STOP! This article is outdated. See my newest article about browser security for updated information.

Your Internet browser is the lid on Pandora’s box. A window to the madness of cyberspace. Visit the wrong website, click the wrong link, download the wrong file, and you’ll find out how effective that window is at protecting you.

Is Chrome Better Than Safari

“The cost of reaching Safari users has fallen over 60% in the past two years—meanwhile ad prices on Google’s Chrome browser have risen slightly.” Hitting advertisers where it hurts This is. Since I updated my iMac to Catalina, I notice any Speedtest.net or Speedcheck.org results from the Chrome browser are significantly lower than when I run those from Safari. I have the same results with or without any extensions enabled or disabled.

The trouble with this article

The true security differences in these browsers are nitpicky. I can safely recommend using any browser in this roundup (except for Safari on Windows) because the differences don’t mean a whole lot as long as you practice good security habits.

This is a high-level overview, based on 1) others’research, 2) the averaged scores from the Browserscope project, and 3) my own experiences with clients and colleagues.

I should point out that the Browserscope project is not a good standalone comparison of which browser is the safest. It merely analyzes a certain “class” of attack vectors. There is much more to browser safety than a number can tell you.

And keep in mind this is not a completely scientific comparison. It’s not really possible to pick a “most secure” browser since all browsers have their strengths and weaknesses.

Which Browser is the Most Secure and Private?

Firefox Is Better Than Safari

Google Chrome

Chrome is typically the most highly regarded for security. That sentiment is based in large part on a 2011 study which was funded by Google themselves, as it so happens. A lot has changed since then, though Google appears to be staying on top of things pretty well. Its Browserscope tests are by far the highest in this roundup. It also has the second highest malware detection rate, right behind IE.

My biggest issue with Chrome is the fact that it’s developed by Google. Google makes their billions by knowing what you do, where you are, what you buy, and what type of hemorrhoid cream you prefer. Seriously, they want to know everything about you and giving us a browser on our computer is the absolute best way to get that information. That makes Chrome a huge privacy risk in my opinion. And because it’s not entirely open source, we can’t look inside and see how it works.

Chrome Summary

• Security: Very good
• Privacy: I have my doubts
• Browserscope score: 16/17

Mozilla Firefox

I like Firefox the most – it’s my preferred browser. I wouldn’t put it’s security in the same class as Chrome, but it’s certainly not without its own strengths. For instance, it handles SSL certificate revocation extremely well, better than any other browser.

Part of what makes it so popular is the small footprint. It’s lighter-weight than its competitors, not bundling things like Adobe Flashplayer in case you don’t want it. Overall, that means fewer features and less code, which presents less of an attack surface for bad guys to latch onto.

My favorite thing about Firefox is its privacy. The source code is available for perusing, meaning anyone can crack it open and see its programming. Firefox is the only browser that is fully open source. This is extremely good from a privacy standpoint because no one can hide stuff in there that we don’t want (like tracking software). Firefox’s development community (known as “Mozilla”) is a non-profit organization that exists simply to produce free quality software. That puts me at ease, knowing that Firefox is not being used as part of a larger financial agenda.

Firefox Summary

• Security: Good
• Privacy: Very good
• Browserscope score: 12/17

Microsoft Internet Explorer

IE probably has the worst reputation for security. Unfortunately for them, that reputation isn’t entirely warranted these days but the stigma remains. The worst security issues are with older versions, like version 6 and 7. As long as you’re using version 10 or greater, you can avoid the worst problems. Microsoft has made a lot of improvements over the years.

For instance, IE has the highest detection rate of malware. That means it’s the best at keeping you from accidentally getting infected through web browsing.

However, some strange issues still remain. Like how they provide the manual ability to fake EV certification, and how they messed up the implementation of Java so that it’s very difficult to completely disable the plugin.

Not to mention, there have been plenty of severe vulnerabilities exposed in its programming over the years. Far more than any other browser. Which makes using IE a rather dubious affair when you’re always wondering what else they’ve messed up.

Additionally, IE is completely closed source. Considering that we now know Microsoft has been targeted by the NSA spying efforts, all bets are off. We don’t know what they may have been coerced into putting in their browser.

IE Summary

• Security: Okay
• Privacy: Maybe okay, but assume it’s not
• Browserscope score: 11/17

Opera

Opera is the quiet guy who sits in the corner minding his own business and likes it just fine, thank you very much. It has a pretty good reputation for security (though, I should mention that the underdog usually has the loudest voice of dedicated followers). I do like Opera, and for being the little guy, it’s doing things really well. But based on it having the lowest Browserscope score of the bunch (by a significant margin), I feel like I need to dock it a few points.

Opera does have a reputation of patching security vulnerabilities faster than the big guys, and it’s also been known to adopt some new security features first, before anyone else.

