While everything else about your choice of Mac browser is largely subjective and down to personal preference, it's inarguable that Google's Chrome browser has always been way harder on your MacBook battery due to its considerably less power-efficient design.
Safari used about 5% to 10% less RAM than Chrome, Firefox and Edge in my tests. Compared with Chrome, Safari kept the 13-inch MacBook Pro running an extra 1 to 2 hours on a charge. Plus, the laptop was a lot cooler and quieter, with the exception of in-browser video calls.
Install Chrome on MacDownload the installation file. Open the file called 'googlechrome. dmg'. Drag Chrome to the Applications folder.
As we've explained above, it's certainly not an essential requirement to install antivirus software on your Mac. Apple does a pretty good job of keeping on top of vulnerabilities and exploits and the updates to the macOS that will protect your Mac will be pushed out over auto-update very quickly.
Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser developed by Google. Most of Chrome's source code comes from Google's free and open-source software project Chromium, but Chrome is licensed as proprietary freeware.
The Google Chrome web browser (and any other browser which uses the Chromium source) is known to use lots of system resources (CPU & memory) causing the computer to slow down, the CPU to use a lot more computing cycles causing the CPU to run really hot.
Web browsers available for Mac OS X include:
- Safari. Safari is Apple's own web browser for Mac OS X (version 10.2 and later).
- Chrome. Chrome is Google's web browser.
- Camino.
- iCab.
- OmniWeb.
- Opera.
Sometimes, a single Chrome tab can use lots of memory due to a bug or poor configuration. Sometimes, a Chrome memory leak will cause your browser to freeze (or even your whole system). Once you've killed off the resource-heavy processes, there are some other things you can do to fix frequent Chrome crashes.
Unfortunately, Chrome is sometimes too cautious and can block perfectly safe files, which it believes might be dangerous. If you are trying to download a file, but Chrome won't allow it, you can temporarily (or permanently) disable the browser's security.
This problem may be caused by the computer running out of memory. It may be due to multiple apps running in the computer, extensions that slow the Chrome app, and file downloads or other tabs. To solve Google Chrome problems running on your mac, consider clearing browsing data under the Chrome settings.
Place your MacBook on a flat, level surface such as a table or desk instead of your bed or blanket. This should increase airflow and cool the computer down. If you are out in the sun, take the computer inside or at least into a shady area out of direct sunlight.
- Brave: Best all-round secure browser.
- Tor Browser: Extremely private (but very slow)
- Epic Privacy Browser: Strong privacy through brute force.
- Mozilla Firefox: Private and profit-free.
- Google Chrome: Seriously secure (but not private)
- Microsoft Edge: Strong phishing protection.
These are both very fast browsers. Granted, Chrome narrowly beats Edge in the Kraken and Jetstream benchmarks, but it's not enough to recognize in day-to-day use. Microsoft Edge does have one significant performance advantage over Chrome: Memory usage. In essence, Edge uses fewer resources.
Mozilla Firefox. Mozilla Firefox is another excellent browser choice on Mac and iOS, and would be at the top of our list if it wasn't for Brave. Firefox for Mac uses Google Safe Browsing to protect users from malicious websites and cybercriminals.
In addition to better caching and preloading of pages, I find the gestures / animations speed up everything. For example, wiping the trackpad to go forward/ back in chrome is so quick and easy. It takes a much wider motion to swipe on safari because it has to animate the whole damn page sliding away.
Since both Edge and Safari come as default browsers on Windows laptops and MacBooks respectively, they work more like native apps. While Chrome can account for more than 50% of CPU usage, Safari can run as low as 5 to 10%. Edge fares even better, running as low as 3 to 5% CPU usage.
Because of compatibility issues with some websites, using other browsers instead of Safari may be optimal. You can change the default browser in your Mac's general preferences, or by scrolling through options in an alternative browser.
Safari is far from the only browser you can use on a Mac, however. While the built-in option has benefits, you may want a different program, like Google Chrome. Open the Downloads folder and double-click the file called googlechrome. dmg to launch the installer.
Firefox's default privacy settings are more protective than those of Chrome and Edge, and the browser has more privacy options under the hood, too. Standard, the default Firefox setting, blocks trackers in private windows, third party tracking cookies and cryptominers.
In fact, both Chrome and Firefox have rigorous security in place. While Chrome proves to be a safe web browser, its privacy record is questionable. Google actually collects a disturbingly large amount of data from its users including location, search history and site visits.
If you're integrated with the Apple ecosystem, Safari is still a great choice. But if you value having the latest and greatest privacy protections and being able to work across multiple operating systems, we think Firefox is your best bet.
