Privacy-focused browser maker Brave has officially crossed 100 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of September 2025, capping off a year of accelerated growth for both its browser and independent search engine.u
Daily active users (DAUs) also surged past 42 million, reflecting an increase in user engagement and momentum behind privacy-respecting alternatives to Big Tech platforms.
The milestone was shared by Brave CEO and co-founder Brendan Eich on X, accompanied by detailed usage statistics and a company blog post. According to Eich, the browser's MAU for September reached 100.93 million, a 3.2% increase from August, when Brave recorded 97.8 million users. More strikingly, the highest recorded daily active user count (HWM DAU) jumped to 44.14 million, representing a 7.5% rise, while the average DAU-to-MAU ratio improved to 0.42, signaling consistent user retention and engagement.
Brave's continued expansion builds on a trend of adding roughly 2.5 million users per month over the past two years. The browser, known for its anti-tracking stance and built-in ad blocker, has particularly benefited from broader global awareness and regulatory shifts in user choice. For instance, installs on iOS devices in the EU saw a 50% increase following Apple's implementation of a browser choice panel under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in iOS 17.4.
Founded in 2016 by Brendan Eich and Brian Bondy, Brave has positioned itself as a privacy-first challenger to dominant browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Edge. In addition to its core browser product, Brave has expanded into several verticals, including Brave Search (launched in 2021), a privacy-preserving advertising network, a crypto rewards ecosystem based on the Basic Attention Token (BAT), and premium subscription services such as a VPN.
Brave Search, the company's independent search engine powered by its own index, is also experiencing strong growth. In September, it handled 1.66 billion queries, up 6.2% month-over-month, which annualizes to approximately 19.49 billion queries per year. Notably, Brave Search is gaining traction outside its native browser, with usage from non-Brave browsers (including Chrome) climbing to 8.36% of total search queries, up from 7.60% the month prior.
Another emerging pillar for Brave is its integration of AI into search. The company reported that over 15 million AI-generated answers are served daily through Brave Search. It recently launched “Ask Brave,” a native AI chat feature that blends traditional search with conversational AI capabilities, echoing broader industry trends while maintaining its commitment to privacy-by-default.
On the platform side, Linux remains Brave's fastest-growing environment, with the number of Linux-based monthly active users now exceeding 1 million. From June to August 2025, Linux MAUs rose by 26.4%, signaling a strong uptake among users in open-source and privacy-conscious communities.
In terms of revenue, Brave continues to sustain its operations through a combination of search ads, opt-in privacy-preserving browser ads, API access, premium services (such as its VPN offering), and cryptocurrency-based partnerships.
Uh, anyone else notice that 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 AND 2024 show up in that graph TWICE?
Given that this chart is obviously AI generated, I’d be taking Brave’s claims with a VERY large grain of salt.