DuckDuckGo Browser vs Vivaldi
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
Where they differ
- DuckDuckGo Browser starts at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Plus subscription). Vivaldi is free.
- Only Vivaldi lists a Linux app.
- Vivaldi is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- DuckDuckGo Browser also covers password manager.
- Vivaldi also covers notes, calendar, email client, screenshots and rSS reader.
At a glance
| DuckDuckGo Browser | Vivaldi | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Vivaldi is free on desktop and mobile with no paid tier. The company funds itself through search engine and bookmark partner deals, a share of Proton VPN upgrades and donations. |
| 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 | Vivaldi Technologies |
| 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
Vivaldi
- Power users who keep dozens of tabs open
- People who want mail, calendar and feeds inside the browser
- Those who like to customize shortcuts, themes and layout
- Users who want a browser without a built-in AI assistant
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.
Vivaldi
- Proton VPN for Vivaldi works only in the desktop browser, and faster speeds, more servers and extra devices need a paid Proton VPN plan.
- New installs come with partner bookmarks and search engines that earn Vivaldi revenue. They can be replaced.
- Vivaldi deliberately leaves out an AI assistant, so there is no built-in chatbot or page summarizer.
- The current Mac download requires macOS 13 or later.
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.
Vivaldi
- Mail, Calendar and Feed Reader
- A built-in email client handles several accounts, mailing lists and feeds in one inbox, next to a private calendar and a feed reader that does not rank items by algorithm.
- Tab Stacks, tiling and Workspaces
- Tabs group into two-level Tab Stacks, open side by side in a split-screen view, and sort into Workspaces for switching between categories of tabs.
- Ad and tracker blocker
- A blocker for ads and trackers is built into the desktop and mobile browsers, so no extension is needed to remove them.
- End-to-end encrypted Sync
- Browsing history, passwords, bookmarks, tabs and notes sync between desktop and mobile devices, protected by end-to-end encryption.
- Proton VPN for Vivaldi
- An opt-in VPN from Proton is built into the desktop browser. It is free with no ads or data limits after signing in with a Vivaldi account.
- Customization and Command Chains
- Shortcuts, themes and features can be personalized, mouse gestures trigger actions, and Command Chains run a custom sequence of commands from one keystroke or gesture.
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.
Vivaldi
Free$0
The full browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, including mail, calendar, feed reader, sync and the free tier of Proton VPN on desktop.
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.
Vivaldi
No public discounts listed.
