Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge have come a long way since Edge was introduced with Windows. Windows 11/10 gives you Edge as the default browser. Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox are two ambitious browsers. Both are trying to dethrone Google Chrome and capture the largest chunk of the browser market. In this article, we will compare and see which one is better for a Windows 11/10 user – Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox.
Edge vs Firefox: Detailed Comparison
Mozilla Firefox is a veteran. It was in the market when Internet Explorer was alive and breathing. On the other hand, Edge is based on Chromium, the same engine that powers the popular Google Chrome. However, this by no means makes Firefox an outdated browser. In fact, in some cases, it’s better than many other popular browsers. That being said, there are some pros and cons on both sides. That’s why we will compare Edge and Firefox based on the following parameters.
- User Interface
- Performance and optimization
- Features and extensions
- Privacy and security
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] User Interface
Let us first compare the two browsers on how they look. Let us judge the cover first and then move to the book.
Both browsers are pretty similar; they have an address bar, menu button, favorites bar, and everything else that a good browser should have. Edge and Firefox go for a very minimal approach and don’t necessarily have any clumsy elements. Edge allows you to choose from different layouts based on your liking, we recommend going for Focused as that ensures that no extra load is put on your CPU, GPU, and RAM.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that none of the two browsers gives you a lot of options to customize your home screen, there are a few limited options and you have to make use of them.
Read: Chrome vs Firefox: Which is better on Windows PC?
2] Performance and optimization
In order to compare the performance of both browsers, we ran the HTML5Test browser benchmarking tool that you can access from html5test.com. Firefox scored 466 which is great, but Edge beats it with a score of 476. This trend continues across various benchmark tools. However, there is not much to choose between the two browsers as they go toe-to-toe on various parameters, but if you still want to compare their performance, Edge takes a lead.
Now let us talk about optimization. Both browsers are far better optimized than Chrome, but one is better. Because of the fact that Edge was made for and is well integrated with Windows, it consumes a lot less RAM and resources.
3] Features and extensions
Firefox and Edge share a lot of useful features, but there are some differences.
One of the best features of Microsoft Edge is that it allows users to combine two tabs or website, name them and then use it for future reference. On the other hand, Firefox has Pocket integration features that allow users to add/save web pages to their Pocket account.
When it comes to Extensions, Edge will always have an upper hand because of the fact that it is based on Chromium and supports all of the extensions made for Chrome. Firefox is not too far behind, the browser is popular, and hence, a lot of major developers have created their own extensions.
Microsoft Edge has been introducing a lot of new useful features of late. They keep their browser on their toes and likes to add more features to their browser. One of the features that I like in Edge is that it automatically scans for coupons and adds them when using an e-commerce website. And how can one forget Edge’s integration with Bing AI Chat Box? It can be accessed with just a click on the Bing icon.
Read: How to install Chrome extensions on Firefox browser
4] Privacy and security
Last but not least, let us talk about Privacy and Security. Security of user data should be of utmost importance to all developers, be it Mozilla, Microsoft or Google. Comparing these two browsers, we found that there are a lot of similarities in their security features. Both of them offer their users three security modes, namely Basic, Balanced, and Custom in Firefox and Strict in Edge. Microsoft has also integrated the SmartScreen feature that defends the browser from malicious sites and forbids downloading content from unverified sites. Firefox has Deceptive Content and Dangerous Software Protection which works similarly to SmartScreen.
Read: How to best secure web browsers for Windows PC
Both browsers perform well and offer features that users need; although we do feel Microsoft Edge takes the crown here. It is however best that you try both browsers and see which meets your requirements. We hope that you will find this post useful and help you take a decision.
Which is better Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox?
Edge and Firefox are two of the best browsers in the market. Microsoft Edge, because it is well-integrated with the Windows operating system, performs better. Bot browsers, however take user privacy seriously and offer settings to control them.
Is Edge faster on Windows 11?
Edge offers top-of-the-line performance courtesy of its Chromium build and being optimized for Windows OS. Due to these two things, Edge does have an edge and it performs faster on Windows 11 as compared to other browsers. It does not consume a lot of resources including RAMs and CPU.
Great article… someone should forward this to Microsoft. Maybe, just maybe, they will listen.
Firefox already has a reading view.
Firefox all the way, just Firefox.
Microsoft has been busy telling us all how perfect Edge is, and for most daily users it can be so, but if you want more freedom, more flexibility Firefox are the #1 browser.
So I can draw line, make a circle write a comment on the screen telling someone you should read this because …….
But how often has I felt the need to do so, well, not enough to use Edge.
I have tried it since it came on W10 preview and “thank you, but no”
Yes. The reading view that comes with ver 40 and 40.00.2 is pretty good and actually clearer compared to Edge. There is something with font rendering that makes Firefox’s reading view better than Edge. There is a lot to do for Edge before it can compete with mainstream browsers. I believe Microsoft took a hasty step here by releasing Edge so early. It should have added more features, including extension support before releasing it – even if it meant taking more time.
Update: It will use Chrome extensions soon. Firefox too I have read. Or at least Mozilla is going to offer the possibllity.
I tried…..so that I could download firefox. That’s why Microsoft gave an internet browser – so that you can download a better one. :D
Firefox also has extensions for “web page marking”. I just added an extension called “Wired-Marker” which puts permanent marker lines on web pages in different colors and shapes and is also supposed to highlight. I did notice there were more but thought I’d try this first.
Firefox also has extensions for “web page marking”. I just added an extension called “Wired-Marker” which puts permanent marker lines on web pages in different colors and shapes and is also supposed to highlight. I did notice there were more but thought I’d try this first.
I am a firefox user but I see that edge is much faster from firefox . I use it 2 weeks now,
Yes, it’s really faster and feels more smooth when scrolling pages, etc… But I still prefer Firefox. Edge still lacks some basic and handy options.
Don’t you think you need to either re-visit the article or at least delete this one. Its outdated and things have changed in both Firefox and Edge.
Or at the very least mention the posed date on the top of the page.
Post updated.
Firefox! and maby Chrome for quick check of something but never ever bank stuff only trust Firefox for that + ESET ^^
Only FF.
Think FF still rendering pages more fast than Edge. And both still needing a picture to picture solution for videos like all chromium based browsers have.
People don’t all like the same things, so ‘options’ is a good thing to have. This is where Firefox shines in comparison with Edge. I dislike Edge’s ‘black and white and grey’ look. And Microsoft provides no other color options. I think that’s pretty much in line with Microsoft’s “my way or the highway” philosophy. So, no contest at all — I just say ‘no’ to Edge.