Chrome vs Brave: Which Browser Fits You, and What Happens to Your Extensions

Chrome or Brave: which should you pick?

Choose Brave if you want ads, trackers and most pop-ups stopped before you install anything. Choose Chrome if your day runs on Gmail, Drive and Google sign-in across devices and you want the browser those services are built for first.

Under the hood the two are closer than the marketing suggests. Brave is built on Chromium, the open-source project Google maintains for Chrome, so page rendering, developer tools and the extension system are largely shared. The real differences sit in the defaults, the business model and what each browser sends home.

If you only came to find out whether your extensions survive a move, the short answer is yes for nearly all of them. The next section covers the handful of exceptions and the exact install steps.

Do Chrome extensions work the same in Brave?

Yes, for nearly every extension. Brave installs straight from the Chrome Web Store, runs the same Manifest V3 extension platform and lists your add-ons on a brave://extensions page that mirrors chrome://extensions.

1. Open the Chrome Web Store in Brave and search for the extension, or follow the install link on its Find Extensions profile.
2. Click the blue install button, read the permission prompt, then click Add extension.
3. Click the puzzle-piece icon to the right of the address bar and select the pin next to the extension so it stays in the toolbar.
4. Open brave://extensions and click Details to change site access, or use the toggle to disable it without removing it.
5. To run it in private windows, turn on Allow in Private on the same Details page. Private windows with Tor keep extensions out by design.

The differences show up at the edges. Extensions that duplicate Shields can double-block and break a page, and crypto wallet extensions compete with Brave's built-in wallet prompts until you change the default wallet in settings. Anything that expects you to be signed in to Chrome with a Google account for its own features may need an extra login.

Manifest V2 is the one real split. Chrome has phased out MV2 extensions, which is why the original uBlock Origin no longer runs there and uBlock Origin Lite exists. Brave says it keeps limited, best-effort support for four MV2 extensions (AdGuard, NoScript, uBlock Origin and uMatrix), which it hosts itself rather than loading from the Web Store, and you turn them on at brave://settings/extensions/v2. Other MV2 extensions are not covered, and Brave says it may change or drop support, so check its own page before you rely on it.

How does Brave Shields compare with an ad blocker in Chrome?

Brave Shields blocks ads and cross-site trackers on every site from the first launch; Chrome only gets similar coverage after you install a blocker. The trade-off is control: Shields is tuned by Brave and can't be uninstalled, while a Chrome blocker is your pick, with its own filter lists and update schedule.

Chrome does ship a built-in ad filter, but it only acts on sites that repeatedly break the Better Ads Standards. It is not a general blocker and you will still see ordinary display ads on most pages.

Trackers & ads blocking

Set per site to Aggressive, Standard or Disabled. Standard lets some first-party ads through; Aggressive blocks those too and breaks more pages.

Upgrade connections to HTTPS

Moves you to the secure version of a site when one exists.

Block scripts

Off by default. Turning it on stops JavaScript for that site, which breaks most modern web apps, so use it sparingly.

Fingerprinting protection

Randomises some of the device details sites combine to recognise you without cookies.

Block cookies

Cross-site cookies are blocked by default; you can block all cookies for a single site.

Global defaults

Set at brave://settings/shields. Extra filter lists and your own rules sit under Content filtering.

Which browser is more private by default?

Brave is more private out of the box: it blocks third-party trackers, strips some known tracking parameters from links and never asks you to sign in to a Google account. Chrome can be tightened considerably, but almost every protection is opt-in.

If you stay on Chrome, these are the settings that matter most:

• Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies: choose to block third-party cookies.
• Settings > Privacy and security > Ad privacy: switch off Ad topics, Site-suggested ads and Ad measurement.
• Settings > Privacy and security > Security: Enhanced protection shares more browsing data with Google in return for faster warnings; Standard protection shares less.
• Settings > You and Google > Sync and Google services: review which data types sync and the options under Other Google services.
• Add a history cleaner such as History Cleaner so old local history does not pile up for years.

Both browsers collect some usage data. Brave documents what it gathers in its browser privacy policy, and Google explains Chrome's collection in the Chrome privacy notice. Read both if privacy is your deciding factor, because defaults change between releases.

How do sync and passwords differ between Chrome and Brave?

