Comparison between web browsers

This purpose of this article is not to rate each web browser in a vacuum, like articles on this website that focus on one specific web browser, but rather to compare all of the web browsers that have been rated on this website against each other. This is a ranking that is based on how much Privacy a browser offers by default, as well as, how much privacy can be gained by configuring it.

Top Tier — Best Privacy

These are all browsers that require a minimal amount of configuration and can achieve the required level of privacy needed to browse the modern web- compatibility with a comprehensive suite of content-blocking extensions that can block spyware providers correctly and fully. Iridium and Pale Moon both are configured in a way that leaks user information and thus require additional configuration.

Tor Browser	GNU IceCat	Ungoogled Chromium	Iridium Browser Configuration Guide	Pale Moon Configuration Guide

High Tier — Good Privacy

These browsers do not have privacy issues, but they also do not have enough privacy features to make it to the highest tier. These browsers both have simple ad-blockers, and do not have any privacy issues, however, these tools are not as good as the comprehensive privacy tools that Top Tier browsers offer.

Otter Browser	Falkon

Mid Tier — Ok Privacy

These browsers do not have any big privacy flaws, but they also do not have sufficient privacy protections. Qutebrowser has a very basic adblocker in it. Both browsers don't have access to extensions either. So, it's just not enough to be able to browse the modern web privately, despite the developers not putting spyware into their browsers.

Qutebrowser	Sphere Browser

Low Tier — Poor Privacy

These browsers do not protect your privacy, but they are not in the lowest tier since they still have something to offer, although, they should not be used in general. Vivaldi does not let you disable all of the spyware features, Brave whitelists trackers and has forced updates, and Firefox and Waterfox are loaded with spyware, to the point where configuring them is so non-trivial that you might as well use a version of Firefox that respects your privacy by default, rather than diving into the uncertainty of digging out all of the spyware features (and repeating the process every time the browser is updated). It's always going to be better to pick a browser higher on this list.

Waterfox Classic	Brave	Firefox	Vivaldi	Dissenter

Rock Bottom — No Privacy

These browsers are unashamedly designed to collect as much information about the user as possible (all are rated EXTREMELY HIGH by the site). Only SRWare Iron has it's source code available, and all the developers have mistreated their users (complete disregard for privacy and / or false advertising) for a long time. These browsers are actively hostile against their users and thus should not be used at all.

Google Chrome	Opera	SlimJet	WebDiscover	SRWare Iron