Brave VPN, formally marketed as Brave Firewall + VPN, is a privacy-focused VPN service developed by Brave Software, the company behind the Brave browser. The service is headquartered in the United States, which places it under US jurisdiction and its associated data retention laws — a factor worth considering for privacy-conscious users evaluating the service.
Plan Structure
Brave VPN operates on a subscription model and is available as a monthly or annual billing option. The annual plan offers a lower effective monthly rate compared to paying month-to-month, which is a standard pricing approach across the VPN industry. Pricing is listed on Brave's official website at brave.com/firewall-vpn, and prospective subscribers should check there for current rates, as these can change over time.
One notable aspect of Brave VPN's offering is that it combines both a VPN and a firewall component into a single subscription. This means the service is designed to block malicious connections at the network level in addition to routing traffic through an encrypted tunnel. Whether this bundled feature set justifies the price compared to standalone VPN providers depends on how a user weighs those two functionalities.
Device and Platform Support
Brave VPN is available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Importantly, the VPN functionality is integrated directly into the Brave browser on desktop platforms, meaning users interact with it through the browser interface rather than a traditional standalone VPN application. On mobile, it operates as a device-wide VPN. This distinction matters for users who want system-wide VPN protection on desktop, as the browser-based model may not cover traffic from other applications depending on the platform and configuration.
Value Assessment
With an overall score of 41% in our evaluation, Brave VPN ranks below average compared to leading VPN providers on the market. The lower score reflects limitations in areas such as server network size, feature depth, and performance consistency when compared to more established competitors. The combined firewall and VPN pitch may appeal to existing Brave browser users who want a convenient, integrated privacy tool, but users prioritizing raw VPN capability — including features like split tunneling, a wide range of server locations, or advanced protocol options — will likely find more competitive options elsewhere at similar or lower price points.
The US jurisdiction is also a consideration. Many privacy-focused VPN users prefer providers based in countries outside major intelligence-sharing alliances. Brave VPN's US base means it is subject to US legal requests, which is a meaningful factor for users with elevated privacy needs.
Refund Policy
Brave VPN's refund policy is subject to the platform through which the subscription was purchased. Subscriptions made through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store are governed by those platforms' respective refund policies rather than a direct policy from Brave Software. Users purchasing directly through Brave's website should review the current terms at the time of purchase, as refund eligibility and timeframes can vary. There is no universally advertised money-back guarantee period comparable to the 30-day or 45-day guarantees offered by several competing VPN services.
Who This Is For
Brave VPN is most logically positioned as an add-on for users already invested in the Brave browser ecosystem. For that audience, the integration is relatively seamless and the dual firewall and VPN protection offers a straightforward privacy layer. For users approaching it purely as a VPN product and comparing it against the broader market, the limited feature set and below-average score make it difficult to recommend as a primary VPN solution.