Choosing a secure and reliable web browser is often a difficult task. The hot topic is usually Chrome vs Firefox, however there is a host of popular browsers that you could use including Microsoft Edge, Opera, Firefox, and Chrome. In this article, we look specifically at Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
Chrome and Firefox are two of the most popular web browsers available. They both have a large customer base and have an excellent array of features for web surfing. To properly discuss Chrome vs. Firefox, we analyse several different features including usability, performance, security, and privacy.
Firefox vs Chrome: Basic Information
Information | Google Chrome | Mozilla Firefox |
First Released | 2008 | 2002 |
Owned By | Google LLC | Mozilla Corporation |
Available On | Mac OS, Windows, Android, iOS | Mac OS, Windows, Android, iOS |
Installer Size | 30.3MB | 350 KB |
The above table shows some basic information about these two Internet browsers. As you can see, Firefox is the older web browser, being release 6 years before Chrome. It is not the oldest, however – the original Internet Explorer browser from Microsoft was first released in 1995. Market junkie.
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Both web browsers are relatively small and will not take up much space on your devices. In addition, you can use both Internet browsers on different devices including computers, smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
Firefox or Chrome: Features
Basic features and utility of the browser are important. Can you install plugins and extensions? How much customization can you apply? What about capture features and mobile compatibility?
So this is how you could pin websites via Chrome to the taskbar. Let’s check out the steps to do so via Edge followed by Firefox. Moreover, don’t forget to go through our guide on how to recover the deleted bookmark in Google Chrome. Using Edge (Chromium Build) Launch the Microsoft Edge Chromium browser and open your preferred site. Almost needless to say, versions of both Firefox and Chrome are available for the most popular desktop and mobile operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS). Both Chrome and Firefox also allow you to sync things like passwords, bookmarks, and open tabs across all your devices. Run Firefox on ChromeOS Firefox can now be installed on Chromebooks and other devices running ChromeOS. This article will explain the system requirements needed in order to run Firefox on ChromeOS and how to set this up. How to run Firefox on ChromeOS.
Chrome browser
Google has gone to town on the features of Chrome to make it the best browser. It has the most extensive plugin/extension library of any Internet browser. Also, the plugins integrate well with Google’s other services. There isn’t much scope for customization of Google Chrome, but it does have a PDF reader and an automatic translation feature.
Mozilla Firefox web browser
This browser has an extensive plugin library too although it is not as large as Google Chrome’s. You can find a myriad of different plugins to improve the utility of the browser. Also, Firefox has a capture feature for screenshots and a reading mode that is perfect for reading large pages of text.
Chrome or Firefox: Usability
Usability relates to the style and design of the web browser. It looks at features like tab management, navigation, and settings management.
Chrome browser
Google has created a highly usable Internet browser that most people are familiar with. It has a decent tab management system, although it does not have scrolling tabs like Firefox. As you open more tabs, they simply shrink is size – this can sometimes be difficult to use. It does, however, have great mobile usability.
Mozilla Firefox browser
This web browser is generally fantastic to use. It has an excellent design, particularly excelling at tab management. You can easily open new tabs, change their positioning, and even pin and mute tabs. The settings tab is also easy to operate and you can customize the browser without too much effort.
Google Chrome vs Firefox: Performance
Performance has a direct impact on our enjoyment when browsing the web. We want to use a web browser that encourages quick loading times. But it should also enable you to open new tabs quickly and use its various features without lag.
Google Chrome
This browser performs well on both mobile and desktop devices. However, it does have a relatively high RAM usage rate. It can sometimes be a little sluggish, especially when using multiple tabs. Also, there is no support for data-saving, and mobile devices with minimal processing power may struggle.
Mozilla Firefox
Like Chrome, Firefox is also pretty resource-hungry. It eats RAM on both desktop and mobile devices. However, like Chrome, it also is incredibly fast and performs well. There is not much to choose between these two fastest browsers in terms of raw performance. Firefox does have a slight mobile advantage as you can disable images to improve loading times.
Firefox vs Chrome: Security
When surfing the web, you want to be secure. This can be achieved in part by using high-quality antivirus software. However, the web browser you choose is also important. Both Chrome and Firefox browsers have various security features to protect you when accessing the Internet.
