Article illustration 1

In a milestone underscoring the growing demand for privacy-centric alternatives, the Brave browser has officially surpassed 101 million monthly active users alongside 42 million daily users this September. The browser—founded by JavaScript creator and Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich in 2016—has seen adoption surge by 50 million users since 2021, growing at a remarkable pace of 2.5 million new users monthly.

The Privacy-First Engine Driving Growth

Brave's core appeal lies in its default blocking of ads and trackers, which accelerates page loads and shields user data. This stance resonated powerfully with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), enacted in 2023. The regulation forced Apple to offer non-Safari browser options on iOS devices, resulting in a 50% spike in Brave installations across Europe after iOS 17.4's March 2024 release.

Article illustration 2

Brave's user growth trajectory reflects regulatory tailwinds and shifting consumer preferences.

Beyond Browsing: Search and AI Scale Up

Brave Search, the company's independent search engine launched in 2021, now processes 1.6 billion monthly queries—20 billion annually—with 8% originating from non-Brave browsers like Chrome. Meanwhile, Brave's AI tools are gaining significant traction:
- AI Answers (formerly Summarizer) delivers 15 million responses daily
- Ask Brave, a new LLM-powered chat/search hybrid, aims to further boost engagement

A Movement, Not Just Metrics

CEO Brendan Eich framed the milestone as ideological: "100 million users represent more than a growth milestone—they constitute a movement for a better Web that puts users first. Across the globe, users are choosing privacy and control over their online experience, instead of Big Tech’s tracking and abuse."

The acceleration suggests Brave is outgrowing niche status, leveraging regulatory shifts and distrust of data harvesting to challenge established players. With privacy regulations expanding globally and AI integration deepening, its user-first model appears increasingly mainstream.

Source: BleepingComputer