What Web Browser Am I Using

The browser wars continue to rage, simply one competitor is gone forever: Cyberspace Explorer. Microsoft announced that the once-indisputable leader in browser market place share, and the 1 that paved the way for interactive web applications, would become out of support on June 15, 2022. With new competitors in the fray and longtime entries spinning upwardly new technologies, conveniences, protections, and features, your choice of browser software is but as important as information technology ever was.

For the last several years, the browser landscape has been dominated by Google. The same visitor that serves more than spider web content than any other (according to comScore), also claims more than 60% of the browser market with Chrome (based on StatCounter and W3Counter numbers). That's for desktop use, but if yous add in mobile, Chrome is still rex. So dominant is Chrome that virtually other browsers now use its underlying Chromium rendering code, with Firefox the merely remaining top-to-bottom independent competitor.

Chrome on Top

Chrome may be leading in usage (except, of grade, on Apple tree devices), simply information technology's not ahead past every measure or by number of capabilities. Firefox, Border, Safari, and Opera all take features not establish in Google's browser. That'south non to say that Chrome isn't an excellent slice of software, just yous should know that in that location are worthy alternatives.

Hither we examine the top five browsers in the U.S. in order of popularity. Unfortunately, that rules out Brave and Vivaldi—both offset-class and unique choices that hover about or below one percentage usage rates. If y'all're interested in them, you might want to read more than nigh the all-time alternative spider web browsers.

What's important in a browser these days? Speed and compatibility remain superlative requirements, though modernistic computers brand performance less of an result. Security and browsing privacy are likewise tiptop concerns when you lot're picking a spider web browser. In this day of the ever-present smartphone, the linkage between your desktop browser and your phone has get increasingly important. Indeed, some browsers at present permit yous ship a webpage from 1 device to another, and all let you sync bookmarks between them.

Compatibility Counts

There accept been murmurings around the web most an HTML6, only the official outlets don't mention it. Instead, the rival W3C and WHATWG organizations that develop the standard take signed an agreement, and now HTML has no version number, as it's a "living standard." The web markup standard, HTML5, fully launched in 2014 after a decade of work, though information technology has continued to evolve with new features.

However a rough measure of standards compatibility is the HTML5test website, which scores browsers' compatibility with the moving target of web standards. The maximum possible score is 555, with points awarded for each standard supported. Chrome maintains its longtime lead on this test with a score of 528. Border, Opera, and other Chromium-based browsers hew closely to Chrome, while Firefox and Safari concur up the rear, at 491 and 468, respectively. (Safari's score has really gone down since my concluding run of the test, mayhap a consequence of the move to an M1 CPU.)

Every bit mentioned at the start, Cyberspace Explorer is being retired every bit a standalone browser. The problem is some business systems nevertheless require information technology for functionality. Fortunately, the spanking new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge includes an IE mode for such cases.

Faster Is Ameliorate

For speed testing, we run each browser through the JetStream benchmark, which we consider the most comprehensive browser performance benchmark. Information technology runs 64 tests, measuring, according to its documentation, "the speed of cyberspace applications variety of JavaScript and Web Assembly benchmarks, covering a variety of advanced workloads and programming techniques." It reports a college-is-better score based on a geometric mean of all the tests run. It takes longer to run than almost benchmarks. Nosotros tested on a 3-year-old Surface Laptop 3 with a Core i7 processor running Windows 11 and a newer MacBook Air M1 running macOS Monterey.

Accept benchmark results with a grain of salt, nevertheless, since purely constructed tests don't measure every component of actual browsing conditions. In short, Chrome wins this benchmark on Windows ten, while Safari takes the prize on macOS. Firefox has fallen behind on both platforms.

