Brave is built on Chromium — so Chrome extensions and site compatibility carry over — but ships with aggressive ad and tracker blocking enabled out of the box. Blocking ads at the browser level typically means noticeably faster page loads.
Why choose Brave?
Brave is built on Chromium — so Chrome extensions and site compatibility carry over — but ships with aggressive ad and tracker blocking enabled out of the box. Blocking ads at the browser level typically means noticeably faster page loads.
Brave is open source, so the source code is public, the licence cannot be withdrawn, and no company can move it behind a paywall later. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and it comes from Brave Software rather than from a repackager — this page sends you to brave.com, the publisher's own site, so what you install is the authentic signed build.
Worth comparing before you commit: Brave vs Mozilla Firefox, Brave vs Google Chrome, Brave vs Opera.
Brave features
- Ad and tracker blocking built in
- Runs Chrome extensions
- Faster page loads on ad-heavy sites
- Built-in private window with Tor
How to download and install Brave on Windows
- Use the official source. The download button on this page opens brave.com, the publisher's own site — that is the safe route. If you would rather we double-check the current link first, ask and we email it. Either way, never take a brave download from a mirror or a "download manager" portal, which is where bundled adware comes from.
- Pick the build for your system. Brave runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. On Windows take the 64-bit package unless you are on an old 32-bit installation.
- Run the installer and accept the defaults. Brave Software ships no bundled extra software with it, so there is nothing to untick.
- Open it once before you need it. Confirming it launches and sees your files or hardware takes a minute now and saves a problem later.
- Keep it updated. Update from inside the program or from brave.com — update prompts arriving by email or pop-up are not from the publisher.
Downloading Brave in India
Brave is the same software worldwide — there is no separate India build, no regional licence and nothing extra to pay. A brave download in India gets the identical package everyone else receives, straight from brave.com.
We link only to that official source, so a brave setup download India from this page cannot arrive wrapped in a third-party installer. That matters more than download speed: the adware people blame on "free software" almost always comes from a mirror site, never from the publisher.
Is Brave really free?
Open Source. Source code is public; free to use, study and modify. You can download and use it without paying, and without creating an account with us.
How to download Brave safely
Use the request button on this page and we will email you the current link for brave.com — the publisher's own website — so you receive the authentic, digitally signed build. We do not host, mirror, patch or repackage this software in any way.
Avoid third-party "download manager" sites offering Brave. They commonly wrap the genuine installer in their own bundler, which is how adware and browser hijackers get onto a machine that the user believed was clean.
Alternatives to Brave
Other free web browsers software worth comparing before you decide:
Mozilla Firefox
The major independent browser, built by a non-profit.
View details
Google Chrome
The most widely used browser in the world.
View details
Opera
Feature-packed browser with a free built-in VPN.
View details
Vivaldi
The power-user browser — customise almost everything.
View detailsSee all Brave alternatives compared →
Compare Brave head-to-head
Frequently asked questions
Is the Brave download free?
Yes. Brave is open-source software — free to download, use and keep, with no paid edition, no trial period and no feature held behind a key.
Is Brave safe to download?
It is, provided it comes from brave.com — Brave Software's own site, which is where the link we send you points. We host no installer of our own and never repackage software. Nearly every "free software gave me a virus" story traces back to a third-party download portal rather than the publisher.
Which platforms does Brave run on?
Brave runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. Take the build that matches your operating system; on Windows that means the 64-bit package unless you are running an old 32-bit installation.
Do I need an account to download Brave?
Not with us — FreeSoftwareX has no accounts, no paywall and no download gate. Ask for the link and we email it to you. Brave Software may ask you to register on their own site, which is their choice rather than ours.
What are the best free alternatives to Brave?
The closest free web browsers options are Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera. Each is listed here with its own licence, platforms and features so you can compare them properly rather than guessing.
Tell us what went wrong — a person reads every message and replies. Corrections to this page are treated as priority fixes.
People also search for
The terms visitors use to find this page. Each one lands here because it describes the same program.
Searches from India
Brave is identical worldwide — these are search phrasings, not different downloads. Every one of them gets the same official build from brave.com.