Comparing privacy across browsers and extensions

Many browsers and browser extensions talk about how they protect your privacy, but these claims don’t always match the out-of-the-box privacy protections you actually get.

We made this chart to help you compare the privacy you’re getting now and how protected you can be. We’ve outlined which protections browsers and extensions offer by default without requiring you to change any settings, so you can decide which browser or extension is best for you.

Significant protection

Limited protection

Paid protection

No protection

DuckDuckGo Browser

Web Tracking Protection

Blocks 3rd-party trackers

Stops 3rd-party trackers from loading in the first place. Learn More

Prevents fingerprint tracking

Helps stop tracking companies from obtaining info about your browser and device. Learn More

Blocks link tracking

Removes tracking parameters in links. Learn More

Protects against DNS CNAME cloaking

Helps block 3rd-party trackers that try to disguise themselves within a website using DNS. Learn More

Protects against referrer tracking

Helps block companies from identifying the last website you visited. Learn More

Cookie Protection

Blocks 3rd-party tracker cookies

Helps block 3rd-party cookies that track you from site to site. Learn More

Restricts 1st-party cookies

Automatically expires 1st-party cookies so sites themselves can’t track you indefinitely when logged out. Learn More

Private Search

Searches are private by default

Search engine default settings are set up to never track you. Learn More

Anonymizes local search results

Shows local search results, like restaurants nearby, without accessing your exact location. Learn More

Generates AI answers anonymously

Optional feature built into default search engine that can anonymously generate answers to search queries based on relevant web content. Learn More

Provides private access to AI chatbots

Optional feature built into default search engine that lets you have private conversations with popular 3rd-party AI chat models. Your chats are not used to train chat models. Learn More

Ad & Pop-Up Blocking

Blocks tracking ads

Blocks invasive trackers before they load, effectively eliminating ads that rely on creepy tracking. Learn More

Blocks non-tracking ads

Attempts to block all online advertising, including non-intrusive ads.

Blocks cookie pop-ups

Detects cookie consent pop-ups and attempts to auto-select the most private cookie options available, then closes the pop-ups. Learn More

Plays YouTube videos without targeted ads

Protects you from targeted ads and cookies and incorporates YouTube’s strictest privacy settings for embedded video. Learn More

App Tracking Protection

Blocks app trackers on Android devices

When enabled, helps block 3rd-party trackers in apps on your Android device. Learn More

Email Tracking Protection

Blocks email trackers

Email forwarding service that removes most email trackers before they reach your inbox. Sign-up required. Learn More

Generates private email addresses

Lets you create multiple unique private email addresses so you can hide your personal email. Sign-up required. Learn More

Google Tracking Protection

Blocks Google’s AMP Tracking

Replaces Google AMP links with the original publisher’s site. Learn More

Blocks Google’s sign-in pop-ups

Blocks Google sign-in pop-ups on sites Google doesn’t own. Learn More

Facebook Tracking Protection

Blocks embedded Facebook content tracking you

Disables tracking for Facebook content like Facebook comment widgets on non-Facebook sites, unless you choose to unblock it. Learn More

Privacy Control

Burns the data you don’t want with one button

Swiftly deletes your browsing history, cookies, and cache, without the need to dig through menu options, and lets you exclude sites to save data you want to keep. Learn More

Global Privacy Control

Expresses opt-out rights on your behalf by telling sites not to sell or share your personal info. Learn More

Removes personal details from sites that sell them

Finds and removes personal details, like your name, email, and home address, from data broker sites that store and sell them. Learn More

Helps restore your identity

If your identity is stolen, a dedicated advisor will help restore your accounts, recover financial losses, and fix credit report mistakes. Learn More

Network Protection

Protects your connection with a VPN

Encrypts your Internet connection across browsers and apps on your entire device and hides your location and IP address. Learn More

Auto-upgrades typed URLs to HTTPS

Where possible, when you manually enter a web address, connections to that website will be automatically upgraded to HTTPS. Learn More

Auto-upgrades links to HTTPS

Where possible, when you select a link, connections to the linked website will be automatically upgraded to HTTPS. Learn More

Encrypts DNS queries via HTTPS

Helps ensure the request to load a website is encrypted. Learn More

Note: Browser and extension comparisons were made with default settings. Protections vary per platform. Click the “Learn More” links in each row to see where each protection is available in DuckDuckGo.

The above includes the most impactful privacy features. Comparisons were made with default settings and across the following release versions: Chrome (129), Edge (129), Safari (18), Firefox (131), Brave (1.67.123), DuckDuckGo Private Browser (1.108.0), Ghostery (10.4.8), AdBlock Plus (4.7.1.1), Privacy Badger (2024.7.17), uBlock Origin (1.60.0), and DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials (2024.7.24).

This page is updated on a quarterly basis to reflect new releases. Last updated: Oct 10, 2024

For questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to press@duckduckgo.com.