TESTED: Safari vs Chrome Memory Utilization w/pics

[Sheepish-Lord]

Computer: iMac 24" mid tier model from Apple (8-core CPU/GPU and 8gb ram). Verizon 1GB fiber internet (700mb down to iMac via WiFI).
OS/Software: Lastest Monterey with no other apps running in the background and adblockers off. I restarted Activity Monitor for each test.
Websites Tested: MacRumors, YouTube, and Twitch


As you can see just having the website of MacRumors loaded there's very little difference between the two if you add up all the Chrome processes vs Safari. I found that the majority of websites had similar resource usage so unless you have compatibility issues utilization is similar.

However, when doing playback of media sites such as Twitch that's when things go off the rails. As you can see in the Safari Activity Monitor for Twitch it was maybe on for 5min and hit 1GB and would climb as much as possible if I let it keep going. Additionally, in Safari when having Twitch open and swapping to another tab Twitch routinely downgrades the quality (Chrome does as well) until you make that tab active again then the quality returns but Safari stumbles with this so you have to either refresh or manually set the quality. Using Chrome, I actually got distracted and let it run for longer and as you can tell it was as cool as a cucumber. I tested YouTube and on Safari it has some issues and even drops out of HD randomly but Chrome, as expected worked great but ya know...it's Google so to be expected.

TLDR: On Apple Silicon Chrome is close and in some cases better with memory utilization over Safari currently so I feel it's time to at least be open on changing our mindset when it comes to the "Chrome is a memory hog" topic. Now on Intel chips it was bad and maybe it still is but for those with current Apple SoC test it for yourself.

 

[AltecX]

With how much RAM systems have I don't care about memory usage. I care about CPU/GPU as that will impact battery life a lot.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

With how much RAM systems have I don't care about memory usage. I care about CPU/GPU as that will impact battery life a lot.

You should care about RAM especially on a unified architecture such as the M1. That's why I brought up the Twitch issue, it will continue to eat ram until it's memory pressure gets into the yellow then a warning will prompt.

 

[bogdanw]

until you make that tab active again then the quality returns but Safari stumbles with this so you have to either refresh or manually set the quality.

In Safari, you can try to Disable Background Tab Suspension.


To activate the Debug menu, close Safari, give Terminal Full Disk Access and use this command

defaults write ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist IncludeInternalDebugMenu -bool YES

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

In Safari, you can try to Disable Background Tab Suspension.
View attachment 2004638

To activate the Debug menu, close Safari, give Terminal Full Disk Access and use this command

defaults write ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist IncludeInternalDebugMenu -bool YES

Interesting, I'll have to give that a shot. Thank you.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

Sorry, but I can't replicate what you're claiming. I just had 5 or 6 tabs open in Safari, running a Twitch stream for about half an hour and memory usage for Twitch fluctuated between 600MB and 1,1GB (but never went higher).

 

[AltecX]

You should care about RAM especially on a unified architecture such as the M1. That's why I brought up the Twitch issue, it will continue to eat ram until it's memory pressure gets into the yellow then a warning will prompt.

WHY does the architecture? You gave me no reason WHY.

I literally use twitch for HOURS(3+ on average) sometimes all day long and have never had Safari use up all my memory. In fact, I regularly also have discord, photoshop, a VPN, Outlook, and other tabs/browser windows open while doing it and never used all 16GB of my memory or had any warning.

So in my daily experience, your statement is just wrong.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Sorry, but I can't replicate what you're claiming. I just had 5 or 6 tabs open in Safari, running a Twitch stream for about half an hour and memory usage for Twitch fluctuated between 600MB and 1,1GB (but never went higher).

Do you have your Twitch video quality set to auto? If you do then once you tab out or if Safari detects high utilization it will throttle the quality. If you force 1080p on Twitch memory utilization will definitely go higher. I have a new MBP 16” it does this on as well. Try those settings for 15-20 min and use activity monitor.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

WHY does the architecture? You gave me no reason WHY.

I literally use twitch for HOURS(3+ on average) sometimes all day long and have never had Safari use up all my memory. In fact, I regularly also have discord, photoshop, a VPN, Outlook, and other tabs/browser windows open while doing it and never used all 16GB of my memory or had any warning.