However, Opera is completely closed source so no one but the development team knows what goes into it. Their market share is so small that we could probably assume they don’t have an agenda or are being pushed by someone who does. But who knows in this crazy world? It’s not a bad browser and it does a lot of things well. In spite of its shortcomings, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Opera Summary

• Security: Good
• Privacy: Probably okay, but we can’t know for sure
• Browserscope score: 8/17

Apple Safari for Windows

Safari on Windows is no longer supported. The latest version available is 5.1.7 from May 2012. It is no longer getting security updates and therefore you shouldn’t use it on Windows.

On Mac, it’s another story. Safari is still a good choice if you’re using OSX. It has a good reputation for security and is one of the earlier adopters of new features. Privacy, on the other hand, may be an issue. We don’t know if Apple has cooperated with the NSA spying efforts, but being as big as they are, I’m playing the safe side and just assuming they have.

Safari Summary (on Mac only)

• Security: Good
• Privacy: Maybe okay, but assume it’s not
• Browserscope score: 13/17

Browser Comparison Chart

*The Browserscope score is the averaged security scores for each browser family up to the time of this writing.

Which Browser Should I Use?

Chrome is probably the marginal winner in security. Of course it’s not always so cut and dry. As stated, I actually use Firefox. I believe it has the best security/privacy combo in this roundup. It’s also much cleaner and easier to use, and better at rendering pages, in my opinion. And based on my safe browsing habits, it does not concern me enough to change.

If you have no issues with Google knowing even more about you than they already do, or you prefer Google’s interface, then I suggest Chrome because they have the resources and expertise to make a good, secure product. Or if you’d rather support the little guy, Opera is also a good choice.

Do not use Apple Safari on Windows. It is no longer secure. However, on Mac, it’s a good option.

I would suggest staying away from Internet Explorer whenever possible. If you regularly practice good security habits, it shouldn’t be too big of a problem. It’s just my recommendation. There are plenty to choose from. Why choose the worst out of the bunch?

In the end, your security is based mostly on your behavior. No browser can always protect a user who’s browsing habits are unsafe. As always, practice good behavior, no matter what browser you’re using.

Related Articles

I'd say I'll remember the good times -- your speed, your superb handling of Gmail -- but your RAM hoovering, battery draining and privacy disregarding make it easy to not look back.

This is the year, people. It's the year I challenge you to pack up your bookmarks and wave bye-bye to Google's browser, and pick one that cares more about performance and personal data.

'Like I need another change in my life right now!' I hear you thinking. Yet I also hear the sound of your laptop's fan whirring away -- not to mention your grumbling when you get up to find your laptop charger because your battery is dead from one too many Chrome tabs.

Fortunately, while Chrome has gobbled up 69% of the desktop-laptop browser market share, according to NetMarketShare, its competitors, all with single-digit percentages, have been laser-focused on kicking Chrome square in the blue dot.

Microsoft's new Edge browser, rolling out to Windows 10 machines this summer and available now for download on a Mac, is based on Chromium, the same underlying technology as Chrome -- yet it uses less of your Windows computer's RAM and battery. An independent, Mozilla's Firefox, the Bernie Sanders of browsers, now puts privacy front and center.

Meanwhile, Apple's built-in Safari browser has the best blend of privacy, performance and battery to offer on Macs, and it's only getting better this fall with MacOS Big Sur.

So what do I suggest after weeks of testing? Get serious with one of these other options, or -- if you have to stick it out -- work through your Chrome issues by adjusting some settings. Google promises big performance improvements in a few months.

If You Have Windows...

I could write a dissertation on browser testing and all its factors: speed, compatibility, mobile syncing, privacy, blahdy-blah-blah. I placed system performance at the top of my list because of the Chrome frustrations I've experienced during the lockdown, when my laptop effectively became my whole office.

On Windows, Microsoft's Edge is a no-brainer. I don't like how Microsoft is pushing the browser on its users, but frankly, the company hasn't had a great browser since, like, 1996.

Across my tests, the new Edge used about 5% less RAM and processing than Chrome and Firefox. It may not sound like much, but on a Dell XPS 13, it resulted in an extra hour of battery life -- and I got it in both my actual use and in a YouTube HD-video streaming test.

Now, while the new Edge is better than Chrome, it isn't as good as its own predecessor when it comes to battery life. Nope, not Internet Explorer; I'm talking about the version of Edge before Microsoft adopted the Chromium web tech. My tests showed that the mandatory upgrade cost about an hour of battery life. Microsoft says that with video-streaming services like Netflix you'd actually get more battery life with the new Edge and the team is working on further optimizations.

But I'll take that loss, because the new Edge is just better. With Chromium, pages load superfast and you don't have as many web compatibility issues. Google apps, including Gmail and Docs, worked without a hitch. It also means access to the same extensions as Chrome, those little web apps that live in your browser.

I'm also a big fan of Edge Collections: You can lump together all the links from a particular project. All my links related to this column? In a collection. Links to the sandals I've been shopping for? In a collection.

