Related: Our favorite Google Chrome extensions and Firefox add-ons
Installation, updates, and compatibility
Installation across the five browsers is inherently the same. Users can download them from their respective websites if they aren’t built into your operating system already (i.e. Safari comes preinstalled on Mac OS X and IE 11 on Windows 8), and each will typically download in under 30 seconds depending on your Internet connection. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer will force you to fully reboot your machine, likely due to the increased hardware acceleration and several updated features. The rest of our lineup doesn’t require a reboot, only a quick browser closure.Below is a list of browser compatibility.
Google Chrome: Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux
Mozilla Firefox : Windows, Mac OS X , and Linux
Internet Explorer (32 and 64-bit): Windows
Safari: Mac OS X
Opera: Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux
When it comes to updates, Opera, Firefox, and Chrome have the advantage. They install silently, quickly, and transparently download updates in the background and automatically apply the new software when you relaunch the programs. What’s more, the third-party browsers update most frequently, every few weeks, so any major problems are likely to be fixed quicker than with IE and Safari. Users can also manually install updates on Firefox if they would like to have greater control over the browser or prefer to use an older version for whatever reason. Keep in mind that turning off automatic updates is more likely to put your computer at risk, though, since each browser is continuously adding security fixes and other key stability updates.
Design and ease of use
If I didn’t know better, I’d say that the current trend in browser design is for the browser to disappear entirely. IE, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome all attempt to be as minimal as possible, offering next to no actual text and small, monochromatic buttons that discretely blend with the aesthetic design of operating systems like Windows 8 and Mac OS X. Overall, all five browsers appear to achieve their goals fairly well. Below we compare and contrast browser design.
Chrome 38
Google Chrome offers
a lean address bar configuration, stripping everything down into a
simple tab layout and address bar configuration that also doubles as a
search bar Google calls the “Omnibox.” Like most browsers, the window
can get incredibly cramped with 15+ tabs open, but it still does a
fantastic job of delivering content whether you have the browser fully
expanded or slightly minimized for the sake of space. Adjacent to the
omnibox is Chrome’s simple standard navigational features (i.e. back,
forward, refresh, home) by default, but you can easily slim down the
window by customizing the toolbar and deleting any buttons you deem
invaluable. Chrome’s single-click bookmarking method, done by simply
clicking the star located on the right side of the address bar, also
makes bookmarking your favorite webpages a breeze and hassle-free
experience.
Related: Our favorite Google Chrome themes

