The AI browser assistant that doesn't sell your data

Brave Leo is the AI assistant built into the Brave browser (70M+ users). Unlike every other AI browser assistant, Leo doesn't log your conversations, doesn't train on your data, and routes requests through anonymizing proxies. You get ChatGPT-quality answers in the sidebar without giving OpenAI or Google a copy of everything you ask. Premium tier unlocks Claude, Llama, and Mixtral models for the same privacy guarantees.

Who it's for: Privacy-conscious users, security researchers, journalists, lawyers, and anyone who reads sensitive material in their browser and doesn't want it in a training dataset.

Key features

Privacy Zero-log, no-training AI

Conversations are not stored, not used for training, and not associated with your IP. Leo uses Brave's own proxy to anonymize requests. The closest thing to a private AI assistant available.

Sidebar Inline page Q&A

Highlight text or ask about a page — Leo reads the page and answers. Summarize articles, explain code, translate, fact-check. All in the sidebar, no extension install needed.

Multi-model Mixtral, Claude, Llama (Premium)

Free tier uses Mixtral 8x7B. Premium ($20/mo) unlocks Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Llama 3.1 70B, and other models. Pick the right model for the task, all with the same privacy guarantee.

Free Free tier is actually useful

Mixtral on the free tier is genuinely good for general Q&A, summaries, and translations. No artificial limits, no daily caps. You can use Leo as much as you want.

The honest take

✓ What works

Best privacy story in AI — zero logs, no training, anonymized requests
Free tier has no usage limits (rare in 2026)
Built into Brave — no extension to install, no separate account
Premium model selection (Claude, Llama) is a real differentiator
Inline page Q&A is fast and accurate

✗ What doesn't

Brave browser required — no Chrome/Firefox/Safari extension
Free Mixtral model is noticeably weaker than ChatGPT or Claude
Premium tier ($20/mo) doesn't add anything you can't get elsewhere
Agent mode (clicking, filling forms) is still basic vs Comet
Some 'inline Q&A' features are gated to Premium

Verdict

If you already use Brave, Leo is a no-brainer — it's free, private, and built in. If you're choosing a browser specifically for the AI features, Comet is more capable but less private. For most people, Leo is the right answer: a good-enough AI assistant that doesn't surveil you. The Premium tier is a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

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