DuckDuckGo Browser vs Safari
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
Where they differ
- DuckDuckGo Browser starts at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Plus subscription). Safari is free.
- Only DuckDuckGo Browser lists Windows and Android apps.
- DuckDuckGo Browser also covers password manager.
- Safari also covers passkeys and read later.
In commonFree planmacOSiOSWeb browser
At a glance
| DuckDuckGo Browser | Safari | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Safari is included with the operating system on Apple devices and is listed as free on the App Store. There is no paid tier. |
| Free trial | Free trial of the subscription for new subscribers; its length was not shown when read | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | DuckDuckGo | Apple |
| Price read from | duckduckgo.com | apps.apple.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
Safari
- People who use a Mac, iPhone and iPad together
- Browsing with tracker protection that is on by default
- Families and groups planning together in shared Tab Groups
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.
Safari
- Safari runs only on Apple devices. Apple says it no longer offers Safari updates for Windows or other non-Apple operating systems.
- New versions arrive with operating system updates, so getting the latest Safari means updating macOS, iOS, iPadOS or visionOS.
- Live Text, which selects text inside images and paused video, is supported in seven languages.
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.
Safari
- Intelligent Tracking Prevention
- On-device intelligence limits cross-site tracking and hides the IP address from known trackers. A Privacy Report lists the trackers stopped on the current site and over the past week.
- Tab Groups and Profiles
- Tab Groups save named sets of tabs, sync between devices and can be shared with other people. Profiles keep history, extensions, cookies and favorites separate for topics such as Work and Personal.
- Sync and Handoff
- Passwords, bookmarks, history and tabs sync across Mac, iPad and iPhone, and Handoff passes the page being viewed from one nearby device to another.
- Passkeys and iCloud Keychain
- iCloud Keychain stores and autofills passkeys, passwords and credit card numbers on trusted devices. Safari also warns about suspicious websites and upgrades HTTP to HTTPS when available.
- Reader, Reading List and translation
- Reader removes ads and navigation from articles, Reading List saves pages to read later on any iCloud-connected device, even offline, and whole web pages can be translated in the browser.
- Extensions and web apps
- Third-party extensions for iPhone, iPad and Mac come from the Safari category on the App Store. A website can be saved to the Mac Dock or the iPhone and iPad Home Screen as a web app.
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.
Safari
Free$0
The full browser on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, included with the device's operating system.
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.
Safari
No public discounts listed.
