Skip to main content

Microsoft’s Edge browser is now more popular than Firefox, gaining on Chrome

Microsoft’s new Edge browser has some serious upward momentum. According to new data from the firm NetMarketshare, Microsoft Edge is now the second-most popular web browser in the world, surpassing Mozilla Firefox and gaining on Google Chrome, the overwhelming leader.

Roughly three months after the redesigned version launched, the data reveals that Edge now holds a 7.59% of a sampled total market share worldwide. That marks roughly a 0.21% increase between February and March, according to Techradar.

The number is still a big way from Google Chrome’s 68.5% share, but it was enough to knock Mozilla Firefox out of second place, which now moves down to a third-place share of 7.19%. Elsewhere, Edge also beats out Internet Explorer at 5.87% and Apple’s Safari at 3.62%.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

For Microsoft, the numbers are heartening, as it does suggest that at least some people are slowly switching away from other browsers in favor of the new Edge. According to the data, many of those making the switch seem to be Firefox users, as Chrome’s percentage continues to increase.

With Edge now being based on Google’s open-source Chromium engine, there’s plenty of reason to switch over. When we reviewed the new Edge, we found it was finally worth giving up Chrome for. From increased performance to a clean and easy to understand user interface, as well as more ways to customize the experience, there was a lot that we liked. We even found that Edge was great on Mac, too.

There were still some flaws. The browser launched without the ability to sync history, extensions, and some settings across devices. Microsoft, though, promised that the features will be coming soon, and has started beta-testing them across the various “channels” of the Edge Insider program.

Even though it is powered by Google’s Chromium engine, Edge is much more than just a copy of Google Chrome. With a much different user interface and cool things like the “Collections” feature, it is quite unique on its own.

Some features that will help distinguish it from Chrome are on the way soon. This includes “vertical tabs”  and a settings option to check to see if your password has been posted on the dark web. There’s even a “Smart Copy” feature that is planned for Edge, which can help preserve the original formatting when copying and pasting.

Editors' Recommendations

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
5 features I’m itching to try in Microsoft’s ChatGPT-powered Edge Browser
Microsoft's redesigned Bing and Edge search engines.

Microsoft has just announced that its new AI, powered by ChatGPT, is coming to the Edge browser and Bing search engine. The addition of advanced AI will redefine the way these two Microsoft products work, and there are some major changes on the horizon.

The Microsoft-backed ChatGPT is a conversational AI that you can ask questions and get all sorts of answers from -- even things like your astrological makeup. Microsoft is eager to to take that experience out of a website and into the browser, and there are a ton of features I'm itching to try out.
A reimagined search engine

Read more
Microsoft is bringing ChatGPT to your browser, and you can test it out right now
Microsoft's redesigned Bing search engine.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed in a private briefing with the press that a ChatGPT-powered version of the Edge browser and Bing search engine is available now. The overhauled search and web browsing experience is designed for natural-language questions, replacing critical aspects of the browser with AI tools.

That might sound familiar. Google and other search engines have been leveraging AI for several years to compile search results, but Microsoft's take is different. It's "your AI copilot for the web," offering up new search, answer, chat, and create functions.

Read more
Google is now supporting my awful browser habits, and I love it
Google Chrome opened on a laptop.

Google has just released a new update for Chrome, and it could be a real timesaver if you're anything like me.

I have some pretty bad habits when it comes to how I use my browsers, and instead of forcing me to improve, Google is supporting me. Needless to say, I love it.

Read more