Fastest / "best" browser for Mac...

[Crunch]

Hi all,

I've been using Safari on my various Macs since 2010 and I keep reading vastly different articles and posts around the net, some of which proclaim Safari to be the fastest and best browser for the Mac. Others say the exact opposite.

Which browser do you guys think is best? Chrome, Firefox, Opera, something else altogether? If you could include a reason, it would be much appreciated.

For my usage, I consider privacy and security most important besides raw speed and snappiness, of course. I also like my Magic Mouse and Trackpad gestures to be working properly on whatever browser I use. Opera seems to be pretty good in that area, but maybe that's true for Firefox and Chrome too now?

What do you think is most trustworthy? I personally don't trust Google, but I still use its search engine.

I'm also someone who likes to have up to 100 tabs open. I know, it's a bad habit. Safari seems to handle it fairly decently, although High Sierra likes to throw the beach ball at me in Safari 11 more so than in Sierra. Is that something you've noticed as well?

Thanks a ton everyone!

 

[960design]

This is a very personal choice.

Safari is the best for Mac users to browse with.
I type this only because Safari uses less battery and resources than other browsers.

I personally use Chrome for development, although Safari's tools have gotten just as good.

If you like a specific feature of FireFox, then that would be the best for you.

 

[Sital]

The new Firefox (Quantum) is noticeably faster than Safari on my system. I've never really been a Safari fan due to page reloads, white screens, etc., but I will say each version seems to get a little bit better. Vivaldi's a pretty good browser too.

I've never had an issue with trackpad gestures with any of those browsers.

In terms of trustworthiness, I don't have any major concerns with Apple or Mozilla.

 

[0002378]

Never tried Chrome (don't need to) ... between Safari and Firefox, Firefox is vastly superior, just in terms of functionality (esp. addons) and how intuitive it is to use.

FF57 sucks in many ways, but it is still better than Safari.

 

[shinji]

I too like to have lots of tabs open, and I don't notice any real difference in performance or stability between Safari or Firefox Quantum.

 

[LincolnsiPod]

A little late to the thread, but any Opera fans here?

I'm basically trying to decide between Firefox and Opera. I use Safari for personal, but for work I need to use a different browser. I tried Chrome but my company oppressively seizes too much control over its functionality, crippling some functionality such as customizing extensions, Hangouts, default start pages, etc. I could stayed logged out but I need Hangouts, so for now I'm just using Chrome as a glorified Hangout app while exploring better options. So it's either Firefox or Opera for me.

 

[spooklog]

Vivaldi is fast becoming my browser of choice. It's got everything and the kitchen sink built in--comprehensive tab management, bookmark management, screenshot utility and much more. It also takes Chrome extensions. I do have Firefox, Opera, Safari & Chrome on hand but Vivaldi is more interesting to use.

Here's a screenshot of the "settings" window.

 

[superscape]

I tend to stick with the free, default apps unless I have a compelling reason not to. So I use Safari almost exclusively.

Firefox is there in reserve, but I think the only time I use it is for our holiday booking system which was evidently coded by chimps and only works properly on Firefox. (I blame the chimps, not Safari).

 

[sracer]

A little late to the thread, but any Opera fans here?

I'm basically trying to decide between Firefox and Opera. I use Safari for personal, but for work I need to use a different browser. I tried Chrome but my company oppressively seizes too much control over its functionality, crippling some functionality such as customizing extensions, Hangouts, default start pages, etc. I could stayed logged out but I need Hangouts, so for now I'm just using Chrome as a glorified Hangout app while exploring better options. So it's either Firefox or Opera for me.

i’ve been a big fan of Opera for many years. However, since the browser portion was sold off, it isn’t as current and stable as it used to be. I’ve gone back to using Chrome (primarily because I’ve got. Lenovo Yoga Book (Android) and Acer chromebook in the mix) but am looking at Firefox.

 

[Bart Kela]

I have tried a number of web browsers over the decades. On my Mac and iDevices, I'm sticking with Safari as the default.

Vivaldi - my primary secondary browser, especially for private browsing

Google Chrome - I keep this around for sites with legacy Flash content
Google Chromium - not sure if the open source version respects privacy better than Chrome. I know it's missing a bunch of content plug-ins (certain video formats which require license fees).
iCab - I should probably pitch this
Iridium - supposedly high security, not sure how; slow pace of web development, infrequent updates
TorBrowser - for better privacy, gets around some networks' content blockers; ugly as heck, based on Firefox code
Opera - I keep this around for some sites where I blow away entire Internet history (cookies, etc.) when I exit out

Brave - deleted
Epic - deleted
Firefox - deleted a long time ago

 

[MasConejos]

A little late to the thread, but any Opera fans here?

I've been using Vivaldi for the past couple of years. It's done by one of the founders of Opera, and it's the spiritual successor to Opera v12.

 

[LincolnsiPod]

I'm trying out Vivaldi now, but for those who work in paid media, it doesn't support the new AdWords platform. I'm also giving Firefox Quantum a spin, and surprisingly, it seems to make working on Facebook Ad Manager (which is already a bloated nightmare to begin with) a bit snappier and more responsive. I'm going to keep testing, but I'm hoping this will be the work solution I've been looking for.

 

[MacBH928]

I think Firefox is best for you, it doesn't collect data, sync accounts, and its open source. I have used all browsers and they are more or less the same unless you are looking for specific features. For example Safari doesn't have uBlock origin or keyword search. People tend to hate on Firefox but I have used it and I see nothing wrong with it.