Is it time for Linux distros to upgrade their default browser? Brave thinks so

If you have installed any Linux distro in the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that the default browser is usually Firefox. It has been the go-to browser for developers behind some of the most popular distros out there. However, things are changing. Some distros like Zorin OS, Nobara, and RefreshOS now ship with Brave out of the box. And the company believes that it’s time for others to follow suit.

In a post on X, the folks at Brave pitched the idea to distro maintainers on why they should consider Brave as the default browser. They pointed out that any distro that has a standard Chromium browser can easily replace it with Brave without losing performance or site compatibility.

Moreover, Brave has just about every privacy feature and creature comfort that you can think of, including its own ad blocker called Shields. This is why the company believes it’s a no-brainer. They say, “Most users will never install an ad blocker, audit every setting, or replace their search engine.”

The argument is highly convincing due to the way the majority of users interact with browsers. People tend to stick to the default settings and only change them when there is a specific reason. As such, the default options imply that the software will protect individuals right out of the box.

Combined with the fact that Brave does not compromise on privacy and implements additional safety measures like Shields and independent search, it’s no wonder why the browser is also one of the best privacy-focused browsers that you can get your hands on right now.

Adding to that, the company has slowly but surely been expanding its protections. Recently, they rolled out default GPU fingerprinting protection, which blocks websites from tracking your hardware.

Then comes their Brave Origin offering, which is a stripped-down version of the browser that gets rid of all the “bloatware,” including the AI features. I’ve been using Origin on my Linux PC for a while now, and it’s easily one of the best browsers out there, especially for people who want to steer clear of all the AI features and things like Brave Wallet.

The best part is that Brave Origin is free to use on Linux.

Of course, this isn’t to say that Firefox, the browser that’s been around for a long time, is somehow not worthy of being the default browser. With the Gecko engine being one of the biggest rivals to Chromium, it’s one way for distro maintainers to support the folks at Mozilla and keep Chromium from taking over the web entirely.

So instead of ditching Firefox entirely, I’d say it would be a good idea to let users pick their own default browser when setting up a Linux distro, with Firefox and Brave being at least two options to choose from, if not more.

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