Chrome Used 10X More RAM Than Safari on macOS Big Sur in Recent Test [Updated]

[MacBH928]

So we all know that Google employees are programming geniuses especially when it comes to web and networking, why are they making their browsers such a RAM hog and make it have a bad reputation? Any body has an explanation?
My understanding is that Brave and Edge which are both Chromium are no where as near of RAM hogs.

I will also never forgive Google for making me use Chrome many years under the impression its "open source" when in reality "Chromium" is the open source that Chrome is based upon. Thats some deceiving names and brands.

Chrome: the browser you briefly use when poorly coded websites don’t like Safari.

DHTML? Year 2000? is that you?

I hate Chrome. I don't understand the wide adaption of this spyware.

Inertia. About a decade ago when Explorer was king of the browsers and people thought Google was the nice guy, google made Chrome which was faster and nicer looking than explorer. Everyone switched over. Now Chrome is just synonymous for "internet browser" for most people they don't know any better.

 

[noraa]

Chrome: the browser you briefly use when poorly coded websites don’t like Safari.

1000x this! (Though I’ll typically try Firefox first)

 

[_Refurbished_]

And your loyalty is helping Google make a bigger file on you that can be sold later on. Google thanks you for your support.

So what? Not everyone cares that someone is selling their information to advertisers.

 

[Apple_Robert]

So what? Not everyone cares that someone is selling their information to advertisers.

If he doesn't care, that is fine. It's his data not mine. I just wanted to remind him is all.

 

[robjulo]

And your loyalty is helping Google make a bigger file on you that can be sold later on. Google thanks you for your support.

No one cares other than a bunch of paranoid Mac users.

 

[Apple_Robert]

No one cares other than a bunch of paranoid Mac users.

There is nothing paranoid about facts. Do whatever you want with Google and I will do the same.

 

[ghanwani]

I just don't get this at all. Safari feels so much more intuitive and Mac-like to me. It behaves in a natural way that makes sense and does what I expect it to do. I guess if you're coming from Chrome on Windows and want your Mac to feel like that it kind of makes sense. But then why are you using a Mac at all?

I don’t like the way tabs are implemented like tabs stretching to use up all the space, address bar doesn’t look like it’s part of the tab, tab on the bottom, etc. I would love to switch to Safari. That’s what I use on the iPhone and there I actually prefer it to Chrome!

 

[robjulo]

There is nothing paranoid about facts. Do whatever you want with Google and I will do the same.

I will. I’ll live life without paranoia. I also won’t spend every waking moment shilling for Apple on a website.

 

[ghanwani]

And your loyalty is helping Google make a bigger file on you that can be sold later on. Google thanks you for your support.

I know that. I do have all advanced and helpful features disabled and set to do not track. But every time I resolve to use Safari I switch back within 2 days at the most.

 

[mi7chy]

If he doesn't care, that is fine. It's his data not mine. I just wanted to remind him is all.

Would you rather have targeted ads or random feminine hygiene ads? I don't even see ads in Chrome with uBlock Origin and even if I did it's better than MacOS peddling subscriptions with every app I launch. Launch Music nags for subscription, launch News begs for subscription, launch TV begs for subscription, play Starz within TV begs for another subscription within subscription...

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Well, I'm not confident about any Google apps on Apple products right now. Google has refused to update most of their apps for iOS apart from YouTube and Chrome has always been a resource hog. A few times recently it has caused my MBP to overheat and the fans to max out just from regular browsing. Never had that happen with Safari. I really only use Chrome to view websites that don't work properly with Safari and actually at this point I'd prefer Firefox for that purpose.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Would you rather have targeted ads or random feminine hygiene ads? I don't even see ads in Chrome with uBlock Origin and even if I did it's better than MacOS peddling subscriptions with every app I launch. Launch Music nags for subscription, launch News begs for subscription, launch TV begs for subscription, play Starz within TV begs for another subscription within subscription...

I don't want to see any ads in my browser, which I don't see with 1Blocker. I also don't like that Apple injects ads as well. If there was a way to block those, I definitely would.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I will. I’ll live life without paranoia. I also won’t spend every waking moment shilling for Apple on a website.

I don't shill for Apple. My posting history over 8+ years doesn't reflect any blind loyalty to Apple.

 

[robjulo]

I don't shill for Apple. My posting history over 8+ years doesn't reflect any blind loyalty to Apple.Y

You keep being paranoid....I’ll live my life and use a browser that is most convenient.

 

[mi7chy]

I don't want to see any ads in my browser, which I don't see with 1Blocker. I also don't like that Apple injects ads as well. If there was a way to block those, I definitely would.

Last I checked 1Blocker doesn't block YouTube ads which Chrome + uBlock Origin do. Looking forward to the day when I can wipe subscription adware MacOS and install a different OS on my Macbook Air M1.

 

[QuarterSwede]

I hate Chrome. I don't understand the wide adaption of this spyware.

It was 10x better than what it replaced, namely, Internet Explorer.

 

[DeanL]

@samifathi I love this website, but y'all need to do some investigation before posting stuff. It looks like the author didn't account correctly for Safari's child processes that take up RAM: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26179817
None of this is surprising given Safari is a default app and can leech off other system processes unnoticed.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Last I checked 1Blocker doesn't block YouTube ads which Chrome + uBlock Origin do. Looking forward to the day when I can wipe subscription adware MacOS and install a different OS on my Macbook Air M1.

1Blocker blocks YouTube ads and comments. I use Blocker daily in Safari.

 

[Chet-NYC]

I have a 2019 iMac with a 3.6GHz i9 CPU, 64gb of RAM, and 8gb of video ram- so quite a powerful system.

I was using Chrome for quite a while, but I noticed I was hearing the iMac's fan a lot. I installed the program MenuBar Stats which gives all sorts of system info- CPU and RAM usage, reading on the almost 30 temperature sensors inside the machine, and of course, fan speed.

Well, the fan would often go to 100%. The CPU temp would soar to 165-170º.

Then I switched to Safari. Not only did everything load faster, but the fan stopped coming on. The programs that were operating at the same time, worked faster. The CPU temp rarely goes about 145º.

Chrome simply sucks.

 

[Harmonious Zen]

I'm surprised by how many people hate Chrome. Granted this is MacRumors but still. Outside of Macrumors, it feels like everyone's favorite browser is Chrome.

 

[Seoras]

Chrome: the browser you briefly use when poorly coded websites don’t like Safari.

Nope. Firefox works like a charm on any Safari-unfriendly website I've encountered.
I fire up Chrome only to check that any web page or javascript applet I've written works as expected on it as well as the other major browsers.

 

[P-DogNC]

https://chromeisbad.com

 

[Jason Manley]

Safari FTW... always.

 

[mi7chy]

1Blocker blocks YouTube ads and comments. I use Blocker daily in Safari.

What is this 1Blocker rubbish? It doesn't completely block YouTube ads like uBlock Origin and only whites it out but still makes you wait for the countdown timer.

 

[iBluetooth]

I mean, RAM was made to be used. If using more free RAM means you can switch between tabs and they will all keep doing its thing without problems im ok with it

The hard drive was made to be used - so Chrome should fill up your hard drive. Well you would probably not like that, so your statement was missing the sarcasm.