Is Google Chrome faster than the Mozilla Firefox browser?

Question

Anonymous · Answer

This year Firefox is currently faster than Chrome in many if not most systems.  In previous years the reverse was true.  Beware of reviews that compare the speed of browsers without revealing what hardware and software configuration they tested on.  If they didn't test on a variety of platform hardware and software configurations and present the comparative results, then you should take their reviews with a grain of salt.  I get different results among the computers I have at home and on my mobile devices.  My 5 year old Mac Mini has Firefox well ahead of Chrome in speed, but on my 14 year old dual Intel Xeon running Windows 7, Chrome is faster, and yet my 7 year old Windows PC running a 3GHz Pentium 4 has Firefox running 5oo% faster than Chrome in a Sunspider benchmark, while Firefox is only 50% faster in a Peacekeeper benchmark.  The take away is that you need to test your particular target platform/system with several common benchmarking applications, and retest a few times each year.  Last I had Chrome working much faster on most of my machines but this year Firefox is faster.  I prefer to use Firefox for its superior features (UI, customizability, and add-ons) even when it is slower than other browsers---as long as Firefox isn't so slow that it becomes annoying.  Speed is only one factor which should be weighed against other factors in judging your personal assessment of usability.

Mayur Patil (मयूर पाटील) · Answer

I can explain this in two sentences:

* If you want power browsing, go for Mozilla Firefox 
 * If you want faster browsing, go for Google Chrome.
Power Browsing:

1. Lots of customizations

2. Tons and Billions of Addons

3. Excellent Themes

4. Quickly deployable apps

Faster Browsing:

1. Really Lightweight

2. Only cares about Browsing.

3. HTML5 and CSS3 compatible engine

Frankly, none of the browser is great or minor. It depends on situation how do you want to use any of them.

Phil DiNuzzo · Answer

Yes. I've used Chrome on many machines and found that it was the only browser that could function on very slow, old machines, and even has a noticeable speed edge on fast, modern machines. You can also finding testing online that confirms this, such as http://blog.phlanet.com/2010/01/firefox-vs-chrome-for-our-hearts-and-desktops-speed/

Keep in mind that some perceived slowness in Firefox may be due to the many extensions some people install. And both browsers release updates almost constantly, so the balance of power is bound to change over time.

Yeung Shawn · Answer

to some extent, the answer is yes!  If you surf the web, the only need is fast speed, chrome would be your best choice....

but the fact is, what we need is not only the speed .... it seems that we still need more function to make our surfing experience much cooler...
firefox's add-ons, presently, can't be defeated by chrome yet!  
chrome's extentions are still too thin and weak!

In a word, firefox is the most powerful; Chrome is the fastest..

Random Letters · Answer

In some aspects, YES. In fact, I might even say most aspects in some benchmarks. But Gecko isn't that far behind in a lot of them, and excels at web assembly. Most of the places Gecko lags behind are JS performance. But I find Firefox very usable in almost every aspect, although it is a bit rough on macos.

Anonymous · Answer

It all depends upon user’s interest and their customization which they do in their browsers.

Why Mozilla :

1. Tweakable Interface & Settings
2. User-Friendly Features
3. Light on Resource Usage
4. Privacy & Open Source
Why Chrome:

1. Lots of Useful Extensions
2. Polished Interface & Performance
3. Top-Notch Security
4. Cutting Edge of Web Development
Anyone who says one browser is objectively better than the other is naive or dishonest. It really comes down to your computer, what kind of work you do in your browser, and what kind of principles you stand behind.

Source: Chrome vs. Firefox in 2016: Which Browser Is Right For You? [ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/chrome-vs-firefox-in-2016-which-browser-is-right-for-you/ ]

Cheers :)

Aron Sharpe · Answer

Not to the best of my knowledge. Chrome is faster, but Firefox will push harder to complete a given task when chrome will just give up and display an error message.

Anthony Scotti · Answer

For me it's less about the actual browsers and more about the company backing them. I feel that both Google and Mozilla have done amazing things for the web, but Mozilla being a nonprofit I feel that their efforts are more towards the people using the web then to make a profit.

With that being said, I do use both for my work but when it comes to personal browsing I use Firefox nightly build which has always been fast enough for me.

Give it a try, Firefox Nightly Builds [ http://nightly.mozilla.org/ ]

Thomas Moser · Answer

I'm not sure that it does. Any answer to this question would require dozens of pages on the underlying philosoply, architecture and implementation of both browsers and both rendering engines.

Sandeep Vinjarapu · Answer

Chrome is a massively popular web browser that is developed and released by Google, and Chromium is a niche open-source browser that has far fewer users. However, Chrome and Chromium have a lot more similarities than differences. In fact, Chrome uses the same source code as Chromium, just with extra features that Google adds on top.

What is Chromium?

