DuckDuckGo’s browser promises to address your privacy issues and minor irritations. But despite its privacy-first approach, using DuckDuckGo isn’t all rainbows and sunshine—there are pros and cons of using DuckDuckGo’s privacy-friendly browser.
Pro: DuckDuckGo’s Browser Is Private by Default
If you’re a privacy-minded individual, your first impressions of a new browser can be frustrating. All the largest browsers have Google as their search engine. This is either because the browser is owned and distributed by Google, as with Chrome, or because the project accepts large sums of money for the privilege, as with Firefox. According to ZDNet, the deal was worth around $400 million per year.
Once you’ve manually set the search engine to another option, you must find extensions such as uBlock Origin to stop sites from tracking you across the internet.
With DuckDuckGo’s browser, you don’t need to do this, as you’ll find most of what you need pre-configured and ready to go. If you conduct a search from the URL bar, it’s carried out by DuckDuckGo (as you’d expect), and both tracking scripts and adverts are blocked. This privacy-first approach is why you should consider DuckDuckGo as your search engine in other browsers as well.
Pro: No Gimmicky Rewards Scheme
Brave is one of the best privacy-friendly browsers, and while based on the Chromium engine, it is effective in shielding you from adverts, trackers, and pop-ups.
One of Brave’s most vaunted options is its Basic Attention Tokens (BAT), which allow you to “support content creators and earn tokens for ads you see in Brave.” In return, you can use your tokens to buy gift cards.
This cryptocurrency-based gimmick has several problems. Very few creators have signed up for the scheme, so essentially, you’re running an adblock while feeling a sense of unjustified moral justification. And you’re still seeing ads. And you’re getting into crypto.
The DuckDuckGo Browser has no such scheme.
Pro: DuckDuckGo’s Browser Has a Private YouTube Viewer
If you’re conscious enough of your privacy to install a privacy-focused browser, it’s unlikely you want Google’s YouTube video platform to keep records of what you watch and when you watch it.
While you can watch YouTube without going to YouTube by visiting through a privacy-friendly alternate front-end, such as Safeshare, the browser has anonymity built-in. When you first click on a YouTube video, the browser will ask if you want to watch the video with Duck Player.
Duck Player hides your viewing activity from YouTube and provides a clean viewing experience without ads.
Pro: DuckDuckGo’s Browser Hides Annoying Web Clutter
Pop-ups are a scourge of the modern internet, and almost every page you visit will have pop-ups asking you to either sign in with your Google account or consent to or deny cookies. It’s irritating and can ruin your browsing experience. While there are methods to block cookie consent pop-ups in your browser, these rely on extensions.
While you can also configure your Google account to block sign-in prompts, this approach relies on you being signed into your Google account while you visit websites—anathema to any privacy-conscious web user.
The DuckDuckGo browser automatically manages consent and Google pop-ups, so you never need to worry about it again.
Pro: DuckDuckGo Includes Email Protection
Every modern website wants your email address for different reasons. But you don’t have to share your email address while using DuckDuckGo’s Email Protection service. The service is a free email-forwarding product that helps you hide your actual email address from services without switching email providers. It gives you a free @duck.com email address for this purpose.
In addition to hiding your actual email address, it automatically removes different types of trackers from emails. So, if you’re worried about the proliferation of email trackers, this service takes care of that automatically.
Con: DuckDuckGo Hasn’t Always Been Honest With Users
DuckDuckGo’s 2023 effort isn’t its first browser. The DuckDuckGo browser for Android launched to much fanfare in 2021.
In May 2022, DuckDuckGo acknowledged that far from blocking trackers as it was supposed to, the company had an agreement that prohibited it from blocking trackers from Microsoft.
This was widely viewed as shady behavior.
We think it’s unlikely that DuckDuckGo will indulge in such underhand business deals again; it’s not impossible. Whether you trust them is up to you.
Con: The DuckDuckGo Browser Doesn’t Support Extensions
Most mainstream browsers allow you to install add-ons and extensions. As well as protecting your privacy, these can help you customize your browsing experience, manage downloads, view different file types, and more. There are hundreds of great browser extensions available.
Currently, DuckDuckGo doesn’t support extensions, so if you’ve grown used to browsing the web a certain way, you’re out of luck.
Overall, DuckDuckGo’s browser offers handy features if you’re concerned about privacy while surfing the web. Sure, it has its downsides, but it’s a solid browser for the privacy-conscious.
