Safari vs Chrome on Mac: Which Browser to Choose [2024]
Both Safari and Mac are popular browsers online. However, many users feel confused about which browser to choose on Mac.
Don't worry! This post will help you figure out the main differences between these two browsers. Read on!
About Safari
Safari is a web browser developed by Apple. It is built into Apple's operating systems, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. (from WiKi)
It's a preinstalled browser on Mac so you don't need to download it.
Main features:
- Handoff
- Reader Mode
- Autofill and Apple Pay
- iCloud Private Relay
- Siri Suggestions
About Chrome
Google Chrome is another popular web browser developed by Google. It provided services for vendors to advertise their products. You can search for whatever information you want in Chrome, and it will always present you with the best answer.
As of February 2024, StatCounter estimates that Chrome has a 65.31% worldwide browser market share, while Safari has 18.31%.
Main features:
- Wealthy extensions
- Gmail
- Google Sheet
Safari vs Chrome on Mac: Which Browser to Use
You may wonder about Safari vs Chrome, which browser should you use. Actually, it all depends on your needs.
Here is a table listing the main differences between the two browsers. Take a look at it for reference.
Browser Extensions
As for the number of browser extensions, Chrome's extensions are much more wealthier than Safari.
Speed and Performance
According to Apple's introduction of Safari, Safari is 50% faster on average at loading frequently visited websites than Chrome.
Personally, I use both Chrome and Safari for work. Opening multiple tabs in Chrome simultaneously is more fluent and convenient for me.
User Interface and Customization
As for the user interface, Google seems to incorporate more colors. Safari, on the contrary, is more clean and intuitive.
Google:
Safari:
Safari allows you to customize your start page with a background, add your reading list, etc. Google offers you a series of customizable options: create a theme, enable dark mode, and other customizations.
Platform Compatibility
Safari only works on iOS, macOS, and iPadOS. While Chrome can be used on almost any platform including Android and Windows.
Privacy and Security
Both Safari and Chrome have private browsing modes (In Chrome, it is named Incognito). Security is what Apple always cares about most. If security is what you are concerned about most, choose Safari.
Safari gives you a Privacy Report on its home page, telling you how many trackers it has prevented for you.
Google also emphasizes and ensures users' safety with Password Manager, Safety Check, and Safe Browsing(warns you about malware or phishing attacks).
Integration with Apple Ecosystem
As for integration with Apple Ecosystem, Safari must be the winner as it is macOS's built-in browser. Safari is developed for better running on Apple devices.
This browser makes seamless handoff, password sharing, and browsing history sharing between Mac, iPhone, and iPad easy.
Resource Usage and Battery
In general, users reported that Google consumes more RAM and power than Safari. Taking battery life into consideration, Safari must be your first choice.
However, Google introduced the Memory Saver feature to free up memory from tabs you aren’t currently using, saving battery and making browsing smoother.
If you are going to use Chrome or are using Chrome, enable this feature to length the battery life.
- How to enable Memory Saver in Google: Go to Chrome Settings＞Performance＞Enable Memory Saver.
- Chrome allows users to check each tab's memory usage in real time.
Bonus: How to Clear Cache in Safari & Google
To maintain good performance for both Google and Safari, it's of vital importance to clear the browser cache regularly.
Here we introduce an easy-to-use cache cleaner - BuhoCleaner to help you clear one or more browsers' cache in minutes.
Here is how:
- Free download, install, and launch BuhoCleaner.
- Click Flash Clean on the left sidebar＞Scan＞View Details.
- Click and then check Browser Cache.
- Check all unwanted browser cache.
- Click Remove.
Conclusion
Have you figured out the main differences between Safari and Chrome on Mac? You should know Safari vs Chrome, which browser to use on Mac now!
Wendy Wu is a tech enthusiast with a deep passion for all things iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Wendy is always on the lookout for Apple products and is committed to providing Apple users with some of the latest information and useful tips.
