EDIT: LibreWolf Browser: A custom version of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and freedom. https://librewolf.net/
ungoogled-chromium: A lightweight approach to removing Google web service dependency https://github.com/ungoogled-software/ungoogled-chromium
It blocks almost all ads. It has a simple button to turn ad blocking off when I need to use websites that don't work with ad blockers. I don't need to fiddle with an extension.
I can use it on android without effort.
This is about brave search, which I have never used.
I don't use the brave homepage, so I never saw the homepage ads that folks complained about.
HN seems to hate Brave for some reason. But it has worked perfectly for years. I don't care if it's perfect privacy -- not sure I ever felt Brave promised that.
I have never heard of the browsers you mention. I tried to use Chromium for a while, but you have to find distributions that include basic features and it was a hassle. Not a big hassle, but made me stick with Brave.
I think some if the hate comes from people who would like to see more variety in the browser market. At the moment we're heading to a single dominant force of chromium based browsers. And history has shown what happens when an entity holds all the cards and there is less choice.
1) Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla
2) Allow Firefox to make personalized extension recommendations
3) Allow Firefox to install and run studies
4) Allow Firefox to send backlogged crash reports on your behalf
I understand they're selected by default so they're collecting data on many unaware users, but for anyone on HN, I am confident they have probably deselected all of them.