I tried Brave's new stripped down Origin browser, and now it's my top Chromium-based pick

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Brave Origin is a stripped-down version of the browser.
• Brave Origin is available for Linux, MacOS, and Windows.
• MacOS and Windows users pay $59.99, while Linux users get it for free.

Brave is often seen at the top of lists highlighting browser security and privacy, thanks to Brave Shields, tracker protection, HTTPS everywhere integration, malicious script blocking, private browsing via Tor, and device-wide VPN/firewall. With Chrome killing ad blockers, the heightened security of Brave is even more important. Although I really love the idea of heightened security, I'm not in love with all of the bells and whistles that come with the browser.

There's the rewards program, the crypto wallet, and the VPN, all of which are there, just sitting idly, waiting for your curiosity to get piqued. Those features can take up space and resources and also clutter up the UI.

Also: I've used nearly every browser out there, and these are my top 4 (spoiler: Chrome is out)

Now, Brave is offering an alternative. 

"Many users have told us they want a browser without the extras. For these users, we've built Brave Origin," Brave said in a blog post in early June.

I tested Brave Origin for a few days, and my experience was quite positive, but there really weren't any "Holy, cow, I must make this my default!" Essentially, Brave Origin is Brave, only without the extra bits. It's still fast, secure, and user-friendly. There are no surprises with Brave Origin, which I believe is one of its biggest strengths. 

What is Brave Origin?

Simply put, Brave Origin is the Brave browser stripped of the monetization features, which include the rewards program, the Crypto Wallet, Leo AI, the VPN promotions, News, Talk, Tor, Speedreader, and the crash logs. Brave Origin retains all the features that make it a highly secure browser, including Brave Shields.

Why would you want this?

Outside of a cleaner UI and less resource usage, the only reason I can think of is the fear of a crypto miner accessing your wallet. I bring this up because there have been reports of the crypto wallet being hacked. Although I do fully trust Brave, I'm not so keen on handing over my trust to anything related to crypto.

That alone had me wanting to try out Brave Origin. 

Also: Too many tabs? Try these browsers with better tab management than Chrome

Thankfully, the developers did not strip away the security from the browser, so it's still a highly trusted app.

As far as how it compares to my default browser of choice (the Firefox-based Zen Browser), there are two things that prevent me from making the switch: the lack of theming options and the lack of workspaces. Zen Brower offers both of those features (with one of the best theming engine avaialble).

Although Brave Origin might not usurp Zen Browser, it has become my top alternative when I need to use a Chromium-based browser. 

What's the catch?

Brave Origin isn't free. OK, that's not true, because Brave Origin is free on Linux. If you use MacOS or Windows, Brave Origin will cost you $59.99. 

Also: 5 reasons why Zen is my new favorite browser

The other catch is that Origin doesn't completely strip these features from the browser. Instead, Origin disables them, so you don't have to. In fact, you don't have to pay for Brave Origin, as you can delete all of those features manually by opening Brave Settings, searching for Features, and clicking the On/Off switches for the features you don't want. The appeal of Origin is that it does this for you.

If you don't want to pay for Brave, just disable all of these features manually.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

I installed the Brave browser and then switched it to Brave Origin on Pop!_OS Linux and found it to be a better fit for my needs. Not only is it sleeker, but it's also a bit faster. 

How to get Brave Origin

I'm going to show you how to access Brave Origin on Linux (because…free) and then I'll mention how it's done on both MacOS and Windows.

Getting Brave Origin on Linux

If you already have Brave installed on Linux, switching over to Origin is simple. Open Settings and go to System. In this section, you'll see a button marked "Proceed with Origin for free on Linux." 

Switching to Origin is simple (and free) on Linux.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Once Brave has been switched to Origin, you'll have to restart the browser before the changes take effect. To do that, click Relaunch Now. Brave will revert to Origin, and you're done.

Let's relaunch and go back to our origin story.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

If you're using Windows or MacOS, click "Buy now," and you'll be taken to the Brave site, where you can purchase a license for Origin. Brave said in its press release that "there is technically no limit to the number of times you can activate Origin across your devices and platforms."

With the advent of Brave Origin, I could easily see myself switching. If the developers were ever to add a Workgroups-like feature (ala Opera Workspaces), the choice would be much easier.

If you love Brave but don't want the added fluff (and don't want to have to go through the process of disabling those features manually), give Brave Origin a go. Personally, I much prefer Origin over the OG, and I think you will as well.