Description: "100M+ people use Brave every month. Is it the best browser for developers, or am I in a cult? Tell me your browser and defend it in the comments."
Let's start with a confession ๐
I have 40+ tabs open right now.
Docs. Stack Overflow. GitHub. A YouTube video I'll "watch later" (I won't). Three tutorials I opened to "quickly check something" two hours ago. And a localhost project that has been broken since Tuesday.
If my browser were a person, it would be asking for a raise, a vacation, and probably a therapist.
So today I want to ask the question every developer secretly has a very strong opinion about:
๐ Which browser are you using, and WHY?
Not "which one is popular."
Not "which one came pre-installed."
Which one would you defend at 2 AM in a comment section?
Here's my answer first. Then it's your turn. ๐
๐ A 60-second history of why we're even having this argument
Browsers have been fighting since before some of you were born:
- The 90s: Netscape and Internet Explorer go to war. The web becomes a battlefield.
- 2004: Firefox shows up and reminds everyone that browsers can be good.
- 2008: Chrome launches, and "fast and simple" becomes the new standard.
-
2016: Brave appears, co-founded by Brendan Eich, the person who created JavaScript. Yes, the same person. The guy who gave us
[] + {}also gave us a privacy-first browser. ๐ - 2020: Edge switches to Chromium, and suddenly "Microsoft's browser" is a serious option.
- Today: Most of the web runs on Chromium, with Firefox and Safari holding the line as the other engines.
Every browser on this list exists because someone looked at the existing options and said, "I can do this better." I love that. It's also why this discussion never ends.
๐ฆ I use Brave. Here's the honest case.
1. The ad blocker is built in, and for me it's the best I've used
No extension to install. No extension to update. No extension asking permission to "read and change all your data on all websites" (which, let's be honest, should make us all a little nervous).
Brave Shields works from the first launch. It blocks ads and trackers, and it upgrades connections to HTTPS where it can. Pages load faster, the clutter disappears, and I stopped feeling like I was reading the internet through a casino window.
My honest take, not a lab benchmark: after Brave, going back to a browser full of ads feels like going back to dial-up. ๐
You can tune it per site. Click the lion icon in the address bar and you get a dashboard of what was blocked on that page. The first time you see the number on a news site, you will not be okay. ๐ณ
2. It feels lighter on RAM
Every dev knows the moment:
- Open a few tabs.
- Hear the laptop fan start to sound like a jet engine.
- Check the task manager.
- Watch your browser casually eating gigabytes like it's a buffet.
On my machine, Brave with an unreasonable number of tabs feels noticeably smoother. Less junk loading (ads, trackers, auto-playing nonsense) means less junk running in the background. Your mileage may vary, so tell me if yours is different. I actually want to know. (More on that in a minute. ๐)
3. The cult following is real ๐ฅ
Brave now has over 100 million monthly active users. That's not a niche browser anymore. That's a movement.
And Brave people are loud about it. Ask one why they use Brave and you'll get a TED Talk. (Guilty. ๐ I'm literally writing one right now.)
4. It's Chromium under the hood, so my dev life barely changes
Chrome DevTools? Same familiar feel. Chrome Web Store extensions? They work. Switching didn't mean relearning my whole workflow. I got the privacy upgrade without the productivity downgrade.
5. The extras you didn't know you wanted
Built into the browser, no setup:
- ๐ต๏ธ Private windows with Tor for extra anonymity when you need it
- ๐ Brave Search, an independent search option
- ๐ค Leo, a built-in AI assistant
- ๐งฐ Fingerprinting protection and cookie controls
Not everyone will use all of it. But having it there is a very different feeling from hunting for five separate extensions.
๐ฌ Okay, but let's be fair: the "Brave isn't perfect" section
I don't trust anyone who says their favorite tool has zero flaws. So here's the honest list:
- Crypto and rewards features aren't for everyone. They're optional and you can turn them off, but some people find them distracting.
- Past controversies exist. Brave has had a few over the years, and if trust matters to you (it should), read up and decide for yourself.
- Shields can break some sites. A login or video player occasionally misbehaves until you lower the shield for that site.
- Chromium dominance is a real concern. Whichever Chromium browser we pick, we're all feeding the same engine monoculture. Firefox users have a point here, and I respect it.
