The web browser market has become a lot more interesting and challenging in the last year. Windows users now have the choice between four (five if you count the mediocre Safari as well) primary web browsers that they can use: Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Internet Explorer. Firefox and Internet Explorer have been dominating the web browser market last year but the the market is changing thanks to recent developments.
If you look at Ghacks for instance you notice that 47% of all visitors that visited our site in the last year have been using Firefox followed by 35% Internet Explorer users, 7.34% Google Chrome users, 4.31% Safari and 3.52% Opera users. It is likely that the stats look similar on other technology sites whereas general websites still see Microsoft’s Internet Explorer at the top.
The picture changes if you look at the stats of December 2009. Firefox lost almost 8% and ranks with 39% behind Internet Explorer which gained 6% and is now at 41%. Google Chrome managed to get another 2% and is close to breaking into the two digits with 9.67%. Safari and Opera both dropped about 0.5% each.
There are two main reasons for the change: Basic keyword optimization brought new visitors to the website of which many prefer Internet Explorer over other web browsers. The second reason is the release of Internet Explorer 8 in March of 2009 which boosted the stats for Internet Explorer.
Google Chrome manages to get marketing share because it it actively promoted by Google on sites like Amazon but also on Google’s own site as well.
Web Browser Predictions:
- Google Chrome will reach 15-20% of market share on tech sites by year’s end.
- Opera and Safari will not be able to gain significant market share.
- Internet Explorer will lose market share (Internet Explorer 8 will gain but 6 and 7 will lose)
- Firefox will lose market share
I will – on a personal note – likely switch from Firefox to either Google Chrome or Opera. Firefox is a great web browser and the main reason for running it as the main web browser are its extensions. But it feels slow and memory hungry. The likely choice as of know is Google Chrome as it supports the Last Pass extension. If someone would port NoScript I would switch immediately.
Could be that I switch back to Firefox once the devs release Firefox 3.6 or 3.7 although 3.6 cannot compete with the speed of Google Chrome or Opera 10.5 alpha. Opera would be the prime choice if the developer’s would consider better extension support so that popular extensions could be ported to the web browser.
What about you? Will you switch web browsers in 2010? What has to happen to make you switch?
Related Articles:
Browser Market Share August 2010Browser Statistics October 2010
Web Browser Popularity
Opera Browser Surpasses 50 Million Desktop Users
Browser choices…
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No script, google toolbar, and and complete support of my native Arabic language would turn me immediately to Chrome.
I use and typically have open all of Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. I occasionally open IE when some web site doesn’t display or work correctly on one of those or when I want to access a web page I autolog onto using the others. I like (liked) Opera for Yahoo mail (classic version) because I use its “reload every” function to reload the page every 15 minutes. (The Firefox Reloadevery extension seems not to work with YMail, even with the most current production Firefox and Reloadevery versions.) I’ve recently noticed Opera taking more memory and CPU than I like. In fact last night I found it using over 500MB of memory which I traced to YMail and attributed to ads it was displaying. I moved it over to Chrome 4 with the ad thwart and chromereload extensions installed. That appears to have solved the problem.
Aside from different sets of open tabs with different icons as visual cues to which window has which set I may be running out of reasons to use Opera.
Opera for me. :) New version of internals will bring speed up to date and rest remains just as compact and polished experience.
Chrome sure matured some, but not interesting enough to switch (yet?).
I will stick with FF. I have too much invested in the customizations (via extensions). I don’t find FF to be slow at all.
But yes, their are memory issues with FF. When I’ve tried to discuss this issue in the FF forums, the FF fanboys always get upset and point to extensions as the blame. But since FF doesn’t offer any tools for checking memory usage by extension, there is no easy way to figure out WHICH extension is causing the problem.
One recent memory example: Just a few days ago I was experimenting with the Multifox extension you featured here a couple of weeks ago. This extension is one of those that sucks up memory when it is invoked and DOES NOT release it when closed. Of course, the author claims never heard of this problem before. :)
Perhaps when FF switches to an individual address space for each tab (like Google does), we will be able to get more control over memory usage in FF.
