1. Firefox runs better on battery
Many people say that Chrome is faster than Firefox, and in some ways they are right. But Chrome is more CPU intensive than Firefox, which results in faster processing and smoother performance. The main disadvantage of this is battery leakage. And to be honest, Firefox isn't all that slow.
According to Microsoft, which has been compiled by millions of Windows 10 users, Firefox uses 31% less power than Chrome. If you are using a laptop, you can significantly increase the time between recharges.
2. Firefox is better suited for heavy workloads
How do you compare Firefox and Chrome in terms of RAM usage? To test this, I ran both browsers (each separately, without any other applications) under four test cases: one tab, five tabs, 10 tabs, and 15 tabs. Each of these tabs pointed to the Glixel site.
1 tab - 49,2 MB
5 tabs - 265,3 MB
10 tabs - 533,2 MB
15 tabs - 748,3 MB
1 tab - 116,3 MB
5 tabs - 376,6 MB
10 tabs - 437,0 MB
15 tabs - 518,4 MB
Two things are immediately obvious. First, Chrome uses less RAM than Firefox when you have few open tabs. Secondly, Firefox scales much better than Chrome when you reach about eight tabs or so. If you open 20 or more tabs regularly, Firefox clearly wins.
3. Firefox isn't trying to appear as more than just a browser
A few months ago I read an interesting post from a longtime Chrome enthusiast who ended up switching to Firefox. And there was an interesting thought in his article:
“Chrome today is not the fast and simple browser it was in 2011. Today Chrome is rather a cumbersome platform that also knows how to go online. "
This leads to why I personally lost my love for Chrome. What used to be a lightweight, fast and incredibly minimalistic web browser has now become a complex beast that has no recollection of what made it so appealing. Much of the blame can be attributed to Google's desire to turn Chrome into a Chrome OS.
On the other hand, Firefox is still just a browser. Yes, it's not the clean and simple tool that Chrome was in the beginning, and some might even say Firefox is bloated too much, but at least it's not trying to be what it isn't.
4. Firefox is truly open source
Technically, we can say that Chrome is also open source, as it is based on the Chromium browser, which itself spawned many browsers (eg Opera, Vivaldi, Slimjet, Brave). But the true "open source" mentality is about more than just letting others use your code.
Google views Chrome as more of a closed competitive product than an open source tool. Yes, the code in it is open to everyone, but it is guarded by a large organization, where most of the decisions and discussions of the future direction are carried out within this very organization. It doesn't have the open source culture that everyone is used to.
On the other hand, Firefox has full access to the source, which is influenced by contributors and community members. This kind of collaboration is what real real open source development should be.
5. Firefox cares about user privacy
In 2014, Mozilla issued a call to arms for users in an attempt to protect online privacy, stating that "the fight for data privacy is part of Mozilla's DNA."
In 2015, the company's report confirmed its belief: “There are billions of people on the Internet, but there is not enough transparency and control in protecting security and privacy for users from companies, application developers and governments. Mozilla is focused on addressing key Internet security issues such as privacy and security ... "
But even if Mozilla weren't so keen on privacy, the real win here is that Mozilla isn't Google. We know Google is a giant data collection company. He already knows too much. Sounds like paranoia, but do you really want Google to know your every habit?
6. Firefox gives you a lot of customization
The degree of customization is the biggest difference between Firefox and Chrome. Every Chrome browser looks pretty much the same, even across different operating systems and devices. Apart from hiding certain toolbars or removing a few icons next to the address bar, you can only change the title and tabs.
Firefox can do more. In addition to moving things around and reducing the overall look, you can install full-fledged themes that completely change the look of your browser. You can even emulate the look and feel of other browsers with FXChrome, FXOpera и MX4.
7. Firefox supports Chrome extensions
Starting with Firefox 48, Mozilla announced stable support for WebExtensions. It is a cross-browser API that allows developers to create an extension once and work with it across multiple browsers. With WebExtensions, Firefox can install Chrome extensions.
All you have to do is install Chrome Store Foxified... After that, you can go to any Chrome extension in the Chrome Web Store, and the Add to Chrome button in the upper right corner will become the Add to Firefox button.
Please note that not all Chrome extensions are working at the moment, although there are many of them. Full support is expected with the release of Firefox 57 in November.
8. Firefox has unique extensions
Chrome has a large collection of extensions, but Firefox has a few that are unique to Chrome users.
The best example that comes to mind is “Tree style tabs". This extension turns the tab bar into a sidebar and allows you to organize your tabs in a tree-based hierarchy that you can move. It's amazing and really shows how embarrassing all other browsers should be, as no one else can do that. (Vivaldi supports sidebar tabs, but they cannot be organized in a hierarchy.)
9. Firefox can do what Chrome does (mostly)
After all, the differences between Firefox and Chrome. One might be slightly faster or use less battery, but in terms of usability, they are both excellent. In other words, anything you can do in Chrome can be done in Firefox as well.
Want to sync bookmarks, profiles, and more across devices? Need to build websites using the Item inspector and Console? How about a secure sandbox to prevent virus infections? Or a password manager to make your accounts more secure? Or a task manager for identifying performance issues? (hint: go to about: performance in Firefox.)
Chrome can do it all, and Firefox can. If you don't want to quit Chrome, just remember that the two browsers have more in common than they seem.
When is Chrome better than Firefox?
Finally, it's worth mentioning that I still have Chrome installed as a backup, because there are certain situations where Chrome is really better.
