Privacy-Oriented Browsers: Practical Guide to Safer Web Browsing

Including intallation instructions for Windows, Linux and Mac

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Online privacy is a hot topic. From targeted ads to silent trackers, many mainstream browsers share more about you than you’d like. Fortunately, several privacy-oriented browsers exist to help you stay safe and anonymous.

infographic of privacy focused browsers

In this article, we’ll look at the most popular privacy browsers, what makes them unique, and how to install them on Linux, Windows, and macOS. At the end, we’ll compare features and give practical advice on which one to choose.

🔒 1. Tor Browser

What it is: Tor Browser uses the Tor network to anonymize your traffic by bouncing it through multiple relays. This makes it very hard to trace you, but it can feel slower than other browsers.

Privacy Features:

  • Onion routing hides your IP.
  • Strong anti-fingerprinting defenses.
  • Blocks trackers and scripts by default.

Installation:

  • Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
sudo apt update && sudo apt install torbrowser-launcher
torbrowser-launcher

  • Linux (other distros): Download the .tar.xz package from torproject.org. Extract and run start-tor-browser.

  • Windows:

    1. Download the .exe installer from Tor Project.
    2. Run the installer and launch Tor.

  • macOS:

    1. Download the .dmg file.
    2. Drag Tor Browser into your Applications folder.
    3. Launch from Applications.

🦁 2. Brave Browser

What it is: Brave is Chromium-based (like Chrome) but removes Google tracking and adds powerful privacy tools like ad-blocking and HTTPS upgrades.

Privacy Features:

  • Shields block ads, trackers, and fingerprinting.
  • Private windows with optional Tor mode.
  • Regular updates, fast performance.

Installation:

  • Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
sudo apt install curl
sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg \
  https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] \
  https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
sudo apt update && sudo apt install brave-browser
  • Linux (Fedora):
sudo dnf install dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://brave-browser-rpm-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser.repo
sudo rpm --import https://brave-browser-rpm-release.s3.brave.com/brave-core.asc
sudo dnf install brave-browser
  • Windows: Download installer from brave.com/download and run it.
  • macOS: Download .dmg file, drag Brave into Applications, and open it.

🦊 3. LibreWolf

What it is: LibreWolf is a hardened Firefox fork with telemetry removed, uBlock Origin built-in, and privacy-focused settings.

Privacy Features:

  • No telemetry or sponsored content.
  • Strong tracking protection.
  • Based on Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release).

Installation:

  • Linux (Flatpak):
flatpak install flathub io.gitlab.librewolf-community
flatpak run io.gitlab.librewolf-community
  • Linux (Arch):
yay -S librewolf-bin
  • Windows: Download installer from librewolf.net and follow setup.
  • macOS: Download .dmg file, drag LibreWolf into Applications, and run it.

🛡️ 4. Mullvad Browser

What it is: Created by Mullvad VPN and the Tor Project, Mullvad Browser is like Tor Browser without the Tor network dependency. It’s built to fight fingerprinting and pairs well with a VPN.

Privacy Features:

  • Anti-fingerprinting same as Tor.
  • No telemetry or hidden tracking.
  • Designed to integrate with Mullvad VPN, but works with any VPN.

Installation:

  • Linux:

    1. Download the .tar.xz package from Mullvad Browser.
    2. Extract and run start-mullvad-browser.

  • Windows: Download .exe installer and follow setup.

  • macOS: Download .dmg file, drag into Applications, and run.

🌐 5. Ungoogled Chromium

What it is: A stripped-down version of Chromium without Google services. It’s more DIY — you’ll need to install extensions for ad-blocking and updates are manual.

Privacy Features:

  • No Google integration or background requests.
  • Fully open-source, minimal tracking surface.
  • Requires manual updates (less beginner-friendly).

Installation:

  • Linux (Arch):
yay -S ungoogled-chromium
  • Linux (Debian/Ubuntu): Community builds available here. Download .deb and install with:
sudo dpkg -i ungoogled-chromium_*.deb
  • Windows: Download .zip or installer from official builds, extract, and run.
  • macOS: Download .dmg, drag into Applications, and run.

🔎 Comparison Table

Browser Ad Blocking Anti-Fingerprinting Tor Integration Telemetry-Free Ease of Use
Tor ✅ Yes 🟢 Very strong ✅ Native ✅ Yes ⚠️ Slower
Brave ✅ Yes 🟡 Moderate 🟢 Optional ⚠️ Mostly 🟢 Very easy
LibreWolf ✅ Yes 🟢 Strong ❌ No ✅ Yes 🟢 Easy
Mullvad ✅ Yes 🟢 Strong ❌ No (VPN use) ✅ Yes 🟢 Easy
Ungoogled Chromium ❌ Manual 🟡 Moderate ❌ No ✅ Yes ⚠️ Technical

✅ Final Advice

  • For maximum anonymity: Use Tor Browser.
  • For daily browsing with privacy + speed: Go with Brave or LibreWolf.
  • For VPN users: Mullvad Browser is an excellent fit.
  • For power users: Ungoogled Chromium gives full control but requires more effort.

👉 In short:

  • General users - Brave or LibreWolf.
  • High anonymity - Tor.
  • VPN-focused - Mullvad.
  • DIY privacy hackers - Ungoogled Chromium.