I’ve been a Google Chrome user for a long time. Recently, I’ve noticed that it runs slower on certain websites and sometimes becomes totally unresponsive. I’m sure this isn’t 100% Chrome’s fault. No doubt it’s partly the websites and my computer too. I’m not changing computers, and I can’t control other people’s websites.

Recently, an entrepreneur I know told me about Brave, an open-source browser that focuses on privacy. It’s advertised as loading web pages faster, partly because it blocks third-party ads and trackers embedded on websites. It’s free, so I gave it a try this week.

The first thing I noticed was that it allowed me to import everything I had in Google Chrome. Bookmarks, extensions, etc.: two clicks, and it was done. I appreciate this because my list of bookmarks is extensive and I’m accustomed to certain extensions.

The second thing I noticed was Brave’s speed. It’s noticeably faster than Google Chrome. Pages load lightning fast. And Brave blocks ads, trackers, and other things and tells you how many items it blocked when you visit a site. I tested it by going to espn.com, where it blocked 19 items while loading the homepage incredibly fast.

So far, I like Brave. I’ll keep using it this week, and if it continues to impress, it’ll become my default browser.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out Brave’s site here.