, where possible, opts out automatically so the pop-up never appears.
- One-button data clearing
- A single button deletes all open tabs, history and browsing data, so nothing from a session is left behind on the device.
- Private search and Duck.ai
- DuckDuckGo Search is built in and does not track searches. Duck.ai offers anonymized chats with models such as ChatGPT and Claude that are not used for training, and it can be turned off.
- Password manager and Email Protection
- A built-in password manager stores logins, passwords and bookmarks can be imported from browsers such as Chrome, and Email Protection blocks hidden trackers in emails.
- Subscription protections
- Subscribers get a VPN that covers the whole device, advanced Duck.ai models, Personal Information Removal from data broker sites and Identity Theft Restoration, all reached through the browser.
Google Chrome
- Tab groups, vertical tabs and split view
- Tabs can be grouped, labeled and color coded, stacked down the side of the window as vertical tabs, or shown two at a time in split view.
- Sync across devices
- Signing in to Chrome brings bookmarks, saved passwords, payment info and open tabs to any phone, tablet or computer, and a tab can be sent from one device to another.
- Google Password Manager and passkeys
- Google Password Manager is built in to save, manage and generate passwords. Passkeys allow sign-in with a fingerprint, face, PIN or pattern.
- Safe Browsing and Safety Check
- Safe Browsing warns before a dangerous site or download, with an optional enhanced mode. Safety Check reviews saved passwords, extensions and settings and points out anything that needs attention.
- Gemini in Chrome and AI Mode
- Gemini in Chrome answers questions using the context of open tabs, and Skills save prompts for reuse. AI Mode, Google's AI search, accepts tabs, files and images as context.
- Extensions and performance controls
- Extensions from the Chrome Web Store add features, Energy Saver and Memory Saver limit resource use, and Google ships a new Chrome update every four weeks.
Plans
DuckDuckGo Browser
Free$0
The full browser with private search, tracker and cookie pop-up blocking, Email Protection, a password manager and basic Duck.ai models.
Plus$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year, plus tax if applicable
Adds a full-device VPN on up to 5 devices at once, advanced AI models in Duck.ai, Personal Information Removal and Identity Theft Restoration.
Pro$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year, plus tax if applicable
Everything in Plus, with the most advanced Duck.ai models, higher reasoning effort and 2x the Plus usage limits.
Google Chrome
Free$0
The full browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, with sync through a Google Account.
Ways to pay less
DuckDuckGo Browser
- Annual discount
About 17% off with yearly billing
Plus is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, and Pro is $199.99 a year against $19.99 a month, a saving of about 17% over twelve monthly payments.
Google Chrome
No public discounts listed.