So in my daily experience, your statement is just wrong.

Based on this and your previous response it seems like you might need to go back to basics on how a computer works but it also sounds like you’re very stubborn so I won’t be baited into arguing with you.

 

[AltecX]

Based on this and your previous response it seems like you might need to go back to basics on how a computer works but it also sounds like you’re very stubborn so I won’t be baited into arguing with you.

I'm VERY well aware of how it works, but I also know that with months of using TWITCH and many Apps at once with no memory issues, makes your test seem like bunk to me.

You've provided 0 useful information with 2 people in this thread 100% unable to agree with your findings.

>Makes a big browser test, didn't even know you can turn off suspending tabs, but tells others to go back to basics lol.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

Do you have your Twitch video quality set to auto? If you do then once you tab out or if Safari detects high utilization it will throttle the quality. If you force 1080p on Twitch memory utilization will definitely go higher. I have a new MBP 16” it does this on as well. Try those settings for 15-20 min and use activity monitor.

Had it set to 720p60.

 

[TrancyGoose]

I don't know... you work for Google or something?
Been testing three browsers routinely: Safari, Chrome and MS Edge.
Now, for work purposes I use Chrome, we live unfortunately in Google Workspace world.

But for personal use, I always found that Chrome uses the most memory, Edge using less and Safari even less but not far behind Edge. Same tabs open, same stuff happening. When it comes to resources, Safari unfortunately always wins, and I say unfortunately, because MS Edge is actually a better browser.

 

[Buntschwalbe]

I like the topic, so thanks to the OP. Sadly, there isn't any valuable data in this Thread; ergo no way to replicate anything or to draw any conclusion. Try better, or leave it.

 

[JustAnExpat]

I am not understanding this post

1. If those are the only applications open (Safari and Chrome)? It looks like there's another program, "magnet" running as well.
2. How much memory exactly is Safari using, and Chrome using.
3. Was it on a resent re-start or did you have the computer running for a while?
4. I'm not seeing what's wrong with high memory usage?

 

[Mr. Awesome]

1. If those are the only applications open (Safari and Chrome)? It looks like there's another program, "magnet" running as well.

Magnet is a menu bar app that adds keyboard shortcuts for snapping windows. Hardly uses any system resources at all.

 

[AltecX]

3hrs of TWITCH last night, and Safari sat moving idling between 587 and 620MB of RAM and back down the WHOLE TIME.

Again, this is FUD.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

3hrs of TWITCH last night, and Safari sat moving idling between 587 and 620MB of RAM and back down the WHOLE TIME.

Again, this is FUD.

Now that this has turned into a Twitch thread here is another one, this time I was watching a VOD on my brand new MBP 16". Notice the memory pop-up and the 4GB of RAM Safari is using!

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

I am not understanding this post

1. If those are the only applications open (Safari and Chrome)? It looks like there's another program, "magnet" running as well.
2. How much memory exactly is Safari using, and Chrome using.
3. Was it on a resent re-start or did you have the computer running for a while?
4. I'm not seeing what's wrong with high memory usage?

1. Magnet is a small program, wasn't the point of this thread.
2. The point is they are using very similar memory usage.
3. This doesn't matter.
4. There is no high memory usage, the point of this thread was to talk about how Chrome/Chromium based browsers have a stigma about being memory hogs vs Safari when this not the case with Apple Silicon. The high memory usage was about Twitch and other people made it a big deal but was never the basis for this thread.

Basically, it was to show folks all browsers are pretty much the same with resource utilization on Apple Silicon.

 

[AltecX]

1. Magnet is a small program, wasn't the point of this thread.
2. The point is they are using very similar memory usage.
3. This doesn't matter.
4. There is no high memory usage, the point of this thread was to talk about how Chrome/Chromium based browsers have a stigma about being memory hogs vs Safari when this not the case with Apple Silicon. The high memory usage was about Twitch and other people made it a big deal but was never the basis for this thread.

Basically, it was to show folks all browsers are pretty much the same with resource utilization on Apple Silicon.

Thats been true on Intel based chips for years now also. Even on Windows.