Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox: strengths and weaknesses of the most used browsers

Automatically, millions of people around the globe turn on their computer and click on the browser icon, without considering for a moment whether the software that is about to expand on their screen is the most appropriate to fulfill your daily exploration.

To have a complete overview of the three most popular browsers on PC -Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox- which is the fastest, the one that consumes the least resources and the one that offers the greatest security. Also, the alternatives that are on the rise.

These softwares are not a model of perfection and they all have points in their favor and some overcome errors. The experts’ recommendation is to have more than one installed on the machine.

The current software giantsLike Google and Microsoft, they adopted Chromium as their core of exploration. It is an open source project that anyone interested can access or contribute to its development.

Behind this advance is Google, who established that it be an open project in which others contribute their improvements and use it, although it is also who determines the course to follow and the standards that are implemented.

For years the battle of the browsers ceased to be a dispute between parties, since Chrome is the undisputed leader in this segment. According to the latest measurements by W3Counter Chrome, with its different versions, it has a 65.3% market share. While Edge reaches 5.5%, leaving behind Firefox with 4.4%.

But just because the largest number of users choose it does not necessarily mean that it is second to none in everything it does or that it is free from flaws. Next, the best that each one has and what still needs to be done.

Google Chrome

In favor. Speed ​​is one of the main attributes, something that is achieved by preloading the most frequent visit page. The address bar works in conjunction with the search engine selected in settings, speeding up your entry.

It is also very stable, since it rarely collapses. This is because it separates the different processes (tabs, plug-ins, searches) so that if one fails, the rest can continue operating.

It achieves broad integration with Google services and applications, such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps or Calendar.

Against. It consumes a large amount of system resources. The minimum amount of RAM for proper operation is 2GB. It is not recommended for very old computers.

As it is not open source, many consider that it has something to hide or that it is misusing the data it collects.

Microsoft Edge

In favor. In addition to working with an open source engine such as Chromium, the browser is no longer anchored to Windows as an operating system and becomes dependent on Windows Update.

The browser is not intrusive, the pages open quickly and load in a couple of seconds. It comes with a built-in PDF reader that works wonders.

In addition to its own extensions, it is compatible with those already available in Google’s Chrome.

Against. It is only available to owners of the latest version of the Windows operating system.

Firefox

In favor. The free and open source nature of the browser is the main reason for the high adoption rates.

Unlike its competitors, it cares about data security. It natively provides protection against trackers and also against crypto miners. Alert if personal data leaked (Firefox Monitor), password manager.

Integrated services and free tools: blockers, screen capturer, Pocket, sending links between devices, temporary email accounts (Relay), independent download manager.

Against. It doesn’t work well on all platforms, especially on mobile devices. It cannot correctly process all web pages.

Its method of controlling bookmarks is confusing and unstable. Other key aspects are the native security that the program provides and the amount of resources it needs to run.

Comparative

Play it safe. NSS Labs, a firm specializing in technological product testing, subjected the three browsers to a test to open different social engineering malware and check which is the one that best responds to an attack.

Curiously, Microsoft Edge took 1st place by blocking 99% of malware. While Google Chrome contained only 85.8% of the pages. While Mozilla Firefox prevented 78.3%.

Devourer of resources. For this experiment, all extensions were disabled and the cache was cleared, a feature that allows web pages to load faster.

In this sense, Microsoft Edge consumes 319 MB of RAM, followed by Chrome with 440 MB and much higher up appears Firefox, with 542 MB, which is also the least efficient.

The new promises

One of the best positioned is Brave, which being based on Chromium is compatible with the vast majority of Chrome extensions. It includes an ad blocker so it is not necessary to download any extension.

On this ladder of ascent, Vivaldi starts to gain rungs as it enables unique levels of customization, prevents websites from crawling for private surfing, and comes with a very streamlined screenshot system.

With the same skin as Firefox, Tor It is reputed to be invulnerable as it is designed to offer extreme security. One of its main innovations is the Tor network, a system of voluntary VPNs that keep the anonymity of its users safe.

SL