Browser and Search Engine Comparison
Eight widely used browsers and four search engines compared directly, with a focus on privacy and tracking.
Last updated: September 1, 2026
Tracking protection out of the box, roughly ranked
No scientific measurement, just a rough ranking of how much protection each browser already brings right after installation.
| Firefox | Chrome | Brave | Tor Browser | Mullvad Browser | Safari | Samsung Internet | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Own Gecko engine, developed independently | Chromium, the same base as many other browsers | Also Chromium, but heavily customized | Firefox ESR, heavily hardened and combined with the Tor network | Firefox ESR, developed in collaboration with the Tor Project | Own WebKit engine, developed independently | Chromium, like many other browsers | Chromium, like many other browsers |
| Developed by | Mozilla, a nonprofit organization | Brave Software | The Tor Project, a nonprofit organization | Mullvad, in collaboration with the Tor Project | Apple | Samsung | Microsoft | |
| Default tracking | Low, many protections active out of the box | Higher, closely tied to Google services | Very low, tracking is blocked by default | Extremely low, traffic runs through several anonymizing relays | Very low, same protection technology as Tor Browser, but without the Tor network | Medium, blocks many but not all trackers | Medium, some protections out of the box | Medium, closely tied to Microsoft services |
| Built in ad blocker | No, addable via extension | No, addable via extension | Yes, built in and active directly | Yes, built in along with other protections | Yes, fixed protections active | No, addable via extension from the App Store | No, addable via extension | No, addable via extension |
| Open source | Yes, fully | The Chromium base yes, Chrome itself not entirely | Yes, based on open Chromium code | Yes, fully | Yes, fully | The WebKit base yes, Safari itself not entirely | The Chromium base yes, Samsung Internet itself not entirely | The Chromium base yes, Edge itself not entirely |
| Notable feature | Independent from big ad companies | Largest market share, very good compatibility | Own, optional cryptocurrency reward system | Highest possible anonymity, at the cost of noticeably slower browsing | Designed for use with your own VPN, without the actual Tor network | Deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, unavailable on other operating systems | Preinstalled on Samsung devices, barely used elsewhere | Directly integrated into Windows, good compatibility |
No ads, no paid recommendation. All eight browsers are usable in principle, the differences lie mainly in how much protection against tracking is already built in out of the box and what each browser is meant for.
I personally only use Firefox in everyday life.
Google, Startpage, DuckDuckGo and co
There are clear differences in privacy among search engines too. I personally use Startpage in everyday life.
| Startpage | DuckDuckGo | Ecosia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracking | Extensive, closely tied to further Google services | None, your own searches aren't stored | None, actively markets itself on anonymity | Low, focus is more on environmental projects |
| Search results | Own, very extensive search index | Shows Google results, but without passing your data on to Google | Own mix from several sources | Based on Bing results |
| Funding | Ads, based on user profiles | Ads without profiling | Ads without profiling | Ads, proceeds go toward planting trees |
| Notable feature | Largest reach, very mature | Enables Google quality without Google tracking | Known for privacy for years | Ecological focus rather than a privacy focus |
No ads here either, no paid recommendation. Startpage is my personal choice because it delivers the search quality you'd expect from Google, without Google reading along.