For memory use testing, we load ten media-heavy websites into all the browsers at the same time and study the MB of RAM reported by macOS's Activity Monitor, which makes this harder than using Windows' Task Manager since the Apple utility doesn't combine processes from an app. Because Edge at present runs on macOS and Safari doesn't run on Windows, I chose macOS anyway so that all browsers would be running on the same hardware. Annotation that some browsers (Border in item) utilise sleeping tabs, meaning they unload the content of tabs you're not viewing from retention. In truth, higher retentiveness usage hither can result in snappier performance since you don't accept to wait for sleeping tabs to become reloaded.

Privacy Is Paramount

Privacy, customization, convenience features, tab and start-page tools, and mobile integration have replaced speed and standards support every bit today'south primary differentiators. All browsers now tin retrieve passwords for you lot and sync them (in encrypted course) as well as your browsing history and bookmarks between desktops or laptops and mobile devices. Chrome by default signs y'all into Google services like Gmail and YouTube, which some consider presumptuous.

Privacy mavens like to utilise virtual private networks, amend known as VPNs, to hide browsing activities from ISPs and any other intervening entities betwixt you and the site you're visiting. Opera is the but browser that includes a built-in VPN (Firefox offers 1 at extra cost). Firefox also has a good privacy story, with a private mode that not only discards a session's history and cookies but also hides your activities from third-party tracking sites during the individual session.

Recommended by Our Editors

Firefox recently implemented DNS over HTTPS, which hides your web accost lookups from your Internet access provider. In improver, Border, Firefox, and Safari include fingerprint protection, meaning they prevent trackers from identifying you based on your hardware and software setup. One exam of this is the EFF's Cover Your Tracks site, which reports the level of tracking protection; on that, Safari shows gaps, while Brave gets tiptop marks. Some of the browsers also accept built-in Content Blocking to fend off known trackers and cryptocurrency-mining ploys.

Useful browsing tools tin can play a role in your conclusion, too. For example, Reading Style strips webpages of clutter, such equally ads and videos, so you can focus on text. Another is the Share button. With this era'southward obsession with social media, information technology'due south nearly an essential convenience.

Opera is lonely amid the popular spider web browsers included in this roundup that has a built-in cryptocurrency wallet, though the aforementioned Brave browser also includes one. Opera is notable for its Speed Dial, which consists of pinned tiles on your domicile screen and a toolbar for accessing frequently needed services such as WhatsApp.

Microsoft Edge offers vocalism-reading of webpages with remarkably realistic speech, a helpfully customizable homepage, detailed privacy settings, and a Collections feature for web inquiry. Firefox lets y'all instantly salvage a page to Pocket or open up a new Container in case you want to be logged into the same site with two different identities. Screenshot tools are making their manner into browsers, with Edge, Firefox, and Opera for starters.

If y'all feel strongly almost one browser or another, as is likely the example if you're reading this, delight feel complimentary to let us know nearly it in the comment section beneath.

Google Chrome Image

Google Chrome

Most web users demand no introduction to the search behemoth'southward browser, Google Chrome. It's attractively designed and quick at loading pages. Nearly websites' code now targets it, so compatibility is seldom an issue. That said, every browser is occasionally flummoxed by a particular site or two, and sometimes a browser update breaks even well-crafted sites.

Chrome gets top marks on the HTML5Test website. It also does well on the JetStream 2 benchmark, which tests the speed of a variety of avant-garde spider web technologies. Chrome isn't the about frugal browser in terms of RAM, compared with other browsers, merely some of that is for speeding upwardly operation by preloading content.

1 benefit of using Chrome is that you won't have to dismiss those messages urging you to switch to Chrome every fourth dimension you lot visit Google News, Gmail, YouTube, and and then on. Google is constantly working on security and feature enhancements, just, as with all software, bugs happen, so make sure you stay updated. The latest update, version 100, has caused problems on some websites simply because of the three-digit version number.

Chrome can no longer boast any unique browsing features: At that place's no born VPN, no fancy tab system tools, no cryptocurrency locker, no reading way, no Share button, and no screenshot tool. The lack of a reading mode makes sense for a company that earns its go along through web ads, since reading modes hide the ads. That's but fine for most web consumers, obviously.

