In this post, we will compare Microsoft Edge to the Google Chrome browser on Mac so that you can figure out which one fits your usage. The comparison covers interface, features, security, cross-platform availability, extensions, theme engine, and more. Let’s get started.
Cross-Platform Availability
Cross-platform availability matters the most when it comes to picking the browser of your choice. After all, you would want to sync tabs, history, bookmarks, and favorites across all your devices. Google Chrome is available on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Chrome OS. Microsoft Edge is accessible on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and even Linux.
Interface and Theme Engine
You won’t find any major interface changes between Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Both are built-on the Chromium platform. However, you will discover nuanced differences in the functions and settings for both browsers. Microsoft’s previous EdgeHTML-powered Edge browser used to offer a cool acrylic theme across tabs and menu bar. It’s all gone in the new version. Theming is one area where Microsoft Edge shines over both Google Chrome and Safari browser. Safari only supports macOS dark theme. Google Chrome relies on Chrome Web Store and third-party developers to generate creative themes. Microsoft Edge takes advantage of both the tricks. The company recently released a number of Xbox game-inspired themes to customize the look and feel of the browser. Users will surely appreciate Microsoft’s extra efforts.
Security
Chromium open source gets updated every six to eight months with the latest security patches. Google is usually quick to implement them in the Chrome browser. Microsoft does the same. But the company has gone ahead and added a tracking prevention option in the Settings menu. Users can go to Settings > Privacy and Services and switch on the option and set it to a Balanced approach. The practice blocks the trackers from the sites you haven’t visited and even stops the harmful trackers without affecting sites. Microsoft has removed or replaced more than 50 of Google’s services from the default Chromium code. They include ad blocking, Google Now, Google Cloud Messaging, and Chrome OS-related services. So, if you are someone looking to get out of Google’s world of apps and services, Microsoft Edge could be your best bet without any compromise.
Features
Most browsers offer plenty of features that go beyond loading the web pages faster. Starting with Google Chrome, the browser offers syncing capability, but it’s hidden in the Options menu. Go to History > Synced Tabs, and that’s where you will see the opened Chrome tabs on iPhone or Android. Yes, it works with Android too. Unfortunately, Google Chrome doesn’t offer any native Reading Mode. My favorite Google Chrome function is group tabs. You can create multiple groups based on a specific topic and arrange tabs. It’s really helpful when you are researching multiple websites at a time with dozens of tabs open. Microsoft Edge suffer from rendering performance issues with quite a lot of websites when it was using EdgeHTML. After moving Edge to the Chromium project fork, Microsoft resolved all the rendering issues. Also, the Edge Chromium offers an excellent reading mode. Tap on the reading icon on the address bar and strip away the unnecessary elements. You can change the font style, text size, reading theme, and more. Other features include Sleeping tabs that hibernate tabs after a certain period of inactive use. Microsoft Edge Collections is a welcome addition as well. I prefer it compared to Edge Bookmarks.
Password Management
Google Chrome offers solid password management inside the browser. Known as Chrome Password Manager, it offers an auto-fill function and suggests strong passwords to begin with. It uses a Google account to sync the history, bookmarks, passwords, and account settings among the platforms. If you are using an Android device, it will automatically sync the data as the browser comes default on the operating system. Microsoft has an upper hand. The company offers password management on the desktop but on mobile, you can view the saved passwords from a separate password manager using the Microsoft Authenticator app. As a result, it works perfectly fine with auto-fill on both Android and iOS. Safari browser saves passwords on iCloud Keychain. And you can’t view them on Android.
Extension Support
Since Microsoft Edge is built on a Chromium engine, it works perfectly fine with all the Chrome extensions. So you can shuffle and use extensions between either of the browsers.
Which One You Should Use
Microsoft does make a strong case with Edge compared to Google Chrome. If you are looking to get out of Google’s ecosystem and appreciate Microsoft’s efforts to block unwanted trackers, then opt for Edge. Chrome is a reliable option for Android users, and the years of development do shine in the final product. Next up: Looking for more options than Safari and Chrome on Mac? Read the post below to learn about the top six Safari alternatives for Mac. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
