Yab

Opera Neon vs Brave

We make Yab, the third column.facts checked Oct 9 ↓

Opera Neon is Opera’s agent browser for Mac and Windows. Its own agents act in your live session on a $19.90 plan, and since August 2026 outside agents like Claude Code can use it free through its MCP Connector.

Brave is an open-source Chromium browser that blocks ads and trackers by default, with Leo, an AI chat that needs no account, on every desktop and phone.

The short answer

Pick Opera Neon
  • if you want Claude Code or another MCP client to use a real signed-in browser, free
  • if you want one plan for an in-browser agent, deep research and making apps and media
  • if you want a VPN and an ad blocker built in
Pick Brave
  • if you want ads and trackers blocked by default
  • if you want AI chat without an account, or on your own local model
  • if you need the same browser on every desktop and phone
Or Yabours
  • if you miss Arc and want spaces, pins and folders kept, on a Mac
  • if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and want it to work in your signed-in tabs
  • if you want Claude Code, Codex or Cursor to drive a real browser over MCP

At a glance

Opera Neon and Brave, with Yab beside them for a Mac.

Opera Neon vs Brave
WhatOpera NeonBraveYab
Made byOperaBrave SoftwareSerafim Korablev
StatusUpdatedUpdatedUpdated
Runs onMac and WindowsMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and AndroidMac
Phone appNone yet; Opera says a mobile version will come, no date giveniPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords and history, no accountNot yet
PriceFree, and free for outside agents; Opera’s own agents $19.90/monthFree, with Leo; Leo Premium $14.99/month; Brave VPN $9.99/monthFree; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan
AIAn agent that works in pages, on its own AI serviceChat about pages, on its own AI or yoursAn agent that works in pages, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan
Driven by outside agentsMCP and a command lineNoMCP and a command line
EngineChromiumChromiumWebKit
Tabs down the sideNot statedA settingYes
SpacesYesNoYes
Split ViewNot statedYesYes
ExtensionsNot statedChrome Web StoreChrome Web Store
Ad blockerBuilt inBuilt inBuilt in
Open sourceNoYesNo

Checked October 9, 2026 on each maker’s own pages, linked under Sources. Prices are per month, in US dollars.

Where they differ

What separates them, area by area. Where one plainly has more, it says who; where it comes down to taste, it says so.

AIOpera Neon leads

Only Opera Neon has an agent that clicks, types and finishes tasks in your pages. Neon Chat talks about your tabs, Neon Do acts in your live session, research agents dig, and Make builds apps and media on Opera’s servers. Leo chats about your tabs, PDFs and images, with no account, on Brave’s models or your own; an agent is in early testing behind a flag, in a separate profile without your sign-ins.

Agents like Claude Code and CodexOpera Neon leads

Opera Neon can be driven over MCP and a command line, through its MCP Connector, read-only unless you allow more, and opera-browser-cli. Brave has no MCP server or command line for outside agents.

Tabs and windowsBrave leads

Opera Neon has spaces. Brave has tabs down the side as a setting, Split View, folders in the sidebar and tabs that sleep.

Priceeven

Opera Neon: Free, and free for outside agents; Opera’s own agents $19.90/month. Brave: Free, with Leo; Leo Premium $14.99/month; Brave VPN $9.99/month.

Where it runsBrave leads

Opera Neon runs on Mac and Windows. Brave runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. On a Mac, Brave needs macOS 13 or later. Opera Neon has no phone app yet: Opera says a mobile version will come, no date given. On the phone, Brave: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords and history, no account.

Engine and extensionsa matter of taste

Both are built on Chromium, as Chrome is, so sites work as they do in Chrome. Opera Neon takes no extensions, Brave from the Chrome Web Store.

PrivacyBrave leads

Opera Neon has an ad blocker built in and a VPN. Page content used with Neon’s AI goes to Opera’s and OpenAI’s servers, kept up to 365 days; passwords, cards and cookies stay on your device. Brave has an ad blocker built in, a VPN and open code. Brave says Leo doesn’t keep or share chats, doesn’t train on them and doesn’t collect identifiers like IP addresses.

What their pages don’t lead with

Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.

Opera Neon

  • Opera’s own agents need the $19.90 a month plan
  • Mac and Windows only; the phone version isn’t out
  • Its AI and the MCP Connector need an Opera account
  • Page content used with its AI goes to Opera’s and OpenAI’s servers, kept up to 365 days

Brave

  • More Leo models and higher limits need Leo Premium at $14.99 a month
  • Its AI agent is an early test behind a flag, without your sign-ins
  • The VPN is $9.99 a month extra
  • Tabs down the side are a setting, and there are no spaces

Yab, honestly

  • Mac only: macOS 15.4 or later, no Windows, iPhone or Android
  • New: first released in September 2026
  • Its AI needs a Claude or ChatGPT plan; ChatGPT’s free plan may work with low limits
  • WebKit, as in Safari: a site tested only in Chrome can misbehave
  • Closed source

What changed lately

  • August 12, 2026Opera Neon: Free plan: outside agents can use Neon without a subscription
  • July 2, 2026Brave: Containers added in Brave 1.92 for separate cookies per tab
  • June 4, 2026Brave: Brave Origin launched: a paid, minimal Brave without Leo, Rewards, Wallet and VPN
  • May 12, 2026Opera Neon: opera-browser-cli command line released
  • May 5, 2026Brave: Leo agentic AI browsing opened for early testing on all release channels, behind a flag
  • March 31, 2026Opera Neon: MCP Connector lets outside AI clients act in Neon

Questions

Is Opera Neon free?

Yes, with limits on its AI. Free, and free for outside agents; Opera’s own agents $19.90/month.

Is Brave free?

Yes, with limits on its AI. Free, with Leo; Leo Premium $14.99/month; Brave VPN $9.99/month.

Which has an AI agent, Opera Neon or Brave?

Opera Neon. Neon Chat talks about your tabs, Neon Do acts in your live session, research agents dig, and Make builds apps and media on Opera’s servers. Leo chats about your tabs, PDFs and images, with no account, on Brave’s models or your own; an agent is in early testing behind a flag, in a separate profile without your sign-ins.

Do Opera Neon and Brave run on Windows?

Yes, both. Opera Neon runs on Mac and Windows; Brave on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android.

Do Opera Neon and Brave have phone apps?

Brave does. Opera Neon has no phone app yet: Opera says a mobile version will come, no date given. On the phone, Brave: iPhone, iPad and Android; syncs tabs, bookmarks, passwords and history, no account.

Is there a third option on a Mac?

Yab, Yet Another Browser, is free for the Mac: tabs down the side with spaces, folders and Split View, as in Opera Neon; an agent in your signed-in tabs like Opera Neon’s, on the Claude or ChatGPT plan you already pay for. Claude Code, Codex and any MCP client can drive it too. It runs on WebKit, the engine Safari uses, and takes Chrome extensions. It is Mac only, and new.

More comparisons

Opera Neon vs DiaOpera Neon vs CometOpera Neon vs AtlasAside vs Opera NeonOpera Neon vs ChromeOpera Neon vs SafariOpera Neon vs EdgeOpera Neon alternativesYab vs Opera NeonBrave vs ChromeBrave vs SafariBrave vs EdgeBrave vs FirefoxOpera vs BraveArc vs BraveDia vs BraveBrave alternativesYab vs Brave
Sources, read October 9, 2026. Something out of date? Write to hello@serafimlabs.io and we fix it.

Yab, Yet Another Browser.

Free for the Mac. Arc’s sidebar, your own Claude or ChatGPT as the agent, Chrome extensions on WebKit.

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