Google controversially announced that information technology would be removing the API function that allowed advert-blocker software to fully block ads. Then it appear a set of open standards intended to enhance privacy on the spider web, chosen Privacy Sandbox, which tries to cater to both advertizement targeting and user privacy. Chrome has a weak congenital-in ad blocking option, if you can observe it buried down in several layers of settings; it only blocks ads that Google considers intrusive, not all ads.

Some Chrome development has centered around security and privacy, notably amidst them is a plan to impale off tracking cookies in favor of Google's own tracking mechanisms. Some worry that this will just result in more consolidation of the visitor'south grip on web advertisements. The browser currently rejects third-party cookies by default.

The mobile version of Chrome is very capable, offer syncing of bookmarks, passwords, and settings. Like the desktop browser, information technology includes phonation input when using Google search. The mobile browser also suggests content that may exist of interest to you based on your browsing history.

Mozilla Firefox Image

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox, an open source project from the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation, has long been a PCMag favorite. The browser has pioneered many web capabilities and the organization that develops it has been a stiff abet for online privacy. Information technology'due south likewise notable for its wealth of bachelor extensions. The unique Multi-Account Containers extension lets you sequester multiple logins to the same site on different tabs. Without it, you'd have to open up a individual browsing window or another browser to sign out of all your web accounts and start a fresh session.

Mozilla'southward browser is in the vanguard of supporting new HTML and CSS capabilities, and the company is working on open up-source AR and spoken language synthesis standards. The organisation now offers a total password management service chosen Lockwise, which tin can generate complex passwords, sync them between devices, and secure everything under a stiff master countersign. That and the system's VPN offering are paid extras.

The mobile Firefox apps offer excellent interfaces, and you can send a webpage tab from any device to any others that are logged into your syncing business relationship. That's right: You can be reading a webpage on your desktop PC, and take it instantly open on your iPhone or vice versa. It'southward a slick and useful feature.

If that's not plenty, Firefox has a Pocket push button in the accost bar, letting you relieve a page for later viewing anywhere with ane click. The Reader View button declutters a webpage loaded with ads, promos, and videos, so you can peruse information technology with no distractions. Finally, the browser is ultra-customizable, letting you lot select and arrange buttons on the toolbar to taste, as well as select from a large number of Theme add together-ons that change window border patterns and colors.

Apple Safari Image

The default Mac and iOS browser is a strong choice, though its interface has some nonstandard elements. Safari was a forerunner in a few areas of browser capability. For instance, it was the first with a Reading fashion, which cleared unnecessary ataxia like ads and video from web articles you lot want to read. That feature debuted in 2010 and has made its way into all other browsers except for Chrome.

More than recently Apple brought up the topic of fingerprinting protection—preventing web trackers from identifying you by your organization specs. Unfortunately, the EFF's Comprehend Your Tracks test site only shows partial protection from trackers in Safari, while several competitors get a result of Potent protection. Other benefits include Apple Pay support and a "Sign in with Apple" characteristic to supervene upon Facebook and Google every bit web business relationship authorizers.

In macOS Monterey, the browser gains an new compact tab bar with floating tabs like Firefox'southward and Tab Groups that live in a convenient sidebar. Information technology also supports Apple'south proprietary Shared with You feature in its proprietary iMessage system. For iCloud+ subscribers, a Individual Relay obscures users' IP address, similarly to a VPN.

If you use an iPhone and a Mac, Safari integration makes a lot of sense, since Apple tree'due south Handoff feature lets you continue your browsing session between devices. Safari trails other browsers on support for emerging HTML features, but we haven't see or heard of any major site incompatibilities with information technology.

Microsoft Edge Image

Microsoft Edge

In that location'southward a new Edge in town. The Microsoft developers in charge of Windows' default web browser got tired of chasing compatibility problems resulting from site developers' merely targeting Chrome for compatibility. They decided instead to switch to using Chrome'southward webpage-rendering code, Chromium, in the Edge browser software. That freed them up to add unique features instead of putting out compatibility fires. Notably, Edge now runs on Apple tree macOS and earlier Windows versions, in addition to the current Windows 11.

