Web browsers have long been a hotly contested and deeply personal choice for users. From the first browser wars in the late 90’s between Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer to today’s abundance of options it would have been hard to imagine back then that the web browser would become the critical business app used today. Personal use aside, out of all the options out there, let’s look at the four top browsers you are likely to come across today and how they align with common business needs.
Arguably, the four most common and popular browsers from 2024 were Apple’s Safari, Google’s Chrome, Microsoft’s Edge, and Mozilla’s Firefox.
Apple Safari
Apple’s Safari is the default browser on Apple products and is a respectable browser for Apple users. That said, if you’re not on an Apple device, you’re out of luck. Apple stopped supporting Safari on Windows in 2012 and is unlikely to reenter the Window’s space.
Still, if your business uses Apple devices like MacBooks and iPhones, Safari integrates seamlessly with those operating systems. According to Apple’s tests — which it has published on its website — Safari handily beat the other top browsers in speed. Still, you may be missing out and some key features such as extension support for your line of business app, and the ability to manage specific settings of the browser that may be important to your business.
Google Chrome
Chrome is Google’s browser, making it about as abundant as Google’s many other products. In fact, that’s one of its advantages — quick and easy integration with other Google products and features. Chrome offers a wide array of extensions that can be used to enhance its capabilities and integrate with other business systems. It is often the first browser a company will develop extensions for and in some cases be the only browser a software vendor will support. It can be installed on both Apple and Windows system and is a great option for mixed environments.
Third parties have lauded Chrome for its speed and customizability but have also given it negative marks for its heavy use of system resources. Still, it remains the most popular browser with an easy-to-use interface and the biggest search engine integrated right into it by default. Chrome quickly becomes the ideal choice for businesses and users will rarely be left out in the dark by missing features or functionality.
Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer is long extinct. The release and evolution of Edge has given businesses a powerful and useful browser built-in to the Microsoft ecosphere. Microsoft Edge is an ideal candidate for businesses that already use the Microsoft suite of programs, such as Microsoft 365 and its assorted web based applications.
Edge is based on the Chromium web browser, which as the name suggests is the same underlying technology used by the Chrome browser and developed by Google. The early version of the Chromium based Edge was hard to distinguish from Google Chrome. As time has gone by, Microsoft has added functionality that helps integrate it into its own applications making it an option worth exploring. Because it is based on Chrome, many of the same extensions are available to it by default, and performance is generally on par with Chrome.
If you already use Windows OS and Microsoft apps, Edge is worth evaluating due to its seamless integration with other Microsoft products. Edge can also run on Mac’s OS, so you are still able to provide a consistent experience in mixed environments.
Learn More: Can Companies Be Sued for Data Breaches?
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox is somewhat unique among the major options because it doesn’t have a single massive company to back it up. Despite this, many prefer Firefox for this reason and for its open-source nature. It’s compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems and is a respectable browser for those wanting an option that is not rooted in a corporate company.
Firefox is often applauded for its customization options and its privacy protections. Firefox itself advertises its ability to bat away thousands of trackers, including Facebook, which may make it more appealing to those with particularly sensitive data.
While a worthy browser, businesses may find extension and general support from third parties to be lacking. If providing a managed and controlled experience, Firefox may also prove to require more work than Chrome or Edge.
Which Internet Browser is Best for Businesses?
Like so many things, there’s no one right answer. It depends on the hardware used, application support, company objectives, security requirements, and other factors. Still, we can offer a few suggestions.
If your business is full of creatives running on MacBooks, Safari or Chrome will likely be your best bet. Safari was tailor-made for Apple devices, so it will feel right at home on a MacBook, but if you are using Google Workspace then Chrome becomes an obvious choice.
On the other hand, if you’re an enterprise running on Windows and your employees are working with web-based business applications, Edge or Chrome will likely be your best option. If your business is using Microsoft 365 then Edge may provide a compelling option while if you are using Google Workspace Chrome may prove to be the better option.
Secure Browsing
While speed and user experience may be the more obvious aspects of a browser to appreciate, security is a critical consideration. Whichever browser you choose, make sure automatic updates are enabled, and users allow it to update when needed. Cyberattacks aren’t going away — and are very costly.
Every browser today will allow, prompt, and practically beg users to store sensitive information within them. While this can be a huge time saver and done correctly be a major boost to your company’s security and user productivity, if done poorly it represents a major risk to your organization. If users are synchronizing this information using a personal account, then company sites, credentials, credit cards, bank info, and other sensitive information is stored outside the security protections of your organization. This means that if a user’s personal account is compromised, your business data has also been compromised.
It is critical to look at all these capabilities and decide if and how they should be used by employees. Policies should be established for acceptable use, and in many cases a separate password manager should be implemented.
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