I'd rather you hear it from me than think I'm selling you something. Still Brave for me, but with my eyes open. ๐
๐ The Developer Browser Tier List (Fight Me)
| Browser | Why devs love it | Why devs rage |
|---|---|---|
| Brave ๐ฆ | Built-in blocker, privacy, Chromium DevTools | Some sites get fussy with Shields on |
| Chrome | DevTools, extensions, everything just works | Hungry for RAM, hungry for data |
| Firefox | Independent engine, privacy, great CSS tools | Some sites only get tested on Chromium |
| Edge | Fast, smooth, surprisingly good | "Why is there a shopping tab?" |
| Safari | Battery life, great on Apple hardware | Testing on it is its own personality test |
Disagree with the table? Good. That's literally what the comments are for.
๐ญ What your browser says about you (100% scientific, 0% accurate)
- ๐ฆ Brave: Reads privacy policies for fun. Has opinions about trackers. Will mention it at parties.
- ๐ก Chrome: "It just works." Has 87 extensions and no idea what 60 of them do.
- ๐ฆ Firefox: Loyal. Principled. Has been defending Firefox since 2009 and is not tired.
- ๐ท Edge: Quiet confidence. Knows it's good. Tired of being the punchline.
- ๐งญ Safari: Lives in the Apple ecosystem and is happy there. Do not disturb.
- ๐ต๏ธ Tor Browser: You don't tell anyone. You just know.
If I got yours wrong, tell me. If I got it painfully right, tell me that too. ๐
๐งช The Tab Challenge: Let's settle the RAM debate with real data
I don't want you to just take my word for it. Let's test it. Takes 3 minutes:
- Close everything except your browser.
- Open the same 10 tabs in each browser you use (same sites, same order).
- Wait about a minute for everything to settle.
- Open your Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) and check the browser's total memory.
- Come back and post your result in the comments.
Use this format so we can compare:
Browser: ___ | OS: ___ | Same 10 tabs: ___ GB
If enough people join, I'll collect the results in a follow-up post. Real numbers from real dev machines, no marketing. ๐
(And if Brave loses on your machine, I want to see that too. Honesty gets more respect than fanboying.)
๐ ๏ธ 5 DevTools tricks I wish I'd known years earlier
Since this is dev.to, here's some actual value. These work in any Chromium-based browser, Brave included. Save this post. ๐
1. The command menu. Open DevTools, then press Ctrl + Shift + P (Cmd + Shift + P on Mac). You can type almost anything: "screenshot", "dark theme", "disable cache". It's like a search bar for DevTools.
2. Full-page screenshots without an extension. In that same command menu, type screenshot and pick Capture full size screenshot. Boom, the whole page.
3. $0 in the console. Select an element in the Elements panel, then type $0 in the console. You now have a live reference to it.
4. console.table() for readable data. Stop squinting at nested JSON:
console.table([
{ browser: "Brave", ram: "happy" },
{ browser: "Other", ram: "crying" }
]);
5. Network throttling. Open the Network tab and set throttling to "Slow 4G". Suddenly you can feel what your users on bad connections feel. It's humbling. ๐ฅฒ
Got a better trick? Drop it in the comments. The best ones go in my notes, and I'll credit you.
๐ง Plot twist: building for the browser changed how I see browsers
Once I started building tools for the browser, I stopped seeing it as a window to the internet.
It's a runtime now.
I build under Akhouri Systems, and one of my projects is APIC (Advanced Image Processing Center). It began as a desktop app in Python and PyQt6 with Edit, Convert, Compress, Search and batch processing. Then I had a question that wouldn't leave me alone:
Could this live entirely inside a browser tab?
It could. Today the web version does all of this inside the tab, with no server round trip for your images:
- ๐จ Edit with filters like Cyberpunk, Sepia, Noir and Cold Chrome, plus levels, gamma, sharpen, temperature and vignette
- ๐ Convert between PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, ICO and PDF
- ๐ Compress to a target file size by searching for the best quality that still fits
- โ๏ธ Remove backgrounds with on-device AI
- ๐ช Remove objects using an inpainting model (MI-GAN) running through WebAssembly
- ๐ Resize with step-down resampling, so results stay crisp instead of muddy
Your image never leaves your device. A browser that respects your privacy plus a tool that respects your privacy turns out to be a really good combination, and that's a big reason I care about this whole topic.
