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Side-by-side comparison ยท AI Browsers & Agents

Brave vs Opera One

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Brave

3.9

From $14.99/mo

Opera One

3.9

Free to start

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Pick it if: Business owners who want an AI helper in the browser but don't want their browsing or chats stored or used for training.

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who wants a free Chrome alternative with a capable AI sidebar, tab organisation and a built-in VPN, without paying for anything.

Overview

AttributeBraveOpera One
In one lineA privacy browser with Leo, a free AI assistant that doesn't keep your chats.Opera's free everyday browser with a built-in AI sidebar that reads your tabs.
Pricing modelFreemiumFree
Starting price$14.99/moFree
Free plan Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeBraveOpera One
Overall rating3.93.9
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
3.5
3.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
3.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeBraveOpera One
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes
Browser extension No No
API access No No
Teams & business
Team workspace No No
Enterprise plan or SSO No No
Connects to other apps No Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes
Makes images No Yes
Makes video No No
Writes code No No
Runs agents or automations Yes No
Learns your brand or style No No
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score7/ 178/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeBraveOpera One
Plans

FreeOur pick

Free

Everyday summaries and questions while you browse.

Free

Free

Everyone. There is no paid tier for the AI.

Leo Premium

$14.99/mo, or $149.99/yr

Daily users who want better answers and fewer limits.

Free with an Opera accountOur pick

Free

Anyone who wants chat history across devices and more images.

Which plan to pickStart free. If you hit the daily limits or the answers feel thin, Premium at $14.99 a month gets you Claude-level quality inside a private browser. If you already pay for ChatGPT or Claude, you may not need Premium at all, since those work in any browser.It's all free. Sign in with a free Opera account if you want your chats saved and more images; otherwise just download it and click Ask AI. Opera sells a separate VPN Pro, but you don't need it for the AI.

Key features

AttributeBraveOpera One
Standout features
  • Leo in the sidebar
  • Private by design
  • Choice of models
  • Bring your own model
  • AI browsing (early test)
  • Ask Brave
  • Opera AI sidebar
  • Tab Islands
  • Files and video
  • Browser Connector
  • Built-in extras
  • Privacy switches

Pros and cons

AttributeBraveOpera One
Pros
  • Free Leo with no account and no chat history kept
  • Open source, with ads and trackers blocked by default
  • Premium includes Claude models for $14.99 a month
  • Can run your own or a local model
  • On Mac, Windows, Linux, Android and iPhone
  • Free, with no account needed for the AI
  • Tab Islands make the AI's context easy to control
  • Handles files, YouTube videos and images, not just web pages
  • Free VPN, ad blocker and translator built in
  • Page access is off until you allow it
Cons
  • The agent is an opt-in experiment hidden in brave://flags
  • Free models give weaker answers than Comet or ChatGPT
  • Reviewers report the odd confidently wrong answer
  • No connections to Gmail, Slack or calendars like Dia
  • Crypto wallet and rewards extras some people find off-putting
  • No agent: it can't click, fill in forms or finish tasks on sites
  • Browser Connector for ChatGPT and Claude is still an opt-in test feature
  • Opera doesn't say which Gemini model you get or publish chat limits
  • Sponsored speed dials and news on the start page by default

Who each one is for

AttributeBraveOpera One
Best for
  • Summarising pages, PDFs and Google Docs privately
  • Quick answers with Brave Search sources
  • People who want ad and tracker blocking built in
  • Running your own or a local AI model in the browser
  • Summarising long pages and YouTube videos
  • Comparing suppliers or products grouped in a Tab Island
  • Quick drafts and translations while you browse
  • Keeping work and personal tabs organised
You'll find it used by
  • Privacy-minded owners
  • Researchers
  • Developers
  • Anyone leaving Chrome
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Researchers
  • Anyone switching from Chrome

Questions people ask

Which is better, Brave or Opera One?

They tie on our overall rating (Brave 3.9/5 and Opera One 3.9/5). Brave is best for summarising pages, PDFs and Google Docs privately and quick answers with Brave Search sources. Opera One is best for summarising long pages and YouTube videos and comparing suppliers or products grouped in a Tab Island.

Which is cheaper, Brave or Opera One?

Brave: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $14.99/mo. Opera One: It's free to use.

Which is easier to use, Brave or Opera One?

Opera One rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants a free Chrome alternative with a capable AI sidebar, tab organisation and a built-in VPN, without paying for anything.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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