There was a time when Mozilla’s Firefox web browser was the most popular alternative to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. But over the past few years it seems like Firefox has lost market share while Google Chrome usage has surged.

While there’s some serious disagreement between groups that track browser usage over whether Chrome or Internet Explorer is the more popular browser, everyone seems to agree that Mozilla’s share of the browser market is dwindling.

firefox_01

Mozilla isn’t standing still… over the past few years the developers of Firefox started pushing out more frequent releases, overhauled the look of the desktop web browser, launched a mobile web browser, and even introduced an operating system that can power smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs.

But none of that seems to have stemmed the decline in Firefox market share.

So I was wondering… what web browsers do you use? Why? Have you made changes recently?

[polldaddy poll=8712798]

Personally I use Chrome on my desktop and laptop computers, but I use Firefox on my Android phone. Weird, I know. But there’s one important reason: LastPass.

Chrome for Android doesn’t support plugins, but Firefox does. So I can use the password manager seamlessly with Firefox on my phone. There’s a way to use LastPass for Android with Chrome, but it’s clunky.

On the desktop, Chrome seems faster and more fluid when I’m working in multiple browser windows and regularly dragging and dropping tabs between those windows. So I prefer Chrome. Interestingly, I also prefer the way LastPass works in the desktop version of Chrome to the way it works in the desktop version of Firefox.

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58 replies on “What web browser do you use?”

  1. I’m actually using Icedragon which is Firefox really. Wouldn’t use straight up Chrome if you paid me because of the spying and intrusion. it’s pretty clear that amongst the geeky crowd ir people who know about this site Firefox is by far the most preferred browser according to your poll results.

  2. Chrome because I’m wedded to the Google ecosystem (i.e. Gmail and Drive), but I’ve pruned it of most of the extensions I used to have, which has improved its performance a lot. And I’ve made it a habit of not opening too many tabs at once.

    The fact is, whether it’s Chrome or Firefox, the performance is greatly affected by the bad habit of installing too many extensions/add-ons and keeping too many tabs open.

  3. Firefox, out of gratitude to them and b/c they are foss, ohh and b/c I can just apt-get it

  4. Still (since I think 0.9.1 😉 mainly use Firefox but esp during webdev it sometimes gets really slow. Actually and surprisingly like IE(11) which is sometimes even smoother than Chrome (which I normally do not use). IE on WP and Surface are nice too, of course no real comparison possible but they work nicely and tab/bookmark sync works well enough. Looking really forward to Spartan

  5. Firefox on mobile, switched to Chrome on desktop because I read that it sandboxes the Flash plug-in to prevent viruses.

  6. I hate chrome but I have been using 1password and diigo with it that otherwise I would not have. Something to do with its Java support or not being able to closed still running background.

  7. I used Chrome from way back when it was in Beta, right up until recently. I’ve watched it go from a light, nimble browser, to a memory hogging beast! I’ve switched to Opera which seems very nice, stable and fast! You can also use Chrome Extensions on it as it’s built using webkit, same as Chrome.

  8. I use firefox because I don’t want to help google invade people’s privacy and construction human walking ad machine everywhere.

    Not to mention, chrome is no faster than firefox, is a memory hog on desktop, and is slow on android.

  9. I left Firefox long ago because I need to sync data across all platforms: Android, IOS, Chrome devices, Macs, Windows and Linux. Only Google Chrome supports device wh0r3s like me.

  10. Chrome? This is the most full retarded shit in the universe

  11. At work I have no choice – I.E.
    Personally I use Firefox on everything (desktop, laptops, smartphone)
    .
    I have moved to Startpage as my home page. It uses Google for search but keeps Google from tracking my searches.

  12. Firefox/Chromium on my desktop and Firefox on my phone. I used to be big fan of Opera before they become Chrome clone. I used the last 12.x stable version as long as I could.
    I just don’t like the idea of being constantly logged in your google account and giving them all your browsing experience

  13. I use Chrome on my Windows. So far the quickest browser I’ve had. Even quicker than Opera or Firefox. And with profiles, synced with my home laptop. Great solution. And for password manager I use Sticky Password (https://www.stickypassword.com) as you said it is clunky with Lastpass – not sure what, but Sticky Password works great on Chrome anywhere.

  14. I am using waterfox (a 64 bit version of Firefox). But it looks like Mozilla is gonna make a version themselves again…

  15. I use Firefox because I can still change its appearance back to older look and because it’s still highly customizable (using addon and interaface tweaks). Whenever I need another browser I go for Qupzilla or Palemoon.

