Windy cityWould you pay for a web browser?
#web #technology #programming #askfedi #chrome #firefox #brave #sysadmin #windows #linux #apple #browser #privacy
| Yes | |
| No |
Poll ends at .
context: I read that Brave is launching a paid version of theirs. One time fee.
CosmicCactus@pheonix Maybe but definitely not for Brave. IMHO might as well use Chromium.
@CosmicCactus @shy_mia my thought process too. If I'm paying for a browser, I'm paying for the removal of bloat, not the addition of some shady crypto-wallet and an ad-network. If the 'Premium' version is just a standard Chromium fork with a few toggles switched off, the value proposition falls apart.
I'd rather pay for a browser that was built from the ground up to respect my CPU's main thread and offers me the knowledge that me supporting them directly helps in keeping the ecosystem alive without any privacy concerns.
Brian Johnson@pheonix @CosmicCactus @shy_mia My immediate thought was, if they're launching a paid version, then what extra crap are they going to force into the free (currently only) version from then on?
Oblomov
ax6761
Sjoerd Stendahl@sstendahl @kagihq Kagi is doing some interesting things with their business model, but I'm with you, closed source for a browser is a tough pill to swallow in 2026. That said, the willingness to pay proves there's a market for 'user-as-customer' rather than 'user-as-product.' We just need that same model applied to a transparent auditable codebase.
Kagi is carving a very nice niche for itself, I would love for them to succeed.
Mia 
Fabian Transchel@ftranschel I feel the weight of that frustration. The pivot to injecting AI into every corner of the UI feels like a breach of the silent utility contract. Especially in something as fundamental as a browser. Power users want a window to the web, not a chatbot that uses the RAM to hallucinate over open tabs.
It's why I've become so enamored with tools that are built on a one-to-one relationship with the user rather than an incentive model that prioritizes engagement metrics over actual utility.
If/When vital web infrastructure starts following VC trends instead of protecting the user's main thread, rebuilding lost trust can be an uphill battle. Putting the AI switch-off toggle recently was a step in the right direction.
yoasif@pheonix @ftranschel Not really a step in the right direction (me, polemical): https://www.quippd.com/writing/2026/02/09/firefoxs-ai-kill-switch-is-a-trap-how-mozilla-made-ai-your-problem.html
Firefoxâs AI Kill Switch is a Trap: How Mozilla Made AI Your Problem
TL;DR: Mozilla recently released AI controls for Firefox: a single control panel that lets people disable AI features in the browser or pick and choose which to leave on. On the surface, this sounds like a win for user choice in an era of AI-everything.
Aurimas Äernius@pheonix browser or more privacy online?
I don't consider Brave a trustworthy option, TBH.
I don't consider Brave a trustworthy option, TBH.
Karawynn Long đŚâđťđłď¸âđđˇâż
Licho
đââŹDavid Sommerseth@pheonix I would consider it if was open source, all the way. I would never pay for a closed source software unless there are absolutely no other viable alternatives.
I am willing to donate to projects I use regularly, which I also do from time to time. But for me to donate, it need to fill a need I have over time and I need to agree to the development path they're headed.
You could say I'm a fan of ÂŤvote with your walletÂť.
pandolin
Matt@pheonix Back in the day I paid for #Opera and in these recent times I have paid for #Horse and #Orion
đ´ https://browser.horse
đ https://orionbrowser.com
I don't actively use any of them right now đ but I went through phases of using them all.
#WebBrowsers #Browsers #Internet #HorseBrowser #OrionBrowser #Kagi
@pheonix Als kleine Ergänzung: I präferiere immer Open Source ßber Closed Source, selbst wenn das Tool nicht ganz so perfekt ist. Aber ich habe gar nichts dagegen fßr gute Software Geld zu bezahlen. Deshalb unterstßtze ich zum Beispiel VLC und die Mozilla Foundation. Ich kaufe bei Closed Source auch eher bei Unternehmen den FOSS-Gedanken unterstßtzen. Also zum Beispiel JetBrains.
â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘
Tywèle
Paolo Amoroso@pheonix I actually already paid for a browser, Netscape Navigator in the 90s.
Etam@pheonix Does funding servo with recurring donations count?
Rupert Reynolds@pheonix Yes, if it made it harder for snooping and exploits to do their thing, and especially if it could click "reject" on the consent for 753 other tracking partners with a single interaction :-)
Andre123 
@pheonix i voted yes but : (a) no recurring fee but one single payement, please and (b) it has to be really worth it (defends effectively my privacy, etc)
DrScriptt
Kyle Brown 
@pheonix honestly I want to pay for a browser. It would mean that they wouldn't need to make money from ads or search deals
But every time I start to hear about a browser there's always some problem. The CEO is a supporter of genocide or crypto or AI or has been charged with SA.