Chrome
You can use Chrome’s native pop-up blocker which is highly effective. Also, you can access a range of quality ad-blockers via the Chrome extension library. Moreover, Chrome has various useful security features like warning messages if you are trying to access a malicious site. It also uses Google Safe Browsing.
Firefox
This Internet browser has an automatic pop-up blocker – something highly useful for web browsing. However, it does not have an ad-blocker installed as default. You can easily install an ad-blocker from the plugin library, however. Firefox also benefits from Google’s safe browsing database which keeps a record of malicious sites and content.
Chrome vs Firefox: Privacy
Privacy is hugely important when using a web browser. You are opening yourself to a myriad of external connections. Also, you are often placing your personal data on the internet for others to potentially see. You must, therefore, consider privacy and look at what each browser has to offer.
Google Chrome browser
Google is well-known for having less-than-reputable privacy policies. As a company, Google actively collects user information. You would be startled to know just how much this corporation knows about you.
Chrome, unfortunately, suffers from this same trait. You can limit the amount of data collected, but it is difficult to delete information and truly protect your privacy. If you value your privacy, you may want to consider using Mozilla Firefox, or even other browsers that put privacy first like DuckDuckGo.
Mozilla Firefox browser
Mozilla is a non-profit organization. This means they do not rely on ad revenue and collecting customer data. As a result, Firefox has excellent privacy and it’s one of the best browsers privacy-wise. This is one of the browser’s major features. It has an extensive privacy policy detailing exactly how any personal data collected is used.
Also, it has various features allowing you to block different tracking tools. For example, you can block cookies, finger printers, crypto miners, and more.
Chrome vs. Firefox: Final thoughts
If you’re looking for the best browser with tons of plugins for each and any purpose, synchronization with Google account and your computer is powerful enough to support CPU consuming Chrome then go with the browser by Google.
If you need the fastest browser with better security and privacy options that is not resource hungry then stick with Mozilla Firefox browser.
We hope you have found this article useful. You should now have a clear idea of what each browser has to offer and who’s the winner in the Chrome vs Firefox battle. The reality is that both web browsers are highly usable. Your choice may come down to personal preference, and what features are most important for you in an Internet browser. Don’t forget to install the best antivirus software to keep your computer safe while browsing.
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In 2008, Google introduced Chrome, and its impact as an innovation in browser technology was immediate. It was faster for loading sites, took up minimal screen space and offered an undeniably simple user interface.
Fast-forward to today, the competitive landscape for browsers has changed, with many people beginning to question just what is happening to their online data such as browsing history, passwords, and other sensitive information. A lot has changed since 2008 when Chrome came onto the scene. At Firefox, we’ve been heads down, working to redesign our interface and provide users with an ever growing number of privacy and performance enhancements that are automatic by default as well as plenty of handy browser tools.
And so here we are, the browser-wars are escalating once again and it’s time to reevaluate and compare Firefox Browser vs Google Chrome.
Security and Privacy |
---|
Private Browsing mode |
Blocks third-party tracking cookies by default |
Blocks cryptomining scripts |
Blocks social trackers |
At Firefox, we have a huge number of dedicated users who appreciate our steadfast dedication to online privacy. For example, the latest version of Firefox includes a feature called Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) which is turned on by default for all users worldwide. ETP blocks over 2,000 trackers, including social trackers from companies like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It also has an integrated feature called Firefox Monitor that automatically notifies you if your password has been breached or needs to be updated. In addition to these protections, Private Browsing mode in Firefox automatically deletes your browsing information such as history and cookies, leaving no trace after you finish your session.
We’ve also recently restated our commitment to privacy and transparency regarding user data in our most recent Privacy Notice that states, “At Mozilla, we believe that privacy is fundamental to a healthy internet.”
Google Chrome is by all accounts a secure browser, with features like Google Safe Browsing, which helps protect users by displaying an impossible-to-miss warning when they attempt to navigate to dangerous sites or download dangerous files.
In fact, both Chrome and Firefox have rigorous security in place. Both include a thing called “sandboxing” which separates the processes of the browser so something like a harmful website doesn’t infect other parts of your laptop or other device.
While Chrome proves to be a safe web browser, its privacy record is questionable. Google actually collects a disturbingly large amount of data from its users including location, search history and site visits. Google makes its case for data collection saying it’s doing it to improve its services – like helping you find a sweater or a coffee shop like the one you previously bought or visited. However, others might disagree, making the point that Google is actually gathering an unprecedented amount of data for its own marketing purposes. They tout that they’re keeping your information private from hackers, but that’s beside the point. Google itself runs the world’s largest advertising network, thanks in large part to data they harvest from their users.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether or not or where to draw the line with sharing things like your search history and shopping history. But if you’re anything like most people, you’ve probably searched for some things on the internet that you would rather keep private.