Chromium is an open-source web browser that's developed and maintained by the Chromium Project. Since it's open source, anyone is free to take and modify the source code as the please. However, only trusted members of the Chromium Project development community can actually contribute their own code.

Regular users are able to download a frequently updated version of Chromium, all compiled and ready to use, from Chromium [ http://download-chromium.appspot.com ].

What is Chrome?

Chrome is a proprietary web browser that is developed, maintained, and released by Google. Since it's proprietary, you are free to download and use it, but you can't decompile, reverse engineer, or use the source code to ,build your own project.

Chrome is built on Chromium, which means that Google developers take the open-source Chromium source code and add their own proprietary code. For instance, Chrome has an automatic update feature, is capable of tracking your browsing data, and includes native support for Flash that Chromium lacks.

Chrome is available directly from Google Chrome [ https://www.google.com/chrome/ ]

Differences Between Chromium and Chrome

Since both browsers are built on the same source code, there are two major differences between Chromium and Chrome: Chromium is updated far more frequently, and Google adds in a whole lot of extra stuff that you may or may not want.

Within those two broad categories, here are the seven most important specific examples where Chromium and Chrome are different from each other:

* Chromium updates more frequently - Since Chromium is compiled directly from the Chromium Project source code, it changes constantly. Chrome has several release channels, but even the bleeding edge Canary channel updates less frequently than Chromium. If you want to get your hands on the absolute latest code that the Chromium Project has to offer, you need to use Chromium.
 * Chrome updates automatically - Chromium lacks an automatic update feature. So even though it updates more frequently, you need to update it manually. Since Chrome has an automatic update feature, it is capable of downloading and installing updates on its own. If you ever get too far out of date, it will even let you know.
 * Chrome tracks your web browsing - Chromium doesn't track your information, and Chrome does. If you don't want to provide Google with any information about your browsing habits on the internet, but you like Chrome, then Chromium may be an option.
 * Chrome locks you into the Google Play Store - By default, Chrome on Windows and Mac only lets you install extensions that you download from the Google Play Store [ https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-google-play-1616720 ], while Chromium allows outside extensions. If you want the same freedom in Chrome, you need to enable developer mode.
 * Chrome has native support for Adobe Flash - Flash isn't as widespread as it used to be, but there are still sites that don't work right if you don't have it. Since Flash isn't open source, Chromium doesn't support it natively. So if you want to use Flash in Chromium, and you aren't an expert, you may be in for a headache.
 * Chromium doesn't include closed-source media codecs - Chrome also includes licensed media codecs [ https://www.lifewire.com/what-exactly-is-odec-2483426 ] like AAC, H.264, and MP3 that Chromium doesn't. Without these codecs, media won't play in Chromium. So if you want to stream video on sites like Netflix and YouTube, you need to either use Chrome or install these codecs manually.
Chromium vs. Chrome: Which One Wins?

Since Chromium and Chrome are so similar, and each one has benefits, it's difficult to say which one actually wins in a head to head fight. For most regular users, Chrome is the better choice, but for more advanced users, those who place an especially high value on privacy, and some Linux users, Chromium may be the way to go.

Who Should Use Chrome?

Anyone who wants to download a web browser and have it just work, right out of the box, should use Chrome instead of Chromium. This is especially true if you use either Windows [ https://www.lifewire.com/what-version-of-windows-do-i-have-2624927 ] or Mac [ https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-macos-4144656 ].

Chrome is extremely easy to download and install, doesn't require any configuration, and you can use it to view movies and listen to music on the internet, and even view websites that use Flash, without a lot of extra headaches.

Who Should Use Chromium?

Chromium is a better choice for more advanced users who don't care about getting their hands a little dirty, and anyone who likes Chrome but doesn't want to be tracked by Google. It's also a viable choice for users of some Linux [ https://www.lifewire.com/learn-how-linux-4102755 ] distributions that offer a modified version of Chromium that comes a lot closer to matching Chrome in terms of features.

Kahn Bissau · Answer

In my experience I can’t really tell, Firefox and Chromium perform similarly. I just use Firefox because I prefer the customization and ability to take control of my privacy. Not to mention it’s open source, which Chrome isn’t.

Tomas Pereira · Answer

Both have their own extension stores where developers can create and share their own extra funtionalities to either of them.

Nevertheless, apart from extensions both browsers are quite similar. They both offer syncing between devices, they both have privacy tabs, lighter versions, dark themes, PDF viewers, you name it.

However, Chrome wins with a complete and seamless integration of Google’s set of tools for the average or corporate user, such as Google Suite, Google Drive and Google Maps, while making the act of searching for information (or creating, or sharing it) as natural as possible inside a browser.

Thank you for reading, and an upvote (or follow) is always appreciated! :)

Will Streeter · Answer

2 Separate questions here…

Re: Which is more commonly used, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox?

Based on web statistics, Google Chrome far outpaces Firefox in use. I find this unfortunate, but that part is my opinion.

Re: Which of the two causes less issues, and why?

