Chrome or Firefox: which browser is better to choose?

Have you ever wondered which web browser offers better security and is more useful: the popular Chrome or Firefox? Check it out.

We often use a particular browser because of habit. But what if we were to analyze their capabilities a bit? Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, created in 2008. Firefox is an open source option, supported by the non-profit organization Mozilla. Firefox was created in 2002.

Chrome

According to Statcounter.com, in January 2019 it was the most used web browser in the world, with 61.72% of Internet users using it. As for Poland, in January 2019 it was used by 26.16% of Internet users on desktop and 33.69% on mobile devices, and by early 2020 it was already more than 70% of users in total.

Firefox

According to the data StatCounter in March 2020, Firefox’s market share is 9.25%. Among mobile users, this browser is used by only 0.41% of users.

Appearance and usability of browsers

A huge advantage of Chrome is its speed, ease of use and default options. The browser has overtaken Internet Explorer and Safari. Chrome has all the basic options users expect in 2021: from a simple bookmark toolbar to the ability to open and even group many more tabs before deciding to clear them. Criticism of Chrome is related to the fact that it stores resources and often uses too much RAM. As a result, computer performance is slowed down.

In this respect, Firefox is more usable, even though it doesn’t always show in tests. Tom’s Guide, for example, noted that Firefox actually used more memory during stress tests in early 2021. In general, Firefox is the faster browser. Activities such as opening web pages, scrolling up and down, and opening multiple tabs at once can be done without noticeable slowdown. With Chrome, opening multiple pages at once causes hangs. Firefox has many similar basic features to Chrome, but are more convenient to set up. One of them is the “overflow menu” in the user interface, which is able to accommodate many additional buttons, such as print or full screen, that do not clutter the basic toolbars.

Browser security

Firefox includes enhanced tracking protection, which provides security by default when you install the browser. This blocks things like social media tracking tools that follow your web traffic and make you see social media ads. Firefox also makes it easy to see which tracking elements and cookies are present on any site in an icon right next to the URL.

Chrome allows you to send a “Do Not Track” signal while browsing and allows you to check items such as tracking files and cookies. Chrome is subject to frequent updates.

Firefox is open source software, so it’s hard to insert something here that might go unnoticed by users. Chrome is working on security improvements.

Additional attributes

When it comes to additional elements, Chrome, developed on Google, has a much greater advantage. At the user’s disposal is Gmail as well as Photos, Drive, Sheets, Meet and many other items by Google representatives.

Chrome or Firefox: which one to choose?

In terms of security and usability, Firefox wins as open source software. Firefox loads faster, but for many users in terms of additional attributes, Chrome may be the more common choice.