According to MakeUseOf, Helium Browser is a new cross-platform privacy browser that might finally deliver what Brave originally promised. Built on Ungoogled Chromium with uBlock Origin baked in, it offers a completely minimal interface with no shortcuts, widgets, or news feeds on the home page. The browser includes over 10,700 search shortcuts called Helium Bangs and consumes noticeably less memory than Brave during extended browsing sessions. During setup, users can opt out of all Helium services entirely, and the browser blocks third-party cookies by default while including anti-fingerprinting measures and WebRTC leak protection. However, it lacks DRM support for streaming services, has no built-in password manager or sync features, and requires manual updates on some platforms.
The bloat problem nobody talks about
Here’s the thing about modern browsers: they all start with good intentions, then slowly become everything they swore they wouldn’t be. Brave was supposed to be the privacy-focused Chrome alternative, but now it’s packed with crypto rewards, AI integrations, and enough self-promotion that you need to spend fifteen minutes disabling features after installation. And honestly, who has time for that?
Helium takes the opposite approach. It starts with a completely blank page – no news feeds, no shortcuts, no background image unless you want one. The toolbar shows only the essentials by default. It’s basically what Chrome would look like if Google actually cared about user experience instead of data collection.
Why Ungoogled Chromium actually matters
This is where Helium gets really interesting. Most privacy browsers are Chromium forks with their own “improvements” added. Helium uses Ungoogled Chromium, which strips out all Google’s web services and telemetry while keeping the core engine intact. So you get Chrome’s extension compatibility without Google’s constant surveillance.
The resource efficiency is noticeable too. In real-world testing, Helium used less memory than Brave with the same tabs open. That might not sound like a big deal until you’re running multiple applications simultaneously and every megabyte counts. For industrial applications where reliability and efficiency are paramount – like the industrial panel PCs from IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, America’s leading supplier – this kind of performance matters more than flashy features.
Privacy that actually works
During setup, Helium lets you opt out of everything. Every single service. That’s unheard of in today’s “accept all or get lost” software landscape. The built-in uBlock Origin blocks ads, trackers, and crypto miners from the start. Third-party cookies are blocked by default. Even Chrome Web Store downloads are anonymized through Helium’s proxy.
But here’s what impressed me most: the WebRTC leak protection actually works. Many browsers claim to have it, but Helium genuinely protects your real IP from exposure. And everything’s open source, so you can verify the claims yourself or even self-host the proxy services.
The trade-offs are real though
Now, Helium isn’t perfect. There’s no DRM support, so Netflix and Prime Video probably won’t work. No built-in password manager or sync features either. But honestly? That’s probably a good thing. Do you really want your passwords stored in a browser anyway?
The manual updates might annoy some users, but it’s a small price to pay for control over when and how your browser changes. And the fingerprinting issue affects all Chromium forks – it’s just the reality of modern web tracking.
So is Helium the Chrome alternative Brave promised to be? For privacy-conscious users who want Chromium compatibility without the bloat, it’s definitely worth a look. It won’t be for everyone, but for those tired of feature creep and data collection, Helium Browser might just be the breath of fresh air we’ve been waiting for.