As for Google Chrome, I don’t trust Google for privacy reasons. So I doubt I will ever switch to Chrome.
I’ve posted this link before. Chrome users should watch this! Also look at other similar videos that show up on the right side when you view this one.
Privacy & Google Chrome Browser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncerhCLi2o0
I don’t trust Google either–so give Iron a try!
I will stick with Firefox v2 (I am starting not to trust Mozilla either) & the new version of Iron.
Opera is a pain.
I’ve never stuck to just one browser but in 2009, I made Opera my primary browser after having it on the computer for a long time. And so it will probably be Opera,Chrome,Firefox in that order for 2010.
When I made the switch from ff to opera, I too was troubled by the lack of a Lastpass extension. But at that time Turbo was necessary for me(for conserving bandwidth usage). After a slight effort I ported all my passwords and usernames to Opera Wand. Since then all my passwords stay both places.(Not much of a effort since my list of sites have more or less stabilised).
Then I hunted equivalents for my 15-20 “musthave ” addons (some of which were regularly crashing Firef ox)including abp, autopagerize , etc . I found equivalents for each of them. Since then its responsive interface and its high customizability(not apparent at first) have kept me hooked.
I am also thinking about moving from FF to Opera, would you mind posting the Opera equivalents of your most important FF extension?
Which ones do you use?
I’ve always used FireFox and I hope I’ll be using it till my dying day. ;)
Firefox all the way for me. Chrome is a bit faster, but, unlike Firefox, does not do what I want (Adblock Plus, Noscript, Stylish and Greasemonkey are all essentials for me…).
Also, Chrome has a really un-user friendly UI, especially for those of us that avoid using the mouse unless absolutely necessary. Sadly, Firefox seems intent on going down the same route, but, I await the ‘Classic UI’ add-on eagerly….
The web without Adblock plus for me is impossible now after many with it. Firefox+Adblock plus speed-wise = chrome without. Sure chrome have addons, but it’s running user the same javascript engine and can’t do much beyond manipulating itself. Adblock+ actually block incoming ads traffic while chrome’s solution can only hide them with display:none; css. Every other browser have a proper way that actually block ads. IE8 has privacy filter, Opera has content block, and even SRW Iron (chrome’s clone) has the adblock list feature.
Google would never allow a true extension feature like Firefox’s because Google lives on advertising, and they need the traffic from it. Thus I will not be using Chrome, but its clone SRW Iron instead. Of course only when I want to. FF would still be my working horse.
Opera for me. It looks like the problem on login without expiring was resolved by LastPass/Opera recently so I will stick to them.
Firefox is so overrated,it’s sad. Opera for me !
No, I don’t think that I switch in 2010. I switched from Opera to Firefox in 2008, and for now I don’t have any reasons to drop Firefox.
I prefer functionality to speed, and now Firefox + extensions (I use more than 50) have all functionality I require, but I doubt that all other do.
Mozilla Firefox for me all time no other web browser.
What kind of stupid question is that? Firefox forever! And honestly I don’t know why everyone complains about memory usage by firefox? I use it A LOT, opening documents, pictures in great HUGE sizes (10000×10000), multitabs, using e-mail, facebook (incl. Java apps AND MORE) and I can never pass 70MB of mem usage. I think there’s something definitely wrong with everyone’s configuration and tweaks made. I have limits set to everything and with a few tweaks and useful extentions firefox is always working for me. Nothing else!
Huh. My memory usage with Ff passes 200MB in an hour or two. I have a habit of exiting & restarting the browser.I only use four add-on’s.
I use all 5 browsers which makes me ahead of all of you who waste your time with your ego.
i will uninstall chrome and fox when opera get a linkextend widget and also when it allows multiple pages to open for the home page ,good thing there’s speed dial.
I will use “Chromium” (Chrome) as my primary if they make it more stable on linux, because it craches when I visit YouTube or other video streaming sites.
But if Opera release a finish (not alpha or beta) of the new (and fast) opera browser, before Chrome is stabile, then im going to use opera :)
The only reason I use FF right now is because “TamperData” and “NoScript”
Opera 4 ever.
