Although Google and Chrome are the first names that come to mind when thinking about search engines or browsers, there are several other systems that also have a loyal audience. We have already seen which are the search engines most used by Internet users around the world. Now, let’s take a look at the main web browsers from which they connect.
These are the 6 most popular web browsers in the world, according to the Statcounter site (data updated as of November 2023):
- Google Chrome
As we already imagined, like Google’s dominance in the field of search engines, its Chrome browser leads the world. According to data shared by Statcounter, Chrome covers an estimated 62.85% of the market share, a figure lower than that of 2021, when it was 64.06%.
In this way, since its creation in 2008, the closed source browser has become one of the most used by Internet users. This thanks to the wide variety of applications and extensions that it incorporates within its interface. Likewise, being part of the Google family, it allows a wide degree of interaction between its different products, facilitating its use.
- Safari
Safari is a high-speed web browser developed by the company Apple Inc. launched in 2003. As usual for Apple, it is a product for exclusive use of the company’s products, that is, Macs, iPhones, etc. However, between 2007 and 2012 it had an open version for Windows users.
According to Statcounter, this is the second most used web browser in the world, with 20.04% of the market share (a value slightly higher than in 2021, when it had a market share of 29.22%). Safari has a high level of interaction between different devices thanks to Apple account synchronization. Likewise, within the browsers it stands out for its security measures, minimizing the risks of tracking and other malicious actions of third parties when browsing.
3.Edge
We all know Internet Explorer, one of the giants of the old Internet era that was Microsoft’s flagship in the world of browsers. Microsoft Edge is the updated version of this already obsolete browser and has only 5.5% of the market share, a value slightly higher than in 2021, when it represented 4.19%. Like previous browsers, this one stands out in the interaction between devices through synchronization with Outlook accounts. In addition, it also stands out in the integration of different Microsoft products, such as Office 365, Microsoft Teams, etc.
It is generally the default browser on devices with a Windows operating system, but its use is usually limited to downloading other more commonly used ones, such as Chrome.
4.Firefox
Born in 2002, Firefox was one of the main competitors, along with Internet Explorer, in the web browsing landscape at the beginning of Chrome. Unlike the previous ones, this browser works from open source, offering greater transparency to users and a greater capacity for interaction in terms of development.
Despite its former strength within this ecosystem, Firefox currently has only 3.23% of the global browsing share (it was 3.91% in 2021). Even so, it continues to remain valid in the digital world, especially with the current fight against third-party cookies as it is one of the first platforms to desist from its use.
- Opera
Opera rose from sixth to fifth place on the list, going from having 2.34% of global users to 3.17%. This is a browser focused on user experience and one of the oldest since it was launched in 1995, although in recent years its community has been growing thanks to its efficiency, speed and simplicity.
This browser has an automatic ad blocking function and an integrated VPN, to facilitate browsing websites with country blocks. Likewise, it has a specialized version for gamers called OperaGX, which helps optimize navigation procedures to generate a more comfortable gaming experience.
- Samsung internet
This browser is developed especially for mobile devices, and as we can infer, specifically for Samsung models. Although it is limited to mobile devices such as cell phones or tablets, this browser has 2.44% of the market share. In 2021, that figure was 2.8% and ranked fifth on the list.
One of the notable features of Samsung Internet is its customization capacity, offering a more dynamic browsing experience to its users. Likewise, it allows the integration of different exclusive Samsung add-ons.
Other web browsers…
Of course the list does not end with these 6, since there are a wide variety of browsers such as Brave, Android Internet, UC Browser, IE, etc…
However, these aforementioned do not accumulate between themselves more than 1% of the global browsing share, leaving them well below those we have listed previously.