Blog
Thoughts on privacy, browsers, and the open web.
The Indie Browser Renaissance: Meet the Projects Rebuilding the Web on Their Own Terms
A celebratory tour of today's indie browser scene — Min, Helium, Ladybird, Zen, Orion, Qutebrowser, SigmaOS, Floorp, LibreWolf, Nav0, and more — and why a small, scrappy wave of projects matters in a web dominated by four vendors.
Nav0 vs Opera: From Innovation to Monetization
Opera pioneered tabbed browsing and mouse gestures — then new ownership shifted its focus toward monetization. Today it ships a browser-only proxy marketed as a VPN, an AI assistant, built-in messengers, a news feed, and a gaming edition. Nav0 just ships a browser.
Nav0 v0.1.2 Performance Update: Even Lighter on the Same Hardware
We re-ran our Nav0 vs Chrome benchmark on the same MacBook Pro M1 with Nav0 v0.1.2. Memory dropped up to 21%, CPU dropped up to 36%, and Nav0 still uses 45% less memory and 77% less CPU than Chrome.
Nav0 vs Tor Browser: Maximum Anonymity vs. Maximum Simplicity
Tor Browser is the gold standard for online anonymity, routing your traffic through encrypted relays worldwide. Nav0 takes a different approach: zero data collection without the performance tradeoffs. Here's when you need Tor — and when Nav0 is enough.
Nav0 vs Microsoft Edge: The Browser That Reports Everything to Redmond
Microsoft Edge ships with more telemetry than almost any browser on the market. It sends your browsing data to Microsoft, pushes Bing, Copilot AI, shopping tools, and news feeds you never asked for. Nav0 sends nothing to anyone.
Nav0 vs DuckDuckGo Browser: When Your Privacy Brand Has a Microsoft Exception
DuckDuckGo's browser is a solid privacy option — until you learn about the Microsoft tracking exception, the remote config system, and the AI features. Nav0 takes the simpler path: collect nothing, period.
Nav0 vs Comet Browser: Two Privacy Browsers, Different Trust Models
Comet Browser and Nav0 both promise fast, private browsing. But one is closed source and the other is fully auditable. When it comes to privacy, verifiability is what separates promises from proof.
Nav0 vs Safari: Privacy by Default vs. Privacy by Apple's Terms
Safari is the most privacy-friendly mainstream browser — but it's still controlled by Apple, tied to iCloud, and locked to one ecosystem. Nav0 takes Safari's privacy ideals and removes the strings attached.
Nav0 vs Vivaldi: When Your Browser Tries to Be Everything
Vivaldi is the most customizable browser ever built — mail client, calendar, RSS reader, note-taking, and hundreds of settings. Nav0 takes the opposite approach: do less, perfectly. Here's why a browser that does everything may not do the one thing you need it to.
Nav0 vs Arc: Rethinking the Browser vs. Stripping It Down
Arc and Nav0 both reject Chrome's status quo, but from opposite directions. Arc adds more UI — Spaces, Easels, AI features, split views. Nav0 removes UI. This is maximalism vs. minimalism, and only one approach doesn't require your data.
Nav0 vs Firefox: When "Good Enough" Privacy Isn't Good Enough
Firefox is the most respected alternative browser and genuinely cares about privacy. But it still ships telemetry by default, pushes Mozilla accounts, shows sponsored content, and grows more complex every year. Nav0 takes Firefox's ideals further.
Nav0 vs Brave: Privacy Shouldn't Come with a Business Model
Brave markets itself as the privacy browser, but it ships with a crypto wallet, its own ad network, an AI assistant, and a VPN upsell. Nav0 has none of that. Here's why true privacy means no monetization layer touching your browser.
Incognito Mode Is Not Private: The Biggest Lie Your Browser Tells You
Private browsing modes like Chrome's Incognito don't make you private. They hide your history from your device — not from your ISP, employer, or the websites you visit. Here's what they actually do.
Nav0 vs Chrome: Which Browser Actually Respects Your Data?
We measured every byte transferred by Nav0 and Chrome across 15 real websites. Nav0 used 17.7% less data, made 29.1% fewer requests, blocked 2.5 MB of trackers, and produced zero idle background traffic.
Nav0 vs Chrome: A Head-to-Head Performance Benchmark on macOS
We ran a rigorous head-to-head performance comparison between Nav0 and Google Chrome on a MacBook Pro M1. Nav0 used 48.5% less memory, 86.3% less CPU, and spawned far fewer processes across every tab count tested.
The Enshittification of Chrome: How the World's Most Popular Browser Turned Against Its Users
Chrome used to be the fast, clean browser that saved us from Internet Explorer. Now it's a bloated, data-hungry machine that serves Google's ad business first and users second. Here's how it happened.
Why Your Browser Wants You to Sign In
Every time you open your browser, it nudges you to create an account and sign in. That's not about convenience — it's about tying every click, search, and keystroke to your real identity.
Browser Extensions Won't Save Your Privacy
Privacy-focused extensions are the most common advice for staying safe online. But extensions themselves are a privacy and security risk most people overlook. Here's why bolting on privacy doesn't work.
Your Browser Is Watching You: The Hidden Cost of "Free" Browsing
Modern browsers collect an astonishing amount of data about you. We break down exactly what they track, why it matters, and what you can do about it.
Stop Forcing AI Into My Browser
Every major browser is cramming AI features into their product. Nobody asked for this. Here's why forced AI integration is bad for users, bad for privacy, and bad for the web.
Your Browser Doesn't Need a Built-In VPN
Browsers are shipping with built-in VPN services and calling it a privacy feature. It's not. Here's why browser VPNs are security theater and what you should use instead.
Big Tech Owns Your Browser
Google, Microsoft, and Apple control how billions of people access the web. When your browser is made by an ad company or a platform gatekeeper, whose interests does it really serve?