Chrome and Safari are the two most widely used web browsers in the world. Chrome dominates this space with a whopping 66% market share. Whereas, Safari secures the second position with 18%. While the gap may seem huge, and it is mainly due to Chrome’s popularity, Safari has been in second position despite being locked into Apple’s ecosystem. Which is huge as it means, most Apple users prefer Safari.
These two web browsers function very differently than one another. If you’re trying to choose between the two there’s a lot to go through. In this in-depth comparison, we will go through speed, performance, user experience, extensions, privacy, security, cross-platform compatibility and more. We will also look into some benchmarks and real world usage.
Quick Comparison Between Chrome and Safari
| Feature | Google Chrome | Apple Safari |
| Speed | Fast, but resource-heavy | Optimised for macOS/iOS, energy-efficient |
| RAM Usage | High due to multi-process architecture | Lower, better memory management |
| User Interface | Customisable, easy to navigate | Clean, minimalist, macOS-integrated |
| Extensions | Extensive support via Chrome Web Store | Limited selection in App Store |
| Privacy & Tracking | Default privacy settings are weak | Strong tracking prevention (ITP) |
| Security | Frequent updates, sandboxing | Strong security measures |
| Cross-Platform | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Mac and iOS only |
| Battery Efficiency | Power-hungry on laptops | More efficient, optimised for Apple hardware |
| Ecosystem Integration | Google services, multi-device sync | Deep integration with macOS and iOS |
Speed & Performance
Is Safari Faster Than Chrome?
Yes, Safari is faster than Chrome. But there’s more to it. All modern browsers are fast enough. Of course there are differences in speed. And you’ll find that difference in benchmarks. However, they matter very little in real life usage. That said, we tested both Chrome and Safari using a browser benchmark tool called Speedometer 3.0 and the results are somewhat interesting.
Chrome got a 22.5 on Windows and 29.2 on macOS. Safari got a 39.1 on macOS. One thing we have discovered while benchmarking browsers is that they run significantly better on macOS. However, this chart reveals that even at Chrome’s best, it gets beaten by Safari very easily. You can get a more detailed comparison with more browsers on the fastest web browsers of 2025.
Now, this difference is not noticeable in real world usage. Both Chrome and Safari have their own optimisations to improve performance. Safari benefits from the WebKit rendering engine from Apple. It is designed to be lightweight and efficient on macOS and iOS. It loads pages fast and smoothly.
Chrome powered by Google’s V8 JavaScript engine is known for its aggressive caching and optimisation which improves loading times. But this comes at a cost of resource consumption. Chrome generally outperforms Safari in JavaScript heavy web apps but it also consumes much more memory and CPU which can slow down performance on lower spec machines.
Does Chrome use more RAM than Safari?
Yes, Chrome uses more system memory compared to Safari. And it’s one of the most common complaints about the browser. Chrome’s multi-process architecture runs each tab as a separate instance. This means that every tab, extension, and even some background processes run as separate system processes instead of a single, unified one. While this improves stability and security, this is what makes it a resource hog as well. So if you’re trying to run Chrome on older hardware with 4GB DDR3 memory, you’re going to have a bad time.
Safari on the other hand is more resource efficient. But it has some clear advantages here. As there are a handful of macOS and iOS machines with even fewer hardware variations, it is significantly easier to optimise apps for macOS than it is for Windows. Other than that, Safari has taken some thoughtful measures to make the browser run more efficiently. It offloads inactive tabs and reduces background processes. If you are a Mac user, you will notice that Safari runs much smoother with multiple tabs open compared to Chrome which gets slower as more tabs are opened.
Is Safari Better Than Chrome for Battery Life?
Yes, Safari consumes much less battery than Chrome. However, it’s very hard to measure battery life. MacBooks in general are designed to be efficient when it comes to battery life. But then there are background processes, other opened apps. You’re never only using a web browser, right? But every bit of battery life counts, especially if you’re always on the go, working from cafes or studying at the library.
For Macbook users, battery life is key when choosing a browser. Safari is designed to be power efficient, it consumes fewer system resources and extends battery life. Apple’s tight integration of hardware and software means Safari can manage power usage well, background activity is reduced and energy efficient processes are prioritised.
Chrome is fast and feature rich but battery draining. The same multi process architecture that makes it stable also consumes more CPU cycles and thus more power. If you’re a Macbook user and want to get the most battery life, Safari is the way to go. On Windows, Edge is more efficient compared to Chrome. You can read our Edge vs Chrome comparison to get the full picture.
User Interface & Experience
Which Browser Gives a Better User Experience: Safari or Chrome?
A browser’s user interface can make or break the whole browsing experience. You want your browser to be fairly easy to use, with all essentials easily accessible. However, you also want a certain level of customisability to make it yours. Even a minimalist design needs to be functional.
Safari goes all in on Apple’s minimalist design principle, and the UI is clean and uncluttered. It blends seamlessly with macOS and iOS, with rounded tabs, native animations and fluid scrolling. It also has Reader Mode which removes distractions from web pages for better readability.
