We all know that you need a browser to view websites. There’s quite a choice now of available web browsers.
Should you use the one that is already installed on your device, or would a different one be better?
You don’t have to pick one, you can install a number of them on the same device and use them as you need.
What are the options?
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Honourable mention only.
This is now out of support from Microsoft and doesn’t work with modern websites.
Recommended to upgrade to one of the other options listed.
Google Chrome
Currently one of the most popular options.
Available for:
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android Phone
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft’s successor to Internet Explorer.
Available for:
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android Phone
Mozilla FireFox
A popular alternative web browser.
Available for:
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android Phone
Apple Safari
Default web browser for all Apple devices.
Note: Not available for Windows.
Available for:
- Mac
- iPad
- iPhone
Download Safari (already installed on Mac)
What’s the difference?
The honest answer is not a lot at first glance.
All of them read and display the page as it was designed with text, formatting and images.
The main difference is behind scenes and is based on
- Compatibility – how it keeps up with the changing web standards
- Speed/Performance – how long it takes to display pages and run sites
- Memory use – how much of your RAM will it use?
- Size – how much space does it take up on your computer (hard drive)
There are also some minor differences, like the names given to the options – favourites, bookmarks etc.
Compatibility
Chrome: highest score (528)
Edge: next highest in the tests (492), but noticeably lower
FireFox: third in the tests (491), only slightly behind Edge
Safari: last in the tests (471), although still a respectable score
Memory
Edge: Best in the test
Chrome: Second best, but over 1Mb more used
FireFox: Third – under 1Gb
Safari: Worst in the tests, using the most space with over 2Gb
Speed (Windows)
Chrome: Fastest in the tests
Edge: Second in the tests
FireFox: Last in the test, but still an acceptable results
Speed (Mac)
Safari: Fastest on the MacOS, not surprising at it was built by Apple for the Mac’s
Chrome: Second in the tests
Edge: Third
FireFox: Last in the test, noticeably slower than the others
Storage (Windows)
Edge: Best on Windows, although not much between the main browsers
FireFox: Second in the test
Chrome: Worst for Windows, however the top 3 are quite close to each other
Storage (Mac)
Safari: Best overall with only 19Mb
Chrome: Second for MacOS
FireFox: Third on the Mac
Edge: The worst, by a lot, for Mac
Choosing from the web browsers?
Windows
The Microsoft browser used to be installed automatically with your operating system (Windows), however they were told off.
Now you have a choice of installing any browser you want – although the new version ‘Edge’ (from Microsoft) is still the first option offered to you.
In the tests Google Chrome came out the top overall, however Microsoft Edge did have the smallest memory requirements.
You can download and install which ever you want.
MacOS
Based on the tests, you should be using Safari, and a lot of people do, as it’s the pre-installed option.
The most popular alternative is FireFox, although it seems Chrome would be a better choice.
But today all of the web browsers can be downloaded and installed on any Apple device.
If you want more information and ideas about other considerations take a look at the source article:
https://uk.pcmag.com/browsers/131976/chrome-edge-firefox-opera-or-safari-which-browser-is-best
Take a look at the Translator page for some explanations around the technology used on the internet.
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