We have a strong focus on helping people stay anonymous, or at least increasing their online privacy. The primary tool for this will always be a reliable VPN provider. The additional step that you can take is choosing the best anonymous browser.
While it is not recommended that you use even the best anonymous browser available as a sole online privacy tool, it will help you. There is no one magical solution to online privacy. You need a comprehensive set of tools. A secure and private browser, along with a VPN, is a very good start.
The best anonymous browser
Comodo Dragon browser
OS support: Mac, Windows, Linux
Comodo has been supplying a wide variety of online security tools for many years. Their Comodo Dragon browser is just another component to a complete plan that they can provide to you. They were sure to create something truly useful when they built their browser with features such as:
- Domain validation technology which identifies and separates poor SSL certificates. This forms the backbone of all good online privacy.
- A built in ad tracking blocker, similar to Ghostery and Adblock Plus. The difference is that it’s right there in the browser and you do not have to download an additional extension.
- The blocking of all browser download tracking. This increases your online privacy by preventing online companies from creating a profile of you.
This browser is based on Chromium, the open source project from which Google takes its own source code for Chrome. For anyone who wants to use something like Google Chrome, except with greater privacy and anonymity, Comodo is the best anonymous browser to choose.
Epic Browser
OS support: Mac, Windows
With a name like that, it had better put up or shut up! Epic Browser is another tool which is built on the Chromium platform. The difference is that it was built as an “always on” privacy browser. This means that they have stopped all online tracking that comes from:
- Digital marketing agencies
- Common government tactics
Not only that, but you can turn on their proxy and get a little bit of anonymity from:
- School networks
- Employers
- Hackers
Keep in mind this only exists within the browser itself. Anything you do online outside the browser is unprotected. It does not work in the same manner as a VPN which protects every single thing that you do.
While their name may not be recognizable, some of the people associated with the development of this browser are:
- It was developed by Hidden Reflex, a large software development company.
- Rob Malda, Slashdot’s founder, is on the Board of Directors.
- Douglas Rushkoff works as an adviser, he is a well known privacy advocate.
The founder of Hidden Reflex is also a well-known privacy advocate. Here are some of his thoughts from a recent Tedx conference:
SRWare Iron
OS support: Android, Linux, Mac, Windows
Yes, this is another tool that was built on Chromium. What makes SRWare Iron unique is its data protection measures. Here is how it does this:
- Ordinarily, Google is notified every time you start a new session on Google Chrome. They then start to track your data usage.
- SRWare Iron Removes the use of an ID, as well as the search suggestions feature. While search suggestions are convenient, they are only able to give this to you by tracking and storing your data.
They’re constantly striving to make their product better. Just this week they released version 56 for Android:
Iron 56 for ANDROID released. Download: https://t.co/Q70cbgDzT7 Discussion: https://t.co/9sXy5iEnKv
— SRWare (@SRWare) March 18, 2017
Pretty impressive stuff! They didn’t just create this and then walk away. Working to constantly improve is the only way to become the best anonymous browser.
Tor browser
OS support: Mac, Windows, Linux
There are many people who would rank this much higher. Some would even choose it as the best anonymous browser by far. Due to the number of concerns about Tor browser it is hard to take it 100% seriously right now. Reports of it being hacked date all the way back to December 2015.
Let’s assume that right now it is working at its best. What it aims to protect is:
- User location
- Browser history
- Online messages
- Personal data
It aims to protect all of this from any person, bot, or organization trying to target your online activity.
Tor Is not a typical browser. To start with, Tor is an acronym for The Onion Router. The Browser allows you to access the Tor network. It works by breaking up your online activity and sending it through a multitude of different routers and servers. This makes it very difficult for anyone who is trying to track your online activity. As you can imagine, it also slows down your Internet connection considerably. Your usage of Tor Browser at this time depends on your current trust in its security, and your need for a fast browsing experience.
The best anonymous browser is not enough
There is no such thing as a truly anonymous browser. Getting 100% anonymity online is not possible. What is very possible is making yourself a more difficult target for hackers and the government. Using one of these browsers, in conjunction with a reliable VPN like IPVanish, will help you succeed in protecting yourself online.