This all depends on what you call an “issue.” If you are defining an issue with the browser as something which goes wrong while web browsing, then typically Chrome will be better. It seems like a good chunk of web developers today only bother to test against Chrome, and not other browsers or even web-standards.

If, however, you define “issues” to include privacy things, then I would lean towards Firefox. Mozilla’s entire platform is supposed to be built on openness in code and web standards, end-user rights and online privacy in general.

Anonymous · Answer

The Chromium browser is the basis for Google Chrome and Chrome OS. Chrome adds stuff that Chromium can’t use because of third-party licensing, intellectual property or other reasons.

That’s why you see so many Google engineers working in the Chromium Project

Downloading Chromium

The latest Chromium build is where every new Chrome feature makes its début. These builds are "working" in a very loose definition of the word, full of untreated bugs and instabilities.

According to Google, one must be absolutely crazy to use one of these builds.

If, however, you 're feeling wacky, you can visit Download Chromium [ https://download-chromium.appspot.com/ ], where you can find a Chromium just a few hours old, click the “Download Chromium" button to download a compressed zip file.

This is a portable version of the browser, which we can run without a full installation. After extracting the archive, we just run the "Chrome" Application. This will not affect our main Chrome installation in any way. Note that these versions will not update automatically as Chrome does, you have to manually update your browser by downloading and overwriting the installed Chromium browser

Downloading Chrome

You have three versions of Chrome you can download depending on how comfortable you are with potentially buggy code:

* Canary builds are updated daily and contain the latest and greatest code. If you want to test a new feature then this is the version that you want to use
 * Beta builds update once a week and is the best way to test features without getting into bleeding edge territory of Canary builds
 * Chrome Stable is the regular Chrome that most of us use
Which one to use?

Unless you’re hacking the Chromium source code you don’t want to work directly with Chromium.

Regardless of what other answers have indicated the cost of having to potentially do multiple updates per day to make the code work is not worth it (Chromium will not auto-update as Chrome does)

If you install Chromium you won’t have access to multimedia or encrypted video (you won’t be able to play Netflix, Hulu, and similar providers). That might not be a deal breaker but I thought I’d point it out

I have both Chrome Canary and Stable installed side by side. If you’re a developer you can work both in the current code and the future version to decide if you want to deploy the feature.

Working with code that may be half baked and not tested will not help you in deciding if a feature is ready for you to use. Few if any people outside Chromium devs need to use a feature that was updated 5 minutes ago.

As for the tracking… There is no way built into the browser for Google to track you. I think that would have been reported a long, long time ago. Whatever tracking Google properties such as Gmail or Docs do, you can block with Ad Blockers or any other security tool that will stop tracking cookies and beacons.

Adnan Kičin · Answer

Here’s a video that shows the comparison of pageload times between Firefox Quantum and Chrome:

https://youtu.be/YIywpvHewc0

Melmathew Palana · Answer

%3E Which web browser is better; Google Chrome or Firefox?
Neither of the two is fast and popular, below is the pros and cons of each! :)

GOOGLE CHROME:

* PROS
 * 
 * fast browsing
 * recommended for modern computers
 * provided by Google Inc.
 * complete html5 experience
 * built-in flash
 * can run android applications

* CONS
 * 
 * ram-intensive
 * non-customizable interface
 * doesnt support 32 bit architecture in linux systems

FIREFOX:

* PROS
 * 
 * fast performance
 * great for old computers
 * has great list of extensions
 * highly - customizable

* CONS
 * 
 * crashes frequently (mostly on linux systems)
 * has many bugs / unstable
 * "memory leak"
 * need to enable manually "http cache" for a huge impact on performance
 * cpu-intensive

Lucas Taylor · Answer

Both browsers are very fast, with Chrome being a little faster on desktop and Firefox a little faster on mobile (source [ https://www.cloudwards.net/firefox-vs-google-chrome/ ]). However, Firefox has been shown to be safer than Chrome in several studies (example [ https://www.zdnet.com/article/germanys-cyber-security-agency-recommends-firefox-as-most-secure-browser/ ]). Another advantage of Firefox it that it is developed by an independent, non-profit organization named Mozilla [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation ] and it is not owned by any tech giant like Google (Alphabet Inc. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_Inc. ]) for Chrome, Apple for Safari and Microsoft for Edge.

Kevin Crain · Answer

Well from experience in using multiple browsers for development purposes.

Firefox has a firebug plugin that is great to use compared to Chromes developer tools version.

Firefox since last year 2014 actually has become quite bulky and slower though.

Chrome chops and changes how certain features work in there browser which sometimes can be tedious for a developer to have to make changes to web projects he/she is working on to be compatible.

Yasiru Nayanajith · Answer

Personally I Like Firefox

I can handle it easier than Chrome

Uri Goldstein · Answer

Because I'd much rather use a true FOSS (free open source software) browser, than one owned by a corporation.