Utility
Utility |
---|
Autoplay blocking |
Tab browsing |
Bookmark manager |
Automatically fills out forms |
Search engine options |
Text to speech |
Reader mode |
Spell checking |
Web extensions/Add-ons |
In-browser screenshot tool |
In terms of features, both Firefox and Chrome offer a large library of extensions and plug-ins, with Chrome’s catalog vastly outnumbering any other browser while nicely integrating with other Google services, like Gmail and Google Docs.
Although not as extensive as Chrome’s add-on library, Firefox, as open-source software with a huge number of active contributors, also features an incredible number of useful extensions.
Firefox also has a sync feature to see your open and recent tabs, browsing history, and bookmarks across all your devices.
Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs. Locate the Spotify prefs file: /Library/Application Support/Spotify/prefs. Open the file in your favorite text editor. Add another line and put a value in megabytes right after the equals sign. Relaunch Spotify. You will see your cache has shrunk to. Listen to Osx on Spotify. Artist null monthly listeners. Our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. Using OSX log system I can listen to Spotify events. Read the events and check if an Ad is about to be played. If the event is an Ad about to be played automatically turn down the volume way down (if we mute it Spotify will detect it and stop working properly after a while). If the next event is a song, restore volume. Spotify Download Spotify. Mac OS X (Current 10.10 10.9 10.7-8)Windows (Current Vista)iOS; Android (Google Play Amazon)Spotify for other platforms.
While Chrome gets the nod with add-ons and extensions, Firefox has a nicely curated set of built-in features, such as the incredibly handy screen capture tool, and reading mode feature which strips away everything from the page except the text from the article you’re reading.
If having tons of open tabs is your thing, then it really comes down to your UI preference. Firefox features a horizontal scroll on all your open tabs rather than shrinking them smaller and smaller with each new one. Google Chrome prefers to shrink them down so just the favicon is visible. The only problem with this is when you have multiple tabs open from the same website, so you see the same favicon across your tabs.
As for customization, our fans will tell you one of the things they love most about our browser is its ability to allow you to move and arrange a majority of the UI elements to best suit your needs. Chrome allows you to hide certain UI elements but there’s not much allowance, if any, for moving things around based on your preferences. However, it should be noted that both Chrome and Firefox make it pretty easy to change your browser’s appearance and theme.
Download Firefox Browser
Portability |
---|
OS availability |
Mobile OS availability |
Syncs with mobile |
Password management |
Primary password |
Almost needless to say, versions of both Firefox and Chrome are available for the most popular desktop and mobile operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS).
Both Chrome and Firefox also allow you to sync things like passwords, bookmarks, and open tabs across all your devices. Firefox though has the added security of a primary password that keeps all the saved logins and passwords under an additional set of lock and key. If you have a Firefox account, you can manually send an open tab on your desktop to your mobile device or vice versa. With Chrome, it’s done automatically if you’ve chosen that setting in your preferences. Not having to manually send the tab from one device to the other is convenient when you want to do something like continue reading an article you didn’t finish earlier. But there could be times where automatic syncing might not be ideal if there’s a chance multiple users are browsing while signed in to your Google account.
Overall Assessment
Web Browsers For Chrome Os
We think it’s fair to say Firefox and Chrome are really neck and neck in terms of portability and utility, with Chrome having a slight edge in utility because of its huge library of extensions and add-on features. But in terms of Privacy, Firefox wins the day with our commitment to preserving our users’ online data and providing free baked-in services like password managers that also alert you if there happens to be a data breach involving your credentials.
For practical purposes, there’s obviously really nothing preventing you from using both browsers—Firefox for those moments in life when privacy really matters, and Chrome if you’re still invested in the Google ecosystem. Yet with the growing number of incursions into our personal data, Firefox may prove to be the right choice in the long run for those of us who value protecting our personal privacy online.
The comparisons made here were done so with default settings and across browser release versions as follows:
Firefox (81) | Chrome (85)
This page is updated semi-quarterly to reflect latest versioning and may not always reflect latest updates.