Brave Browser’s ad-blocker is remarkably effective. It’s so good that it makes you wonder why they haven’t developed a standalone ad-blocker extension for other browsers. If they can deliver such a seamless, high-quality ad-blocking experience within Brave, why not extend that to the wider browsing community? Maybe I’m asking for too much, but it seems like a missed opportunity.
That said, I could be wrong—perhaps there’s a reason for keeping it exclusive. Maybe they want to protect their secret or maintain their unique selling point. Still, I just wanted to share the thought. The level of trust I have in Brave’s ad-blocking is unparalleled, and I can’t say the same for other blockers. It would be amazing to see Brave’s ad-blocking features available everywhere, not just in their browser. Just a thought!
@Godof I’m not super technical, but I’ll do my best to give you a basic explanation.
Brave’s ad-blocker, Shields, is so effective because it’s built directly into the browser using Rust. Unlike extensions, it operates at the browser level, meaning it isn’t affected by restrictions like Manifest V3 (MV3) that limit traditional ad-blocker extensions. Shields also integrates with other in-browser privacy protections, which wouldn’t work the same way if it were just an extension.
That said, a lot of what Shields does is similar to what uBlock Origin offers, including the use of many of the same content filters. However, because Shields is built into Brave, it can deliver better performance and blocking capabilities compared to an extension-based solution. If Brave were to release Shields as a standalone extension, it would be subject to the same MV3 limitations that affect other blockers, which could reduce its effectiveness.
You make a great point! Brave’s ad-blocker is indeed impressive, and many users feel the same way about its effectiveness. The reason it’s exclusive to the browser likely has to do with Brave’s business model, which ties ad-blocking to their privacy-focused ecosystem and cryptocurrency rewards system. Expanding it to other browsers could potentially complicate their approach or reduce their unique value proposition. But, who knows? It could be a feature we see in the future if demand grows! It’s definitely an interesting idea.