Mozilla Firefox 33

Internet Explorer 11
Related: How to delete IE and how to run IE on Mac OS X

Safari 8

Opera 25
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Benchmark Tests Compared
Most of the browsers are compatible with Web standards and handle speed with relative ease. A casual user probably won’t notice a difference in the Web page rendering speed between browsers. All five browsers are much faster and leaner than the browsers of a few years ago and become even more so with each new build. Below are our benchmark results for the five browsers, bold text indicates the winner for each category.| Browser |
Acid3
| Sunspider | Kraken JavaScript | Octane 2.0 | HTML5 Compliance |
| Chrome 35 | 100 | 195.1 ms | 1366.7 ms | 25863 | 508/555 |
| Internet Explorer 11 | 100 | 95.6 ms | 2171.2 ms | 14775 | 372/555 |
| Mozilla Firefox 30 | 100 | 178.4 ms | 1254.0 ms | 24207 | 471/555 |
| Safari 8 | 100 | 294.2 ms | 3384.0 ms | 10616 | 425/555 |
| Opera 22 | 100 | 194.8 ms | 1423.4 ms | 25882 | 504/555 |
Extras
Features are what truly separate one browser from the next given that speed and compatibility are no longer really an issue. That being said, each browser does have its own slate of differentiating features, from expansive app stores and add-ons to various extensions and tools, that makes it shine in its own light.
Chrome
differentiates itself through its constant updates, but also through
its extensive Web Apps Store, which offers apps that blur the line
between Web and local apps in some unique ways. Much of this philosophy
comes from Chrome OS, Google’s desktop operating system based on the
Chrome browser. Still, we like the idea and Chrome remains the most
integrated software for accessing anything Google related (i.e. Gmail,
Google Drive). If Web apps and seamless dashboard features are important
to you, check out what Google has to offer.Check out the mobile versions for Android and iOS devices while you’re at it.
Like
Chrome, Firefox is on a six-week update schedule, and sports a strong
catalog of extensions. Developers will have to retool many of these to
support Firefox 33, but some user refuse to leave Firefox solely because
it offers unique extensions that have become essential to their
browsing experience. Most other browsers support add-ons, but Firefox
may have a lead in mindshare here (for now). The built-in PDF viewer is
incredibly handy, as is the browser’s support for Macbook Retina
displays and grouped tabs, and Firefox remains the most customizable in
terms of interface and display out of the five on our list.Currently, Firefox only offers a mobile version of its browser for Android devices.
Safari’s mobile version comes preinstalled on iOS devices.
IE11
sports heavy integration and optimization for Windows 7 and 8. Many
functions, like turning tabs into new windows, are much easier with
Microsoft’s new browser. It retains some of the unique features
introduced in IE10, like individual tab previewing from the task bar and
a new feature called site pinning, which lets you ‘pin’ a website to
the Windows 8 task bar like you would a normal application. However,
unlike an ordinary taskbar shortcut, pinned websites can offer
customized “right click” menus. For example, pinning the Facebook
toolbar will let you right click and auto browse to different sections
of the Facebook site like News, Messages, Events and Friends. In
addition, when you open a pinned site, the IE11 browser customizes
itself to resemble the site you’re viewing. Currently, this only means
the icon in the upper-left corner will change along with the colors for
the back and forward buttons, but we like the idea.IE’s mobile version comes preinstalled on Windows devices.
Creating
a browser that can compete with the browser giants is an an uphill
battle for Opera. Though, the decision to embed Chromium has proven to
pay dividends for the Scandinavian company. Opera’s add-ons library
utilizes Chrome’s major apps, including mail and pocket. Thankfully,
Opera doesn’t attempt to beat Google at its own game. Sure, the
extensive Web-app store offers a variety of mostly-free apps, but
Opera’s extensions are centered around the browser’s signature tool, Speed Dial — a touchscreen-optimized homepage. Each extension can be tacked to Opera’s Speed Dial
homepage. The simplicity of having your Gmail account stored next to a
dependable news aggregatior on your homepage is hard to pass up.Opera offers mobile versions for Android, iOS, and Windows devices.
Security and Privacy
The most valuable tool for secure browsing is user discretion. Sure, every browser has encountered security broaches in the past. And Internet Explorer and Chrome’s reputation for protecting users’ security and privacy credentials is spotty at best. Chrome, Safari, and Firefox rely on Google’s Safe Browsing API to detect potentially dangerous sites. Thanks to constant updates, Mozilla, Chrome and Opera all make constant security updates. But Chrome takes security a bit further by also scanning for potentially harmful downloads. There’s also encryption ad-ons currently in the works at Google. All browsers offer a privacy session option. Private sessions prevent the storage of history, temporary Internet files, and cookies. For example, Internet Explorer 11 features a security measure called Tracking Protection. Only Internet Explorer goes so far as to to block trackers completely from communicating with your browser. What’s more, according to a 2013 NSS study, only Internet Explorer blocks trackers used on more than 90 percent of potentially hazardous sites.Related: How to stop Facebook from using your browser history
Popularity
According to the latest numbers from StatCounter,
Chrome was the top browser for October 2014, garnering more than 45
percent of the global browser market share and steadily solidifying its
spot as top dog. IE and Firefox continue to be popular, holding roughly
20 and 18 percent, respectively, but seem to be leveling out as the IE
hype tapers off. Safari and Opera round off the top five, fixed at
around 10 percent and 1 percent, respectively. On the mobile side,
Chrome wins out but Opera’s touch-screen optimized browser holds an
impressive mobile browser market share (12%). Another recent study shows different results, with Internet Explorer holding a firm grasp on the top spot.Related: IE, Firefox, and Safari all have fewer desktop users, but Chrome gained some
Which browser is best?
Good question. For now, Chrome is the best browser on the market. Google’s proprietary browser boasts the largest and most useful selection of apps and extensions, along with a frequent update schedule. Other browsers, however, are upping their game. Opera and Firefox now offer a similar update frequency and IE 11 out-performs Chrome on Sunspider’s benchmark standards. The bottom line is this, we’re in an era where the most minimal and modular browser reigns supreme. Chrome remains the most nimble and most app-ready browsing experience. IE, Firefox, and Opera have narrowed their lead significantly, each offering new features to better accommodate the needs of some users.Update November 25, 2014 by Joe Donovan: Updated article to reflect the most recent versions of each browser as well as an instructional video. Staff Writer Brandon Widder contributed to this article.
This article was originally published on March 31, 2013.




