Choosing a browser is hard. Especially when you consider how radically each one of them has progressed in the last year. Google Chrome, thanks to its indomitable ascendency, is now establishing its own standards for how websites should behave. Mozilla Firefox has rolled out a hefty update which is gradually reinvigorating its lost position in the market. Even Opera has come a long way and is one of the most competent browsers you can download today. And not to mention, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Edge and Apple’s Safari browsers.
So, among these, which one should you use? Even I, as of late, have been constantly switching back and forth between these platforms, only to find out that none of them are perfect. All of them have their own sets of drawbacks and cornerstones. But there are a few definite qualities these browsers tend to project and in this article, we try to compile all of them and help you decide which one works best for your needs.
For Underpowered Computers and Casual Users — Microsoft Edge / Safari
If your desktop is running out of space, your best bet to not make it any worse is to employ the default browser — Microsoft Edge in the case of Windows and Safari on Mac. And I’m not suggesting these merely due to their lightweight nature. Edge and Safari are proficient enough to handle almost everything you throw at them. Both of them have improved a lot in the past year and can even outpace other advanced browsers in a lot of scenarios which is why they are great for casual users as well. However, if you’re looking for a bit more customization, extensions, and power, read on.
Also Read: Living with Microsoft Edge [Tech Xperiment]
For the Busy Bees — Google Chrome
Google’s decade-old Chrome is arguably still the most reliable and sophisticated browser out there. The company has even managed to mend most of its performance shortcomings such as the inconsistent memory hogging habits and occasional crashes. If Safari or Edge couldn’t keep up with your pace, Google Chrome is where you should decamp to. It comes with an endless number of features and won’t bail on you when you try to switch between tens of tabs. And you can always install an extension from Google’s diverse web store if there’s a particular feature missing.
For People Who are in Search for Something Fresh — Mozilla Firefox
Even though Mozilla’s Firefox is significantly older than Google Chrome, its current version is a much more modern and fresh take on browsers. The new update brings a series of under-the-hood advancements and a design that is as pragmatic as it is snazzy. Apart from a few performance bugs about which you can read about in our full review, Mozilla Firefox Quantum is certainly worth a consideration for users who are either bored with their current browsers or in search for something new.
For the Ones Looking for ALL the Features — Opera
Alright, since you’ve made it so far, it essentially means you don’t fit in any of the aforementioned categories and still hunting for your next browsing platform. Hence, I present to you — Opera. You’ve probably about it before but never bothered to check because of its rather underrated public image. But I think it’s time you should.
The developers have been aggressively rolling out updates which have loaded the browser to the brim with features such as an inbuilt VPN, integration for messaging services and more. And the majority of these are practical and don’t adversely affect its ability to browse the web. Another detail which will come as a surprise to most of you is that Opera is compatible with Chrome extensions, hence you won’t find it lacking in any way.
Therefore, if you haven’t already, you should give Opera a try and in case you have any questions, I suggest contacting our editor-in-chief who has been a satisfied Opera user for over a year (thanks to me).
For Android Users — Samsung Internet Browser
It’s been more than a year since smartphones overtook desktops in web traffic source charts. Hence, your browser choices are even more critical here. The decision is especially more puzzling on Android considering the gazillion options on the Play Store. The answer, fortunately, is not that complicated and might even be a little shocking if you missed one of our previous stories. Samsung develops the best Android browser right now. It’s called the “Internet Browser” but that’s where the blandness ends.
The Samsung Internet Browser is a relatively better app in a lot of ways. Most importantly, its swift ability to load any kind of web page out there. The lead is even more apparent when you start scrolling articles and realize how abysmal the experience is on the rest. Accentuating this is a range of supplementary features like a night mode and video assistant. You can read further about Samsung Internet Browser here.
Download Samsung Internet Browser
For iOS Users — Safari
The equation is a lot more straightforward in the case of iOS. Safari is still the best browser for your iPhone or iPad. It renders web pages noticeably quicker and integrates much more coherently with the operating system. Although if you’re interested in accessing your tabs, history from a Windows PC, you can install Google Chrome.
That was it for this article. We hope you are in a better position to understand which browser to go for now. In case we missed a good one or you have any doubts, let us know in the comments section down below.