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Cybersecurity · head to head

Brave Browser vs Semperis

Brave Browser logo

Brave Browser

Cybersecurity

Secure, fast & private web browser with adblocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Semperis logo

Semperis

Cybersecurity

Identity threat detection and Active Directory forest recovery for AD, Entra ID and Okta, from a privately held US vendor.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Brave Browser has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Brave Browser brave Firewall + VPN features require paid subscription; Semperis scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • They diverge on capability: Brave Browser covers Built-in ad blocker, Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brave Browser and Semperis actually diverge.

Attributes where Brave Browser and Semperis differ
AttributeBrave BrowserSemperis
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOSWeb
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Brave Browser

  • Built-in ad blocker
  • Tracker blocking
  • Cryptocurrency wallet
  • Brave Rewards (BAT)
  • Tor private browsing
  • HTTPS everywhere
  • Script blocking
  • Fingerprinting protection

Only in Semperis

  • Active Directory Forest Recovery
  • Malware-free restore
  • Replication-stream monitoring
  • Automated rollback
  • Attack indicator scoring
  • Entra ID and Okta coverage
  • Purple Knight
  • Forest Druid

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Brave Browser

  • Private web browsing with ad blockingnot Semperis
  • Encrypted search via Brave Searchnot Semperis
  • Privacy-focused web navigation without trackingnot Semperis
  • AI-powered answers via Ask Bravenot Semperis

Semperis

  • An organisation that cannot answer an auditor or insurer asking how long it would take to rebuild Active Directory after a destructive attacknot Brave Browser
  • Post-incident recovery where domain controllers are compromised and restoring from system-state backup would reintroduce the attacker's footholdnot Brave Browser
  • Continuous detection of privileged group changes and directory-level tampering that domain controller security logs missnot Brave Browser
  • Hybrid estates where AD, Entra ID and Okta all matter and no single tool currently shows changes across the threenot Brave Browser

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Brave Browser

  • Brave Firewall + VPN features require paid subscription
  • Brave Talk Premium is subscription-based, not included in free tier
  • Brave Rewards programme is optional and requires user participation

Semperis

  • Scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • The licence buys tooling, not a proven runbook: forest recovery is only worth what your last rehearsal demonstrated, and a plan that has never been executed end to end in a lab is an untested assumption regardless of what was purchased.
  • It overlaps with backup and directory management products from Quest, Veeam, Commvault and others, so the buyer must argue internally why a dedicated product is needed alongside a backup contract that already claims to protect Active Directory.
  • Running Directory Services Protector well requires someone who understands AD internals, replication metadata and Tier 0 attack paths, and without that person the alerts on privileged changes are either ignored or auto-reverted in ways that break legitimate administration.
  • Licensing is driven by identity object counts, so directories carrying years of stale user accounts and service principals pay for objects that should have been deleted, and the cleanup project that would reduce the bill is the one nobody has time for.

Pricing, plan by plan

Brave Browser

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Brave Browser review.

Semperis

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Semperis review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Brave Browser if

  • You need built-in ad blocker.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
  • You also want tracker blocking.
Brave Browser review

Choose Semperis if

  • You need active directory forest recovery.
  • You also want malware-free restore.
Semperis review

Questions people ask

Is Brave Browser or Semperis better?
Neither clearly leads. Brave Browser starts at Free and Semperis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brave Browser or Semperis?
Brave Browser has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brave Browser and On request for Semperis.
Does Brave Browser or Semperis run on more platforms?
Brave Browser runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. Semperis runs on Web.
Can I use Brave Browser for free?
Yes. Brave Browser has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Semperis starts at On request.
What is Brave Browser best used for?
Brave Browser is most often used for private web browsing with ad blocking, encrypted search via brave search, privacy-focused web navigation without tracking, ai-powered answers via ask brave. Of those, private web browsing with ad blocking and encrypted search via brave search are not what Semperis is typically brought in for.
What can Brave Browser do that Semperis cannot?
Brave Browser covers Built-in ad blocker, Tracker blocking, Cryptocurrency wallet, Brave Rewards (BAT). Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery, Malware-free restore, Replication-stream monitoring, Automated rollback.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brave Browser: Is Brave Browser completely free?

Yes. The Brave Browser itself is completely free for desktop, Android, and iOS. All core features including ad blocking, privacy protections, and tracker blocking are included at no cost.

Source
Semperis: Does this replace my backups?

No. It replaces the Active Directory recovery procedure specifically. You still need backups for everything else, and the point of Semperis is that a generic system-state backup of a domain controller is a poor way to recover a forest because it restores the operating system along with whatever compromised it.

Brave Browser: Does Brave offer any paid features?

Yes. Brave offers subscription-based features including Brave Firewall + VPN (protecting every app on your entire device across up to 5 devices) and Brave Talk Premium, though specific pricing is not listed on the main page.

Source
Semperis: Is it useful if we are cloud-only on Entra ID?

Partly. Directory Services Protector covers Entra ID and Okta for change tracking and posture, but the forest recovery product, which is the strongest reason to buy, applies to on-premises Active Directory. A genuinely cloud-only organisation should weigh it against Microsoft's own tooling.

Brave Browser: Can I earn money using Brave?

Yes. Brave Rewards is an optional program that allows users to earn BAT tokens by viewing privacy-protecting ads. Tokens earned can be stored securely in Brave Wallet.

Source
Semperis: Are Purple Knight and Forest Druid really free?

Yes, both are free downloads with no licence requirement, and they are widely used by organisations that are not Semperis customers. They are also, transparently, the top of the sales funnel.

Brave Browser: Can I use Brave Search without a subscription?

Yes. Brave Search is free at search.brave.com and does not require a subscription.

Source
Semperis: How long does forest recovery actually take?

The honest answer is whatever your rehearsal took. The vendor's case is hours instead of days, and automation genuinely removes most manual steps, but the number that matters for your board is the one from a test in your own environment.

Semperis: Does it require agents on domain controllers?

It collects directory changes from the AD replication stream, which is what lets it see changes that bypass the security log. Deployment details vary by product and version, so confirm the exact architecture against your domain controller change-control rules.

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