Brave has announced a new paid version of its browser called Brave Origin. The new browser is aimed at users who want a simpler browsing experience without many of the extra features that have been added to Brave over the years.
The company says Brave Origin was created after receiving requests from users who wanted Brave’s privacy and security features without AI tools, crypto services, rewards programs, and other integrations.
Brave Origin keeps the browser’s core privacy features intact. Users will still get Brave Shields for ad and tracker blocking, security updates, Chromium patches, and other privacy protections. Brave says the browser offers the same privacy-focused experience that has helped it grow to more than 115 million users worldwide.
The biggest change is the removal of several optional features. Brave Origin does not include Brave Leo AI, Brave Rewards, Brave Wallet, Brave News, Brave Talk, VPN promotions, sponsored content, and Web3-related services. The company has also removed features like Playlist, Speedreader, Tor integration, Wayback Machine support, Web Discovery Project, and email aliases.
Brave Origin is available as both a standalone browser and an upgrade for existing Brave users. The standalone version completely removes these features from the browser. Users who upgrade from the regular Brave browser will get a dedicated settings panel where these features remain disabled by default.
The browser is available through a one-time purchase of $59.99. The purchase can be used across multiple devices. Linux users can access Brave Origin for free.
However, the launch has sparked debate within the Brave community. Many users are now criticizing the company for charging money to remove features that many people already consider unnecessary. Critics argue that Brave originally became popular because it offered a privacy-focused browsing experience, but gradually added more services related to cryptocurrency, rewards, AI, and other monetization efforts.
A number of users have also pointed out that many of the features removed in Brave Origin can already be disabled manually in the free version of the browser through enterprise policy settings and configuration options.
Because of this, some people question whether Brave Origin offers anything significantly different beyond packaging those settings into a dedicated product.
Some users are also defending the move, saying most users are unlikely to spend time configuring advanced settings. For them, Brave Origin provides an easier way to get a clean and privacy-focused browser while also supporting the company’s development efforts.