Then, there are the built-in privacy controls. Microsoft provides three levels of protection. The middle 'balanced' mode blocks trackers on sites you haven't visited before and helps minimize ads following you; it is automatically turned on. The 'strict' mode blocks the majority of trackers on all sites. Firefox has similar default tracking built in. In Chrome, you need to disable cookie tracking in settings and install a third-party privacy extension for deeper controls. Google is working on some longer-term Chrome privacy plans.

If You Have a Mac...

Unsurprisingly, on Macs, it was also the built-in browser that performed the best. Companies that create the operating systems can do more to optimize for their own browsers. Both Microsoft and Apple said they work a lot on how to minimize processor and memory demands from inactive tabs.

Safari used about 5% to 10% less RAM than Chrome, Firefox and Edge in my tests. Compared with Chrome, Safari kept the 13-inch MacBook Pro running an extra 1 to 2 hours on a charge. Plus, the laptop was a lot cooler and quieter, with the exception of in-browser video calls. (More on that below.)

None of this is new. Safari has long been as gentle as a feather duster on a Mac. The problems have always been with features and compatibility.

While I'd say 98% of the websites I use work fine in Safari, others, like my local Cuban restaurant's payment system and a podcast-recording web app I've used, don't. Luckily, I could order my cubano and plantains in Edge, even on my Mac. Yes, Microsoft's browser is great on Apple machines, too. Mind blown. But the podcast web app, like some other sites, just won't run unless it identifies a Chrome browser.

Then there's Safari's lagging extension support. Good news: In the next release of Safari coming this fall in MacOS Big Sur, Apple made it easier for developers to port Chrome extensions over. Plus, the updated browser, which I've been testing in beta on a MacBook Pro, is faster -- and has those little tab icons, aka favicons, turned on by default.

Like Firefox and Edge, Safari's also has lots of default privacy features, including tracker blocking. The forthcoming version includes a toolbar that lets you see the blocked trackers on the site you're visiting, and a new weekly privacy report shows you all blocked trackers -- even across your iPhone and iPad.

That cross-gadget support is another big factor in picking a browser these days. If you are all in on Apple devices, Safari should be your pick -- with another browser as a backup for web compatibility issues. Microsoft even made Edge for iOS, so if you have a mix of Apple, Android and Windows devices, give it a chance. Firefox is also a good option, especially for the privacy-conscious, but it's not my top choice because it didn't fare well enough in my performance and battery-life testing.

If You Stick With Chrome...

Maybe you're stuck with Chrome, either because of your crucial work web apps, or because you like it and believe the browser (and Google) can improve.

'I view performance on Chrome as a journey not a destination,' said Max Christoff, director of Chrome browser engineering. 'This is an ongoing investment in improvements to speed, performance and battery life.' When I shared my test results, he said three big improvements were due in the next few months.

Chrome will soon be updated to limit the power that resource-heavy ads can consume. A new optimization will allow the most performance-critical parts of the software to run even faster. And, perhaps most significant, Chrome will improve 'tab throttling' by better prioritizing active tabs and limiting resource drain from tabs in the background. Mr. Christoff said this will have a 'dramatic impact on battery and performance.' He says he's specifically encouraged by early tests on Mac laptops.

Until those fixes arrive, follow these tips to keep Chrome from chomping through so much of your computer's resources:

Kill the RAM guzzlers. Every open app on your computer runs a number of tasks in your system's RAM. Every Chrome tab and extension also exists as a separate RAM process -- basically a different app -- so close unused ones. Chrome lets you see each tab's resources and close the problematic ones in its Task Manager. (Click the three vertical dots at the right of the Chrome toolbar, then pick More Tools > Task Manager.)

Dump unused extensions. In the Task Manager you can also see which extensions are running all the time and eating up RAM. Disable the extensions you don't use by going to Settings > Extensions.

Limit browser-based video chats. The tab that will take up the most RAM and processing power? The one handling video calls. No matter which browser or computer I used, Google Meet grabbed half a gigabyte of RAM for just a single caller. Zoom's dedicated app took just a third of that. During a call with multiple callers, Google Meet used up to 1.5GB and made my MacBook's fan sound louder than a SpaceX Falcon launch.

Unlike Zoom, Skype or FaceTime, Google Meet doesn't have a dedicated Mac or Windows app, so you're best following Google's tips for optimizing Meet performance.

Google, Microsoft, Mozilla and Apple are all actively exploring ways to improve performance related to video calling. You know what that means! Another browser breakup could be right around the corner.

For now, though, it's Safari (with Edge as a backup -- and Chrome lingering, in case of a rebound) on my now cooler, quieter and longer-lasting MacBook Pro.

For more WSJ Technology analysis, reviews, advice and headlines,

sign up for our weekly newsletter

.

Write to Joanna Stern at joanna.stern@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 12, 2020 09:14 ET (13:14 GMT)