Browser VPNs Explained: Brave, DuckDuckGo, and Firefox VPN Options Compared

A browser VPN (virtual private network) redirects web traffic through an encrypted tunnel to secure privacy. VPN is an acronym for Virtual Private Network, which is a technology that provides a secure, encrypted network on a less secure one. This, practically, implies that your browsing history is not visible to your Internet Service Provider, as well as other people who might be monitoring you. The difference between browser VPNs and full VPN apps is that the former can either secure a browser only (and not all apps) or have integrated privacy features. DuckDuckGo and Firefox both have their own built-in VPN or proxy services. We analyze the functionality of these browser VPNs, the comparison of their protocols, encryption, coverage on the device, cost, and privacy policies.

BRAVE FIREWALL + VPN

The browser of Brave has the Firewall + VPN option, where users can subscribe to have increased security. It is a paid, system-wide VPN (that includes a firewall) by Guardian. When turned on, it encrypts all internet traffic on the device, not only the traffic of the browser. Effectively, Brave + VPN supports all applications on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS (Linux is in the pipeline). Subscriptions are approximately 10 devices per account and cost either 9.99/month or 99.99/year. Nothing is explicitly recorded by Brave: its accountless mechanism of logging in implies that Brave cannot know what sites you access or whether you use the VPN. The only thing that is provided to Brave is a randomized ID to confirm an active subscription. The no-logs position of Brave has been confirmed by independent audits (Feb 24–Apr 24).

Protocols & Encryption: The VPN of Brave is based on the infrastructure of Guardian, with the WireGuard technology. Guardian uses the great AES-256 encryption to encrypt all traffic, technology, and data. This means that the VPN of Brave has a modern encryption of high quality (ChaCha20/AES-256 through WireGuard) to conceal your IP and location on the network. On iOS, a kill switch can be used (it blocks traffic when the VPN connection is lost), and on iOS and desktop, Brave has so-called smart proxying, which works with sites that block VPN traffic. Altogether, the VPN by Brave offers multi-tier privacy; it is able to block ads/trackers, mask the IPs, and protect the DNS.

Latency and Availability: Brave VPN has 300 or more servers in 40 or more regions around the globe, with several locations in the United States, the EU, and Asia. This wide coverage will reduce the loss of speed. Brave VPN has been tested on closed networks and is able to connect well using its WireGuard implementation (WireGuard is typically faster than older protocols) with only a slight slowdown. Due to its network-wide nature, the performance will be different depending on the device and connection. Any VPN will slow down slightly, but WireGuard and a network of global servers can ensure that it remains fast.

Drawbacks: The VPN provided by Brave is not free; it requires a subscription. Previous pieces of writing have mistakenly argued that the VPN provided by Brave was free and unlimited, although the paid one still exists. Additionally, the kill switch is still iOS exclusive and is not available on Android or desktop. There are also cases when streaming services can block VPN users, which can be blocked with the Smart proxy feature provided by Brave, though not with all the services. Finally, the default VPN provided by Brave is not compatible with other browsers, and it has to be activated using the Brave browser.

FIREFOX VPN OPTIONS

Firefox has two solutions that deal with VPN. To start with, an experimental in-built browser VPN (named Firefox VPN) is underway in beta. When activated, this feature will only direct your Firefox browser traffic over Mozilla’s VPN servers. It is in the form of a toggle/button adjacent to the search bar. Early testers require a Mozilla account and are automatically allocated the optimal location (by default, the U.S.). Firefox VPN can be utilized in the beta entirely free and is limited to the browser (it does not extend to other applications). According to Mozilla, it has logging on connection data (e.g., what one uses) for up to 3 months; it does not log browsing history or site content.
Second, Mozilla additionally sells an individual Mozilla VPN (previously Firefox Private Network)—a subscription service. This VPN is driven by the Mullvad network. It charges approximately 9.99 every month (with options of multi-month plans), extends to 5 devices, and secures all internet-based activities on these devices. The infrastructure is one of Mullvad that employs WireGuard (thus ChaCha20 encryption). Mozilla VPN supports 500+ servers in 30+ countries. It has such features as DNS-over-WireGuard, leak protection, ad/tracker blocking, and optional multi-hop. Similar to Brave, Mozilla VPN has a no-logs policy (Mullvad is famous for no-logs) and a kill switch on platforms.

