Brave Origin

Brave has taken an unusual route with Brave Origin: the company is charging users outside Linux $60 for a browser that removes features instead of adding them. For people who want a lighter browser, the offer is simple, but the pricing is likely to divide opinion. The new product is designed for users who feel Brave has grown too crowded. Rather than selling extra tools, Brave Origin trims away several built-in additions and gives users a more minimal setup across desktop and Android, with an iOS version still being prepared. A browser built around subtraction Brave has long positioned itself around performance, privacy, and built-in security tools. Over time, however, it has also accumulated more services and functions, and not every user has welcomed that expansion. According to Digital Trends, Brave said in a Twitter thread that Brave Origin was created in response to demand from users who want a more streamlined browser experience. The company is not presenting it as a bundle of new features, but as a pared-down version of the existing browser. The core appeal of Brave Origin is that it disables or removes several extras that some users may consider unnecessary. Those include email aliases, Leo AI, VPN, the Brave Wallet implementation, and Speedreader. Brave also offers two ways to use Origin. Users can download a browser client that is already stripped down, or they can keep using the standard Brave browser and add a settings panel that lets them decide which features stay enabled. How the pricing works The company is charging a one-time fee of $60 for Brave Origin, and that fee applies to users who are not on Linux. Brave says the purchase activates Origin across the user’s devices without limits, so it is not a subscription model. Linux users are the exception. Brave says Origin is free on Linux, making it the only platform where users do not have to pay for the cleaner configuration. Platform Origin Access Desktop and Android $60 one-time purchase for non-Linux users Linux Free iOS In preparation The pricing model is the most controversial part of the announcement because users are not paying for new capabilities. They are paying for the option to remove components that Brave had already added to the browser. Where the pared-down version fits in Brave Origin can be purchased through Brave Premium, after which users can download the simplified app. It can also be enabled from an existing Brave installation through the browser’s system settings. The path inside the browser is brave://settings/system, where users can find the Brave Origin section, complete payment, and tap “Refresh Origin” to see the available feature controls. That makes Origin feel both like a separate product and like an additional layer of customization inside Brave itself. For users who prefer a browser with fewer moving parts, the concept is clear enough. The unresolved question is why this kind of control is arriving as a paid option now, rather than as a free default setting from the start. Brave’s move stands out because the premium pitch is based on reduction, not expansion. In a market where browser companies usually sell more features as the upgrade, Brave is asking users to pay for less. Source: www.xda-developers.com

Brave Origin Charges $60 to Strip Out Features, With Linux Users Getting It Free