J&P
Sverige / USA
J&P

Web browsers

Executive Summary

(February 2025)

  • Moving away from Google Chrome as primary browser to Brave:
    • Google
      • Always been / IS is in the business of your personal information but earlier seen pros weighting over cons
      • Now with US president # 47, 2025- Google shows no resistance what so ever to this administrations activities.
      • As Google IS in the business of selling your info, don’t be surprised if your information increasingly end up in the hands of the alikes of a Tesla owner and a decreasingly democratic and increasingly fascist-leaning US government.
    • Brave
      • Receives good reviews and privacy ranks in online reviews.
      • Given rank 4.5 points of 5 by us as top of the line, looking at all aspects that matters more to us.
      • Seem to be a very competent alternative.
      • Fast, so for no signs of using more resources (CPU, RAM) than Chrome.
      • User interface very much alike Chrome (in comparison to e.g. Arc)
      • For us, still be figure out extent of Apple Script script. WRbJ (by J) v2.0 does NOT work, unfortunately.
        (But may? Have not yet had time to review support and if can recode, create any workarounds.)

Overview of web browsers

Browser Privacy
rank
(higher
better)		 Own
choice
(lower
better)		 Privacy notes WRbJ
(by J)		 Layout engine More notes
Apple Safari 3 #2 – secondary choice (At least Apple is NOT in business of selling  your information.) Yes ✅ *WebKit (Apple) ❌NOT Save as PDF
Arc browser 2 #4 – occasionally, a bit clunky UI (Giving rank of 2 as smaller company behind the browser, than (e.g.) Apple.) No ❌ (NoAS) *Blink (Google)
(*WebKit on iOS)		 * ✅ Save as PDF
Avast Secure Browser 4 TBD * “Best for Built-In VPN” [1] *Blink (Google)
Brave Privacy Browser 4.5 👍 #1 – preferred go-to for now * “Best for Fingerprint Tracking Protection” [1]
* “Best browser for privacy overall” [2]
* #4 “The Best Browsers for Privacy” [3]		 No ❌ (WRbJ 2.0) *Blink (Google) * ✅ Save as PDF
* ⚠️ Own default search engine
DuckDuckGo 4 TBD * “Best for Private Search” [1]
* “Best browser for privacy searches” [2]
* #2 “The Best Browsers for Privacy” [3]		 ??
Epic Privacy Browser 4 TBD * “Best for Ultrasound and WebRTC Protection” [1] ??
Ghostery Private Browser 4 TBD * “Best for Hardened Firefox-Based Privacy” [1] ??
Google Chrome 0 ⚠️ #3 – secondary / special cases, e.g. YouTube, …
use of Profiles. (Even though bad Privacy, has some really good features)		 (Google is in the business of selling information so best is to expect NO PRIVACY.
Most likely the/among-worst browsers collecting most information about you.)		 Yes ✅ *Blink (Google) * ✅ Save as PDF
Chromium 3.5 TBD * #5 “The Best Browsers for Privacy” [3] *Blink (Google)
LibreWolf 4 TBD * “Best for Zero Telemetry” [1] ??
Microsoft Edge 3 TBD (Assume similar as Apple Safari.) *Blink (Google)
Mozilla Firefox 4 TBD * “Best Non-Corporate Option” [1]
* “Best mainstream privacy browser” [2]
* #3 “The Best Browsers for Privacy” [3]		 * Gecko (Mozilla)
Mullvad Browser 4 TBD * “Best for Mullvad VPN Users” [1]
* “Best for use with a VPN” [2]		 ??
Opera 4 TBD * “Best for Innovative Features” [1] * Blink (Google)
Tempest Browser 4 TBD * “Best if You’re Willing to Experiment” [1] ??
Tor Browser 4 #4 – special cases (a bit sluggish for general daily use) * “Best for Anonymity” [1]
* “Best for anonymous browsing” [2]
* #1 “The Best Browsers for Privacy” [3]		 ?? Own? * ✅ Save as PDF
Vivaldi 4 TBD * “Best for Detailed Customization” [1] * Blink (Google)
Waterfox 4 TBD * “Best Independent Browser Engine” [1] * Gecko (Mozilla)

Legend:

  • NoAS = No AppleScript support, what so ever, as far as can determine (may or may not have researched deeper).
  • Ranking scale, by us:
    • 0: For ‘ don’t expect any privacy, assume all info that possibly can be collected will be collected, including also resold to anyone that want’s to pay for it ‘
    • 1: (Not used yet; could be used for maybe some add-on that WOULD, SIGNIFICANTLY, improve Google Chrome.)
    • 2: For non-mainstream browsers, likely newer with short history and uncertain future. That does NOT show up in comparisons for more privacy-focused functionality.
    • 3: For regular mainstream browsers that typically does NOT show up in comparisons for more privacy-focused functionality. At time of writing only Apple Safari has been given this rank.
    • 4: For browsers that DOES show up in comparisons for more privacy-focused functionality.
    • 4.5: More top-of-the-crowd, among browsers that DOES show up in comparisons for more privacy-focused functionality.
    • 5: Best-ever. Unbeatable. Don’t assume seeing this in any actual rankings. Maybe. More for what developers can strive towards.

References

More research:

Printing – Save as PDF, …

Print dialog (⌘+P)

(E.g.) Browser(s): Apple Safari Brave, Google Chrome
Destinations: * <Physical and logical printers>
* PDFwriter
* <No Save as PDF>
 * <Physical and logical printers>
* PDFwriter
* Save as PDF ✅
PDF dropdown menu? Yes No
Recommendation Use either PDFwriter (as driver) or PDF menu (lower left) (No significant differences in sizes of resulting files.) Recommend using Save as PDF as driver – actually way smaller files compared to PDFwriter.
SMALLEST files generated: Use Safari and PDFwriter. <– (NOT Brave, Crome; Safari and PDFwriter creates even (slightly) smaller files than (e.g.) Brave w/ Save as PDF.)

Potentially available ways to create PDF/print a document or page, in print dialog:

  1. ‘Destination’ – printer drivers selection interface (all apps/browsers)
    1. * <Physical and logical printers>
    2. PDFwriter – IF this has been added by you
    3. Save as PDF – not exactly sure how came along… (At this time of writing) Part of installation of Google Chrome, Brave, …)? Or maybe it was an extension added separately…?!
      1. Save as PDF, in Brave, Google Chrome, seems to create significantly smaller resulting PDF files. E.g.
        1. PDFwriter – 6.9 MB – 7 pgs – narrower pages – Så förändras det svenska medielandskapet – DN.pdf
          Save as PDF – 3 MB – 7 pgs – wider pages – Så förändras det svenska medielandskapet – DN.se.pdf
          Less than half the size, 56% smaller
  2. ‘PDF menu’ on lower left side, when available i.e. (Apple Safari)

 

Web browser details

Web browser resources (just started, only an embryo)

Arc from The Browser Company

 

Brave (web browser), Brave Search

Search engine

 

Microsoft Edge

(Just added this section mostly as placeholder. Was “some” years – like a decade+ or something – since even was close to anything Microsoft and web browsers.)

 

Tor Browser