# Browser tracking protections compared

> Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Edge and Brave side by side: what each maker says about tracker blocking, link cleaning and fingerprinting, with the sources and dates.

- Canonical URL: https://antitrackingsoftware.com/browser-protections-compared/
- Source: [Mozilla, WebKit, Google, Microsoft and Brave pages](https://webkit.org/blog/15697/private-browsing-2-0/)
- Checked: 2026-10-22
- Structured data: https://antitrackingsoftware.com/data/browser-protections-compared.json

This page includes a free interactive tool that runs in the browser and sends no data. The figures and rules it uses are the ones stated on this page, with their sources.

## In short
| Browser | Link cleaning | Fingerprinting | Cookies and trackers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefox | Strips known parameters in Strict mode | Blocks known fingerprinting scripts, limits suspected ones | Enhanced Tracking Protection levels |
| Safari (Private Browsing) | Removes known parameters | Noise on canvas, WebGL, WebAudio; fixed screen values | Blocks domains on two lists |
| Chrome | Not covered by the posts we read | Not covered by the posts we read | Keeps a third-party cookie choice; Incognito blocks them |
| Edge | Not covered by the page we read | Basic blocks fingerprinting trackers | Basic, Balanced, Strict levels |
| Brave | Not covered by the post we read | Farbling per site and session | Not covered by the post we read |

Sources: [Mozilla](https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/toolkit/components/antitracking/anti-tracking/query-stripping/index.html), [WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/15697/private-browsing-2-0/), [Google](https://privacysandbox.google.com/blog/privacy-sandbox-next-steps), [Microsoft](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/learn-about-tracking-prevention-in-microsoft-edge), [Brave](https://brave.com/privacy-updates/4-fingerprinting-defenses-2.0/).

"Not covered by the page we read" means we did not find it there, not that the browser lacks the feature.

## Pick one above
The selector shows each maker's statements with the date.

## How to read it
- **Makers describe what they built.** We did not test the browsers.
- **Dates differ.** The Brave post is from 2020, the WebKit post from 2024 and the Microsoft page from 2026. Features change.
- **No browser stops all tracking.** The [home page check](https://antitrackingsoftware.com/) still shows what any browser offers to a site.

## What to do with this
1. Pick a browser whose protections match your worry: tracker blocking, link cleaning or fingerprinting.
2. Turn on [Global Privacy Control](https://antitrackingsoftware.com/global-privacy-control/) where it exists.
3. Check your setting rather than trusting a default.
4. [Reduce what you reveal](https://antitrackingsoftware.com/how-to-reduce-fingerprinting/).

*Outside this page:* Other browsers (Tor Browser, DuckDuckGo, Vivaldi, Opera), mobile apps and in-app browsers.

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Anti-Tracking Guide · Contact: contact@antitrackingsoftware.com