  16. Chrome spies on you, Firefox is run by a bunch of Fascists who judge you by what you believe. Sigh… Where to go now?

  17. windows: chrome canary and opera beta…linux: chrome beta and opera…android: chrome beta and maxthon on my non-mission critical devices (i am really digging the ad-block plus being included with maxthon)

  18. Pale Moon…The way we USED to love Firefox but without selling you out and shitifying the UI.

  19. I mostly use Firefox with Windows because it is still the most customizable with regard to behavior and security. But it irritates me when they release an upgrade that breaks other stuff. I tend to pass on updates when all is running OK as is. On Android, I tend toward Dolphin but am surprised there are still no really intuitive mobile browsers.

  20. Ipad, iphone, macbook = safari
    Windows desktop and web developing = chrome

  21. I use Chrome on a Chromebook. I like it way better than Internet Explorer on a Win 8.1 netbook. I use Chrome on my tablet computer and smart phone.

  22. I use Firefox because it’s still usable when large numbers of tabs are open. Chrome used to be somewhat usable, when they allowed stacked tabs, but they completely took out that option a few months ago. I miss the speed and stability of Chrome, but if I can’t see what my tabs are, it’s useless.

  23. Firefox on the desktop, fonts and pages seem to render better. dolphin on the android since ff and chrome are just so sluggish.

  24. I really like Ninesky Browser for Android.
    Very easy to use….intuitive, etc.

  25. I use Firefox because I can sync my PC and Android versions and the Android version has a growing list of compatible extensions.

  26. Chrome x64 at home and at work. Chrome on Android. Probably ‘modern’ IE on my Windows tablet that’ll arrive later this week.

  27. Depends on device…
    Windows home laptop – Chromium Continous 64 bit / Palemoon 32 bit (reserve: IE11, Firefox)
    Windows work laptop – Palemoon 32bit (reserve: Chromium 32 bit, IE11, Firefox)
    Tablet – Opera 12.x, stock android
    Smartphone – stock android.

    No I don’t sync between these, no I don’t care enough about the browser but what it allows me to do. After being a die-hard user of Mozilla Firefox (Firebird/Phoenix – who even compiled a couple of versions back in the pre 1.0 days) I moved away because I had the new look and feel and other choices. Honestly at the moment I don’t have any preference they all annoy me somehow.

  28. Mostly Internet Explorer 11 and Google Chrome. Mozilla Firefox is installed but gets very little use.

  29. I came back to Firefox sometime in the last year (after several years with Chrome). The decision wasn’t feature based, I’m not sure what to call it really… software diversity? I’ve decided if my contacts/email are with Google then my browsing could stand to be somewhere else. One company shouldn’t get all my business. Mozilla has a great mission and a solid product that can compete with any of the big guys.

    also, Bing search, for the rewards!! 😉

    That’s the short of it.

  30. I use Firefox and force my own fonts. If a page isn’t being rendered correctly using my fonts, then I use Google Chrome (with mostly default settings) to view those pages.

    The web is broken.

    1. Laptop = Chrome
      Tablet = Chrome
      Smartphone = Chrome
      Old Desktop = Firefox

  31. I use Chrome, but I’ve been increasingly annoyed with its syncing features. essentially I’m annoyed with the fact that i have to be so vigilant with preventing other people’s websurfing from affecting my accounts on websites.

    For example, I’ll leave my windows profile signed in, and my daughter will jump on the computer and watch a few hundred My Little Pony videos on YouTube. Now for the next six months, my YouTube front page will be dominated by Pony videos.

    Chrome has a feature that almost solves this issue, but not quite. You can tell youtube.com to never store cookies, thus forcing the user to sign in each time, but chrome being signed in to my account will encourage the user to use my account, and it lets them in without a password.

  32. No Firefox for me. Used to be a big supporter but now I refuse to support those fascist goons.

  33. Firefox on desktop because find is VASTLY SUPERIOR to Chrome (only option is efTwo) and I always use find and like it permanently on all tabs. I use Chrome on Android as Firefox is slowwwww for me but find myself using youtube more and more on android.

    1. and I like private tab addon as opposed to new incognito window when i want to be private too. There may be an incognito tab option but untill Chrome has a decent find option i dont care to look.

  34. Been very happy with Palemoon as faster alternative to Firefox, most of my FF anti this and that extensions work, LastPass does; and I like the interface more than what FF has been morphing into

    1. I liked PaleMoon until a couple months ago when they created their own user agent, at that point all of my work sites (Citrix, Outlook Web App, etc) started behaving poorly or not working at all. That and the need to fork extensions, I liked it a lot but the negatives became too many ;(

  35. Chrome on pretty much everything, though it doesn’t get along well with my windows tablet 24/7, only maybe 70% of the time. Firefox and IE get used when I come across something with a terrible webUI (HP blade centres, have to use all three browsers to use every feature since each one breaks in interesting ways)

  36. Chrome on newer Android devices, Dolphin on older Android devices, mostly Chrome on Windows. Though I’ve been having major problems with Chrome on my desktop – where the Google search itself completely freezes, yet I can still access other websites.

    I am thinking about switching back to Firefox on Windows.

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