๐ Try it here: APIC Web
Honestly, the weirdest part of this project was realizing how much a modern browser can do without a backend: canvas, WebAssembly, on-device ML models, file downloads. Ten years ago this would have needed a server farm. Now it's a tab. That alone makes me excited to be a dev in 2026.
It also changed how I test. Every feature I built had to be checked in multiple browsers, because "works in my browser" is the most dangerous sentence in web development. Brave with Shields on is actually a great stress test: if your app survives an aggressive blocker, it's more robust for everyone.
And if you're the "I want it on my desk, offline" type, there's a desktop build too:
๐ APIC for Windows (.zip, no account needed)
If something breaks, tell me in the comments. I read every single one. ๐
๐ Thinking of switching? Here's how to do it without pain
If this post made you curious, here's the easy way:
- Install the new browser and keep your old one for a week. No pressure.
- Import your bookmarks and passwords. Most browsers have a one-click import.
- Sign back into your extensions and see which ones you actually need. (You'll be surprised how many you don't.)
- Use it for real work for 7 days. Not just casual browsing, your actual daily workflow.
- Compare. Speed, battery, RAM, how you feel.
If you hate it, switch back. Zero shame. The best browser is the one that makes you more productive.
โก Lightning Round: answer in one word
Reply to this post with just one word for each:
- Best browser for developers?
- Best browser for privacy?
- Best browser for battery life?
- Most overrated browser?
- Browser you secretly use but won't admit? ๐คซ
Short answers, long arguments. Let's go.
๐ฅ Unpopular opinions corner
I'll start with mine. Come argue:
- "Most people don't need 20 extensions. They need a better browser."
- "If your site breaks with an ad blocker on, that's a design problem, not a user problem."
- "Tab hoarding is a personality, not a bug."
Now post your unpopular browser opinion below. The spicier the better, and I promise to reply with respect even if I disagree. ๐ค
๐ค Now it's YOUR turn
Drop your answers below. I want the real ones, not the polite ones:
- ๐ What's your main browser, and what's the ONE reason you'd never switch?
- ๐ What's the browser feature you'd fight to keep?
- ๐ค What's the dumbest thing your browser has ever done to you?
- ๐ฅ Hot take: which browser is overrated?
- ๐งฉ What's the one extension you can't live without?
๐ณ๏ธ Vote with an emoji in the comments:
- ๐ฆ = Brave
- ๐ก = Chrome
- ๐ฆ = Firefox
- ๐ท = Edge
- ๐งญ = Safari
- ๐ญ = "Other, let me explain..."
I'll count the votes and post the official dev.to browser results in a follow-up. ๐
๐ The Comment Challenge
Copy this and fill it in. It takes 10 seconds:
My browser: ___
Why I'll never switch: ___
My hottest browser take: ___
Tabs open right now: ___
I'm going first: Brave / the built-in blocker / "RAM usage is a feature" / 43. ๐
Beat my tab count and you win. Nothing, except pride and my eternal respect.
๐ If this made you laugh, nod, or want to argue
Hit the โค๏ธ, drop a ๐ฆ, and tell me why my browser is wrong. The best comment gets a detailed reply from me, and the funniest one gets a follow.
See you in the comments. Bring your hot takes. ๐ฅ
Which browser are you using, and WHY? ๐
P.S. If you read this far with 30 tabs open, you're my kind of person. Please close at least 10 of them. I won't. ๐
P.P.S. Found a bug in APIC, or have a feature idea? Put it in the comments. Half of the best features in any project come from people who weren't afraid to say "hey, what if...?" ๐ก
Top comments (6)
tr.ee/dev-to
wow, nice try to scam but it's old technique use a new way to scam broo uhh you are very old mind scammer.
this technique is now too old.
do you've more scam ideas to scam people?
let me know
Don't like this.
a another scam comment on my post lol.
didi, dev.to has moderators right? what are they doing..
The moderators are trying their best, and the curators are also doing their part. Maybe there are lots of scams like this, so everyone is just trying their best to handle them.
hmm.
by the which browser do you use? and why?