Web browsers for MacHead to head

Brave vs Dia

Brave ranks #1 and Dia ranks #4 in our guide to the best web browsers for Mac. Brave is our pick for most people.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Our pickBrave app iconBravePick Brave if you want ads and cookie pop-ups gone on Mac and iPhone without installing blockers.Free to start#4 in the guideDia app iconDiaPick Dia if you want an AI in the browser that can answer from your tabs and work tools.Free to start

What decides it

  • On price: Brave is free. Optional VPN, AI and Brave Origin upgrades are extra. Dia is free browser. AI plans start at $10 a month, Better Days is $100 a month.
  • Both run on Mac. Only Brave runs on iPhone and iPad.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceBrave app iconBraveDia app iconDia
PriceFree. Optional VPN, AI and Brave Origin upgrades are extraFree browser. AI plans start at $10 a month, Better Days is $100 a month
How you payFree, with paid upgradesFree, with paid upgrades
Free trialFree to startFree to start
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPadMac
Where to buyApp Store, DeveloperDeveloper
Rating4.8 672K ratingsToo few ratings
FeaturesOpen source, Free trialFree trial
Made byBrave SoftwareNot listed
Last updated31 Oct 202630 Oct 2026

Who should get which

Get Brave if

You want ads and cookie pop-ups gone on every site, on Mac and iPhone, without hunting for blockers.

Get Dia if

You work across Slack, Notion and Google Workspace all day and want a browser that can answer from them.

Skip Brave if

You live in Safari and a free content blocker already keeps most ads away for you.

Skip Dia if

You have no use for AI while browsing, and Safari already covers everyday browsing at no cost.

Our verdicts

Brave app iconBrave

The ads that play before and during web videos get blocked along with banners, trackers and cookie pop-ups, with no extension to install and nothing to set up. A Shred button wipes 1 site's data without logging you out of everything else. The VPN and premium AI cost extra and nobody needs them for the blocking, and if tab organization matters more to you than ads, Arc or Zen is the better browser.

Dia app iconDia

The top plan for this free browser costs $100 a month, and it covers an AI that writes a daily Morning Brief, preps your meetings and builds reports and decks from Slack, Notion and Google Workspace. The $10 plan handles chat across your open tabs, and without AI you still get profiles, split view and an ad blocker. If you only want the browser part, Arc comes from the same team and is free.

What each one helps you do

Brave app iconBrave

  • Browse without ads or cookie banners
  • Watch web videos without the ads
  • Stop trackers following you between sites
  • Clear one site's data without logging out

Dia app iconDia

  • Ask questions about any page you have open
  • Start each day with a Morning Brief
  • Keep work and personal logins in separate profiles
  • Turn scattered notes into a report or deck

Where to get them

Brave

Free. Optional VPN, AI and Brave Origin upgrades are extra

  • App Store, iPhone and iPadWith in-app purchases
    Free downloadApp Store
  • From the developerMac, Windows and Linux downloads
    Free downloadGet it

Dia

Free browser. AI plans start at $10 a month, Better Days is $100 a month

  • From the developerNew users get a 14-day free trial of Better Days, no card needed
    Free downloadGet it

Neither one quite right?

The other picks in our guide to the best web browsers for Mac.

Read the full guideAll Brave alternativesAll Dia alternatives

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