Opera doesn’t support lastpass but keepass global hotkey Ctrl+Alt+A support Opera, from that unique id i don’t want to use Chrome i have a trust issue on it even i remove it. I think Opera with new javascript engine would be my choice on 2010, and i believe opera would gain somethin’ significant in 2010.
About a week after Chrome came out, I decided to download it just for a try. I never expected to use it more than two or three times before I uninstalled it like I do a lot of programs.
So, imagine my surprise that I have yet to look back. To put it bluntly, it’s just so damned fast! Firefox seems downright sluggish in comparison. Nothing comes close to matching it’s speed. And now with themes and extensions, it’s better yet!!
Looks like I’ll have to try chrome but seriously I’m satisfied with firefox
Opera 10.5 pre-alpha. I’ve felt that its faster than Chrome Dev or FF 3.7. All I needed before I made the switch was the comptability of GreaseMonkey scripts, which works perfectly on Opera 10.5
Opera, always have always will.
Opera. :-)
I wondered at you even considering the switch away from FF Martin but I guess it would make sense even for you if it’s too much of a system hog.
@Rarst: You and Opera…? Who would’ve guessed! ;-)
Happy 2010 to all Operators and the others too!
Hehe… Note that I don’t use Opera just because, I use it cause it fits my needs and habits best.
I would have no trouble switching if some browser satisfies my needs just as well plus more to justify change itself with learning curve and such.
Indeed.
The only disadvantage in Opera I see from my standpoint is its lack of real plug-in support but that’s something I’ve managed to get along with, as long as Opera remains the intuitive and feature-packed browser it is.
Firefox for the extensions.
Memoryfox defrags firefox memory and keeps usage low so we good.
I am willing to sacrifice memory to use all those amazing extensions.
I love to use IE
You probably got lost. Just kidding.
1. Firefox
2. Opera
yeah maybe firefox is using some more RAM, but computers have become so powerfull, another 100mb of ram don’t bother me. firefox is a great browser, has anything anyone needs, so is opera. i really can’t understand people switching to google chrome. i’d prefer internet explorer instead of chrome, google’s privacy policy is something people should consider. now everybody hates microsoft for their monopoly ,but in 5 or 10 years their place will be taken by google. i don’t see the point in supporting their browser
I used FF exclusively for years but after the upgrade to 3.5 I’ve had to resort to IE more and more. Why? It is now the faster of the two – on my system. It never fails to load a page or send a comment and it never drops me in the middle of making a payment (#@!?). My current plan is to install Opera and give it a good test run. Google? No, thank you.
1. Chrome
been using it for several months now. i got sick of firefox’s bugs and slowness. they need to revamp it, in my opinion. chrome is much faster for me, and a lot more convenient …only the minimal things at the top of the browser- (no file, menu, edit, view, help, etc.)
ps: i have a fairly old laptop, from 2003. it runs fine, just that it gets really slow quite often because of the lack of ram.
I use both of the mozila fierfox & google chrome.If you consider about the speed the “google chrome” is the winner.But “mozila firefox” is much customizable & enriched with addons than google chrome.I gonna test two lessfamous but intersting web browser in 2010 one is “cometbird” a clone of mozila firefox but much lighter & support almost every addon of mozila firefox & another is “lunascape” the first hybrid web browser made by japan.It use the three popular web engine of internet explorer 8,mozila firefox,google chrome & safari.It also support all the addon/plugin of internet expolrer & mozila firefox.It also has its own addon.
It’s already happening, Martin! Over the last month I find myself using Chrome more and more for one simple reason– speed!
I’d hop to Chrome if there is an adblock plus equivalent.
There are TWO versions of Adblock for Chrome.
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom
AND
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/chmimgmjdabgiilljdjfbonifbhiglao
I hope you try it.
As for the “privacy” naysayers, I say, try the Google Chrome Anonymizer if you really think Google gives a crap about your information. Kind of a double standard when everybody points to Google for doing the EXACT same collection of browsing activity as every other browser does. It only enhances your browsing experience and unless you’re browsing for kiddie porn, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Paranoia Will Destroya!
They are ad-hiders and not ad-blockers. Not the same thing.