Critical Differences: The significant difference is the scope. Firefox VPN (beta), the free version, only secures Firefox itself, but the paid version of Mozilla VPN secures the whole device. Its free version now has fewer options (only default server selection, no customization) and is limited to platforms. The Mozilla VPN is a paid service that is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android and provides end-to-end device encryption. In addition, the paid option utilizes an established VPN server (Mullvad) and has more servers. The Firefox-only version of VPN, on the other hand, is still in development and supported by desktop Firefox.

COMPARISON OF FEATURES

• DuckDuckGo: iOS/Android apps and Windows/Mac browser (built-in apps on all these platforms have the VPN built in).

• Firefox: browser-only VPN (desktop only, mobile support on the annexes) (Mozilla VPN app)

• IP & DNS Privacy: Hide your IP with traffic tunneling. DNS leakage is avoided by DuckDuckGo and Brave, which expressly redirect DNS queries to encrypted servers. DNS leak protection is also built into Mozilla VPN.

• Logging Policies: Both Brave and DuckDuckGo focus on the absence of logs of any VPN activity. Firefox (Mozilla VPN) also retains less metadata (not browsing data) to be maintained, and logs are deleted after a period of about 3 months. Mullvad (the backend) has a policy of no logs.

• Kill Switch/Firewall: Brave has a firewall of devices and a kill switch on iOS (soon Android/Desktop). A kill switch is also provided by Mozilla VPN on compatible devices. DuckDuckGo VPN is not strongly advertised with a kill switch feature.

• Streaming & Geo-Restrictions: The streaming VPNs of some streaming sources may be circumvented by the Brave browser under the Smart proxying mode. The VPN offered by DuckDuckGo will not look like any VPN, and thus, the service will decide whether it will succeed. One of the things that Mozilla VPN can do is break some region-locked content, provided you select the right server. In every situation, streaming speed depends on the service provider and location.

SETUP AND USAGE:

• Brave VPN: Firewall + VPN should be enabled in the Brave browser (Desktop or Mobile) settings. Log in using your Brave subscription. Turn on the VPN to shield all applications. Choose server locations by clicking the location indicator at the VPN UI.

• DuckDuckGo VPN: Subscribe to DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro. To enable the VPN in the DuckDuckGo app or browser, tap the VPN symbol. It will be connected to a secure server. You have a status screen with your masked IP. DuckDuckGo can be installed on all devices to use the same account.

• Firefox VPN: (Beta): Firefox has a toolbar, in which the new VPN icon should be clicked and signed in with your Mozilla account. Toggle the VPN to on. (The traffic of the browser is currently the only traffic that is secured.)  

• Mozilla VPN: Download the Mozilla VPN app (Windows/Mac/Linux) or app (mobile) and log in using your Mozilla account, select a server location, and connect. The traffic of all devices is then routed to the VPN. All services are made user-friendly. They automatically do key exchange, encryption, and DNS. Before browsing, users are required to make sure that the VPN is displaying connected.

WHEN TO USE A BROWSER VPN VS. DEDICATED VPN

These kinds of browser VPN are handy for casual privacy. They are perfect when you are only interested in basic protection (e.g., when using public Wi-Fi, or concealing your IP address on a web page) and do not want to put much effort into it. They might, however, be limited as opposed to full VPN apps. The Firefox VPN beta is also an example because it is operational in Firefox only, and both Brave and DuckDuckGo VPNs are subscription-based. A specialized VPN app (such as a third-party product) may possibly provide finer options (additional protocols, server options, P2P options) and include all devices simultaneously. Test your needs: in terms of overall web privacy and ad/tracker blockers, the following browser VPNs are great. A full VPN service may suit better in the case of heavy streaming, torrenting, or going around strict geo-blocks.

Test these browser VPNs to determine which one fits. To have daily privacy, it is possible to use Firewall + VPN in Brave or Privacy Pro VPN in DuckDuckGo as browsers. Firefox has a built-in VPN beta that its users can subscribe to, or Mozilla VPN enables complete protection. Use either one, but make sure that you have both encryption and no-logs policies to ensure that it is indeed safe and private to use.