Compatibility is there now in spades: Its result from the HTML5Test measure of supported web standards sits at the tiptop alongside Chrome's. (See the table above for the actual scores.) Y'all won't meet the kind of site incompatibilities that users of the previous incarnation of Edge occasionally encountered.

Compatibility isn't the only benefit of the new Edge. As you can meet in the table above, it'southward besides a leader in performance equally well equally thrifty memory and deejay usage. Recently its developers appear Startup Boost technology to reduce the time it takes to open the browser, too as sleeping tabs, to save memory on tabs you're not viewing. Its Efficiency way can extend laptop battery lives.

Initial focuses for the browser had been privacy, a customizable commencement page, and the intriguing Collections feature for web enquiry. For enterprise customers who notwithstanding rely on Internet Explorer to run legacy programs (and nosotrosneverthelessrun into these at places like insurance and doctors' offices), Edge offers an IE Fashion.

Another feature worth highlighting is Immersive Reader mode. Not just does this offer distraction-free web commodity reading, stripping out ads and nonessential middle candy (or middlepoisonous substance, more aptly), but It tin also read webpage text aloud using lifelike Neural Voices. This is really something to try: Information technology reads with sentence intonation, rather than simply discussion-by-word, every bit we've come to await text-to-speech audio.

The Collections feature presents a sidebar onto which you can drag webpages and images, write notes, and and so share the whole assemblage to Excel, OneNote, Pinterest, or Give-and-take. It's a great organization and planning tool. Other interface updates include an choice for tabs on the site rather than across the acme, automatic coupons for shopping sites, and timely themes to dress upward your browser, such as the Ethnic Heritage Month theme.

The browser offers iii preset privacy levels: Basic, Balanced, and Strict. As yous move from the first to the last, you increase privacy only perchance disable site features. The private browsing mode, similar that in all browsers, doesn't save any history from a private session. Similar Firefox, the browser includes some protection against fingerprint tracking, based on block lists.

Mobile versions for Android and iPhone with syncing smooths moving from desktop to mobile, and we notice that password direction works more than reliably than in near other browsers, though it'southward withal a practiced thought to use a divide password management utility such as LastPass.

Opera Image

Opera

Perennially hovering around the 2% usage level, the Opera browser has long been a pioneer in the segment, inventing basic innovations like tabs, CSS, and the built-in search box. Opera can make a bigger privacy claim than any other browser—if you're a laic in VPNs. Information technology includes a born VPN (actually an encrypted proxy server) that protects and reroutes traffic from Opera.

Opera uses the Chromium page-rendering engine, and so you'll rarely run into site incompatibilities, and operation is fast, which has long been ane of the browser's hallmarks.

Beyond the VPN, another unique characteristic in Opera is its congenital-in ad blocker, which also blocks crypto-mining scripts and trackers. Note that Opera added crypto-mining protection more than than a twelvemonth before Firefox did. (Google is still mulling adding like protection to Chrome.) Advertizement blocking likewise ways less data consumed, especially of involvement for those using metered connections or mobile plans with information caps.

More than unique features in Opera include its Speed Punch first and new-tab folio, its quick-access sidebar of often needed services like WhatsApp or Spotify. A video pop-out window, a Pinboard feature similar to Edge'south Collections, and a Workspaces feature that lets you create office-based tab views. The browser uniquely offers a cryptocurrency wallet, which supports Bitcoin and Tron.

Opera offers a gaming version called Opera GX, and the company recently bought a gaming engine, moving into that specialty even further.

On mobile, Opera Affect is a beautifully designed app that connects (via quick QR browse) to your desktop. My Flow is the result of this connection, letting you send webpages and notes between devices easily.

Alternative Spider web Browsers

If you want to get beyond the mainstream for your spider web browser option, these options includes ultra-privacy and ultra-customizability. For more, read our appraisals of 7 culling spider web browsers.