Brave is charging $60 to remove features it added in the first place

3 min read Original article ↗
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Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.

Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics.

Summary

  • Brave sells Origin to strip added features—a $60 one-time fee (free on Linux).
  • Origin removes email aliases, Leo AI, VPN, Wallet, Speedreader, and more via a toggleable panel or standalone client.
  • You can buy Origin on Brave Premium or enable the panel at brave://settings/system.

On paper, Brave sounds like a great browser. It runs smoothly, has built-in security tools, and has a privacy-focused design. However, over the years, the Brave team has slowly added features to its browser that people aren't too fond of.

If you're someone who doesn't like all of the things Brave has added, you can now download Brave Origin, a slimmed-down version without all the bloat. Oh, but you have to pay $60 to get it.

Brave Origin will cost you $60 to remove the things you didn't ask for

It is a one-time purchase, though

Brave browser website homepage

As reported by Digital Trends, the Brave team posted a thread on Twitter explaining the new plan. In response to requests for a more streamlined browser, the company has released Brave Origin for desktop and Android, with an iOS release in the works.

Brave Origin's main feature isn't what it adds but what it removes: it scraps email aliases, Leo AI, the VPN tool, the Brave Wallet implementation, and Speedreader, just to name a few features. You can either download a browser with all of those disabled, or you can upgrade your Brave browser with a panel that lets you tweak what ones you want to keep.

The good news is that Brave lets people use Origin for free if they're on Linux. The bad news is, if you're not on Team Tux, you're going to have to pay $60 for Brave Origin. Granted, you only need to buy it once, and you'll get unlimited activations across all of your devices. This is a bitter pill to swallow if you didn't want the features in the first place. In fact, one could argue that the toggleable features panel should have been added on day one.

If you want to download the Brave Origin app, you can purchase it on the Brave Premium website. If you want to upgrade your Brave browser to include the Brave Origin panel, go to "brave://settings/system," find Brave Origin, and pay for it. Then click "Refresh Origin," and you'll see all the features you can toggle on and off.

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