14 DAY TRIAL // DuckDuckGo has officially announced its very own Mac browser, though users can give it a go by joining a waiting list and then hoping their turn to install the app comes sooner rather than later.
Available as a beta, DuckDuckGo for Mac is based on the native macOS rendering engine, so it uses the same technology as Safari.
And according to the parent company, the performance figures of the app are pretty impressive.
“DuckDuckGo for Mac is really fast! By using your computer’s built-in website rendering engine (the same one Safari uses), and by blocking trackers before they load (unlike all the major browsers), you’ll get really fast browsing. We’re already faster than Chrome on some graphics performance (using the Motion Mark 1.2. benchmark) and as an additional benefit, by blocking trackers, DuckDuckGo uses about 60% less data than Chrome!” the company says.
A Windows version is also coming
Needless to say, DuckDuckGo for Mac is first and foremost focused on the privacy and security offered to users.
“With one download you get our built-in private search engine, powerful tracker blocker, *new* cookie pop-up protection on approximately 50% of sites (with that % growing significantly throughout beta), Fire Button (one-click data clearing), email protection and more – all for free. No complicated privacy settings, just simple privacy protection that works by default,” DuckDuckGo says.
The browser comes with the essential feature package, and it includes password management, tab support, bookmarks, privacy controls and so much more. Furthermore, it looks like add-on support is also in the works, though no ETA on this one is available at the moment.
On the other hand, DuckDuckGo has confirmed that a Windows browser is also on its way. A launch date is yet to be announced, however, with the company claiming the debut would happen at some point later this year.
In the meantime, the Mac app will go open-source once the beta program comes to an end.