Chrome on the other hand goes for functionality and flexibility. Chrome’s design is familiar. This is how we expect browsers to look like. And while the design is fairly clean, it allows for more customisation, tab grouping, themes and experimental UI features. The omnibox combines the search bar and address bar into one, it’s a more intuitive search experience. But Safari converts may find Chrome’s UI overwhelming compared to Safari’s simplicity.
How much can you tweak Chrome and Safari?
There are multiple layers to customisability. It’s not just about looks and theme. Being able to reorganise certain elements or add experimental features or even how much access the extensions have over the browser. All this can contribute to a browser’s customisability. And between the two, Chrome is a clear winner here.
On Chrome you can install themes, change default search engines, and enable experimental features through Chrome flags. The browser’s flexibility allows users to tailor their browsing experience to their needs. Moreover, the extensions have less restrictions, so they can make certain changes to the browser’s UI to make it more functional.
Safari almost compromises on usability in favour of minimalism. As a result it is far more restrictive. It has fewer customisation options and they barely make any changes to the interface. You can choose your background image and enable the favorites bar, that’s about it. macOS has some excellent browsers like Orion or Vivaldi that offer more customisability. You can learn more about them on our best web browsers for Mac in 2025 article.
Extensions & Add-ons
Which browser supports more extensions: Chrome or Safari?
While you can totally use any browser without extension and an ideal browser should work perfectly, extensions can add a lot more to it. With your favorite set of extensions, you can enhance your browsing experience significantly. You can install an ad blocker to get rid of pop-ups. Want to access region-locked content on your browser? Install a VPN extension. There are password managers, productivity extensions and much more. And Chrome has an upperhand here.
Chrome’s Web Store offers an extensive selection of extensions, including ad blockers, productivity tools, and developer utilities. As the base Chromium is open-source, it allows developers or third-party extensions more access to the browser, so they can make slight modifications here and there.
Safari, however, has a much smaller selection of extensions available through the Mac App Store. While Apple has made efforts to expand its extension ecosystem, it still lags behind Chrome in terms of variety. Moreover, Safari’s extensions are more tightly controlled, which reduces the risk of malicious add-ons. However, this also means developers have less control over the browser.
Security risks of browser extensions
While Chrome offers a larger library of extensions, it also comes with higher security risks. Many third-party Chrome extensions request excessive permissions. Which can potentially lead to privacy vulnerabilities. Safari’s stricter extension policies make sure that only verified and trusted extensions are available. This reduces the likelihood of security breaches.
Privacy & Security
Is Safari More Private Than Chrome?
Browser privacy is more important now than ever. With targeted advertisement on the rise, it surely feels like advertisers know a bit too much about us. So if you’re conscious about your privacy, it’s better to opt for a browser that cares about it too. And in this case, that would be Safari.
Safari has built-in privacy features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), which blocks third-party trackers and prevents advertisers from following users across the web.
As a Google product, Chrome is heavily integrated with Google’s advertising ecosystem. While it offers privacy settings and incognito mode, it still collects data for targeted advertising. Google is working on privacy-focused initiatives like the Privacy Sandbox, but Safari remains the better choice for users who prioritise privacy.
Do Chrome or Safari built-in Ad Blockers?
Neither Chrome nor Safari offers built-in ad blocking, but Safari’s tracking prevention does block some forms of targeted advertising. However, if you want full ad blocker you should have a look at the best ad blockers of 2025.
What are the security features of Safari and Chrome?
Privacy and security are often mentioned together. However they are not interchangeable words. On a browser privacy and security features are very distinct. As we have already discussed, privacy addresses issues regarding data collection and sharing. However, security features deal with malware and other cyber threats. Both Chrome and Safari are fairly secure, with enough safeguards in place.
Chrome updates its browser frequently to patch security holes, uses sandboxing to isolate processes and has Safe Browsing which warns you about potentially harmful websites.
Safari has strong security features too. Built-in fraud prevention, automatic HTTPS upgrades and Apple Pay security integrations.
Cross-Platform Availability & Compatibility
Which Browser Works on More Devices?
It’s Chrome. One of its best features is the cross platform support. It’s available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS so it’s great if you jump between devices. Chrome’s syncing means bookmarks, history and passwords are shared across all platforms. Especially if you’re an Android user, Chrome and Android share the same password manager and syncing is absolutely flawless.
Safari is only available on Apple devices. It works great within the ecosystem. With all the integrations with Apple Pay, Keychain, and iCloud+. However all this only comes to fruition if the user is deep into the Apple ecosystem. So at least an iPhone and MacBook. It’s not available on Windows or Android so if you’re an Apple only user that’s not a problem. But if you need a browser across multiple devices Chrome is the better choice.
Final Verdict
This is one of the easiest verdict to give as these browsers are for two different types of users. If you have more than one Apple device and you want your browser to be continuous. Safari is the way to go. It’s perfect for on the go browsing. It’s easy on the battery. And you can pick up your tabs from your Mac to your iPhone. It doesn’t get better than that.
However, if you are a multi device user like me. So for example, you have a MacBook and an Android, you may want to consider Chrome. Or any other Chromium based alternative. Also if you rely on Google services and ecosystem, like Google Docs, Calendar, Photos, Drive, then you’re going to have a better time with Chrome. And the overall customisation features are also an added bonus.