Picking a browser in 2020 can be a daunting task, considering just how many people default to Google Chrome. But is it as good as we think, or are there better alternatives out there?
Different browsers do things differently. In this article, we will compare the three most popular browsers out there, namely Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox.
We will be comparing these browsers over three main parameters: Security and Privacy, Design and ease of use, and lastly, we’ll run some benchmarks to compare performance.
You can watch the video below in English and Hindi or continue reading the article.
Also read: Google Chrome vs Firefox vs Samsung Internet: Which browser is best for Android?
Security and Privacy
When picking a browser, anyone’s first parameter should be the security and privacy features. Don’t be surprised when I say the most popular browser out there, Chrome, is the most secure, but what about your privacy?
If you’ve been using Chrome, you can say goodbye to your privacy, as it’s the worst compared to Firefox and Edge. Google is notorious for tracking your online activities and selling that information to advertisers who, in turn, serve you personalised ads.
Firefox fares better. Firefox Private Browsing automatically erases your online info like passwords, cookies and history from your computer, ensuring you leave as few traces as possible. It also has tracking protection to block sites with ads trackers automatically.
The company relies heavily on its community and its bug bounty program to actively find and fix loopholes in its browser. This is the reason why a lot of security professionals uses Firefox.
Lastly, there’s Edge. While Internet Explorer has had the worst record regarding data breaches and security flaws, Microsoft seems to be headed in the right direction here. There’s SmartScreen to protect users against phishing attempts and Windows Hello to authenticate users and websites without a hassle.
Edge prevents unauthorised access to your browsing data. It also gives you more visibility into how your browsing data is collected and used so you can make informed decisions and control over how you are tracked online.
Also read: 10 Firefox Add-ons for increased privacy and a better browsing experience
Design and Features
Chrome stands the undisputed winner here, with Edge a very close second.
The convenience Chrome offers how it works and integrates with Google’s services, some of which you must be using, elevates user experience by a lot.
Google has been in the browser game for quite a lot of time now and knows what the people running its browser want, and that’s exactly what it presents to them.
There’s a marketplace bustling with themes, apps, extensions and even games available for Chrome. It’s a lot more than a browser; it’s moving towards becoming an entire ecosystem. However, Chrome still is quite the memory hog for browsers, and that’s an issue.
Aforementioned, Edge is a close second. It’s built on the Chromium engine, which means that everything that works on Chrome will work on Edge, including the apps and, in some cases, even the themes.
Syncing between the two browsers is also extremely convenient.
Everything Google plus the bits that Microsoft added makes it a formidable experience. There is support for streaming Netflix in 4k; you can customise the browser to your heart’s content, use the inbuilt reading mode or keep an eye out for leaked passwords using Windows Defender SmartScreen.
Firefox is simply a browser. It gets the job done, has everything you’d expect from a browser, is easy to use and has good performance as it claims to use less RAM than Chrome.
It has an Ad Tracker Blocker, an in-built password manager, a healthy selection of extensions and a better private browsing experience. You can also sync tabs between devices and customise the browser to your liking.
Also read: Top 10 FPS games for browsers
Performance
Specifically, we ran these tests to measure a browser’s graphics capabilities, as a lot of other things that a browser does often depend on the internet speed and even the computer it’s run on.
Chrome and Edge run on the same engine, which means their scores should be pretty similar in theory. However, their benchmarks tell a different story.
In our tests, Edge beat Chrome by quite the margin. The scores were 103.07 and 50.26, respectively.
Firefox, on the other hand, had an average score of 46.29. All the tests were run using MotionMark1.1 from Browserbench.
So which one should you pick?
We suggest going with Edge, especially if you’re using Windows. ‘
Edge is by far a better browser and becoming better every day. Sure, Google Chrome is convenient and remembers all your passwords; it also sells your data.
If you’re stoked about privacy, Firefox remains an alternative to Edge. However, the latter gives a lot more features.
Also read: What is the About:Blank page? Why is it on your browser?