Chrome syncs through your Google account and saves logins to Google Password Manager. Brave syncs through a Sync Chain, a set of code words or a QR code shared between your own devices, with no email or account behind it.

To set it up in Brave, open Settings > Sync > Start a new Sync Chain, choose the type of device you are adding, then scan the QR code or type the code words on the second device. Tick only the data types you want shared.

The catch is recovery. With no account behind the chain, losing every device in it means that synced data is gone, and Chrome and Brave cannot sync with each other at all. A cross-browser password manager avoids both problems and makes a future switch painless.

Is either browser really free? Pricing and extras

Both browsers cost nothing to download and use. Chrome is paid for by Google's ad business; Brave earns from optional ads, search and subscriptions you are free to ignore.

• Brave Rewards: off until you opt in. When on, Brave shows its own ads as notifications or new-tab images and pays you in BAT tokens.
• New-tab sponsored images: may appear on Brave's new tab page; switch them off from the page's customise menu.
• Brave VPN: a separate paid subscription. Check Brave's site for current pricing and which countries it covers.
• Leo: Brave's built-in AI assistant, with a free tier and a paid Premium tier.
• Brave Wallet: a built-in crypto wallet you can hide from the toolbar and never touch.
• Chrome: no paid tiers in the browser itself. Google One and Workspace are separate products that happen to integrate with it.

If crypto features and sponsored tiles put you off Brave, that is a fair reason to stay on Chrome with a blocker. Everything on the list above is optional, though, and a few minutes in settings turns it all off.

How do you move from Chrome to Brave, or back?

Brave's importer copies bookmarks, history, saved passwords and extensions from Chrome in one pass. Plan on ten minutes, most of it signing back in to extensions that hold an account.

1. Install Brave from brave.com and open it; the welcome screen offers to import from Chrome.
2. If you skipped that, go to brave://settings/importData, choose Google Chrome and the right profile, tick bookmarks, history, passwords and extensions, then click Import.
3. Open brave://extensions and confirm each extension is switched on; sign back in to ones such as Bitwarden.
4. Set your Shields defaults at brave://settings/shields before you start browsing, so you know how strict you are being.
5. Make Brave the default: on Windows, Settings > Apps > Default apps; on macOS, System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Default web browser.
6. Keep Chrome installed for a week or two in case a work tool only behaves there.

Going back works the same way in reverse: Chrome's Settings > Import bookmarks and settings can pull from other browsers, and your Chrome extensions reappear once you turn sync back on.

What about speed, mobile apps and sites that break?

Speed should not decide this: the engine is the same, and Brave simply downloads less on ad-heavy pages because Shields drops ads and trackers first. Mobile and site compatibility are where the two actually diverge.

• Android: Brave's app has Shields built in; Chrome for Android has no general ad blocking. Neither is a dependable home for Web Store extensions on a phone.
• iPhone and iPad: in most regions every iOS browser runs on Apple's WebKit engine, so Brave for iOS is a WebKit browser with Shields layered on top.
• A site breaks in Brave: click the lion icon in the address bar, lower Shields to Standard or switch it off for that site, then reload.
• Streaming video won't play: Brave may ask you to enable Widevine, the DRM component some streaming services require; allow it and restart.
• Google sign-in keeps looping: relax cookie blocking in Shields for the site you are signing in to.
• An extension seems to do nothing: confirm it is enabled in brave://extensions, then check Shields isn't blocking the same resource the extension needs.

On Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, extensions behave the same way in both browsers because the platform is shared. Chromebooks run Chrome as the system browser, so Brave there is a Linux or Android app rather than a drop-in replacement.

Who should use Chrome and who should use Brave?

Most people who care about ads and tracking will be happier in Brave; people deep in Google's ecosystem, or on managed work devices, are usually better served by Chrome plus two or three well-chosen extensions.

Pick Chrome if

you use Google Workspace all day, need sync tied to your Google account, work on a managed device, or build and test websites for the browser most visitors use.

Pick Brave if

you want blocking without hunting for extensions, prefer syncing without an account, or share a computer with family members who will never install a blocker themselves.

Either works if

you run a lean set of extensions, keep passwords in a cross-browser manager and review permissions before installing anything.

Whichever you choose, your extension list matters more than the browser logo. Browse our security and privacy extensions, read how we score picks on the methodology page, or start from the full extension directory.