Advice Request New Microsoft Edge grew 1,300% this year, overtaking Firefox

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Nightwater

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New Microsoft Edge grew 1,300% this year, overtaking Firefox​

The new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser has grown by over 1,300% in the past 12 months, while the Firefox browser is slowly losing its market share.

In January 2020, Microsoft released the first stable version of the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser and announced that they would slowly release it to Windows 10 users. Unless users created special Windows Registry values, the new Edge would replace Microsoft Edge Legacy when installed.

As the new Microsoft Edge uses the same engine as Google Chrome, the browser quickly grew in popularity as it provides excellent performance, features. and can use all of Chrome's existing extensions.

As first reported by WindowsLatest, StatCounter shows that Microsoft Edge has grown from a 0.57% market share in March 2020 to 8.03% by March 2021. This is an impressive 1,308% growth in market share in just twelve months.

The largest single-month increase for Microsoft Edge was in June 2020, most likely fueled by Microsoft's increasing rolling out of the new browser via Windows Update.

The new Microsoft Edge vs. Mozilla Firefox in market share

The new Microsoft Edge vs. Mozilla Firefox in market share
Source: WindowsLatest
While we expected that Microsoft Edge's increased usage would take away from Chrome's market share, in reality, Chrome's usage was only chipped away by less than a percentage point, 68.11 to 67.14%, over the past year.

On the other hand, Firefox has seen a steady decrease, with it having a 9.25% share in March 2020 and falling to 7.95% by March 2021. This makes it slightly less used than Microsoft Edge.

With Microsoft Edge Legacy being replaced by the new Microsoft Edge, its market share dropped from 4.56% in March 2020 to only 0.44% in March 2021.

As Microsoft will be forcibly replacing Microsoft Edge Legacy with the new Microsoft Edge as part of the upcoming April 2021 Patch Tuesday updates, Edge Legacy's market share will drop even further. At the same time, we should see a continued boost to the new Microsoft Edge's usage.

Regardless of which browser you use, the increased Microsoft Edge usage should be seen as a good thing as it is better to have competition in the market rather than one utterly dominant browser.

For a complete breakdown of market share over the past twelve months for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge Legacy, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Safari, you can consult the following table.

DateChromeSafariFirefoxEdgeEdge Legacy
2020-03
68.11​
8.93​
9.25​
0.57​
4.56​
2020-04
67.15​
9.7​
9.18​
1.01​
4.86​
2020-05
68.33​
9.4​
8.91​
1.24​
4.41​
2020-06
69.42​
8.74​
8.48​
2.37​
3.45​
2020-07
69.55​
8.36​
8.61​
4.12​
1.93​
2020-08
69.87​
8.27​
8.34​
5.02​
1.3​
2020-09
69.71​
8.73​
8.15​
5.54​
0.94​
2020-10
70.33​
8.87​
7.69​
5.83​
0.77​
2020-11
67.71​
9.83​
7.95​
6.82​
0.69​
2020-12
65.96​
10.43​
8.39​
7.43​
0.57​
2021-01
66.59​
10.38​
8.1​
7.81​
0.52​
2021-02
66.47​
10.27​
8.17​
8.01​
0.48​
2021-03
67.14​
10.11​
7.95​
8.03​
0.44​

Source: New Microsoft Edge grew 1,300% this year, overtaking Firefox
 
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show-Zi

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I think there are cases where you don't use it even if you have installed it. I also have the edge installed, but my main browser is Firefox.
Don't quit Firefox. The battle between Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome is, after all, just inside the Chromium family.
 

rain2reign

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Jun 21, 2020
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I think there are cases where you don't use it even if you have installed it. I also have the edge installed, but my main browser is Firefox.
Don't quit Firefox. The battle between Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome is, after all, just inside the Chromium family.
I share the sentiment. I also use Firefox mainly, because I have used it for so long that I just copy my profile folder over and voilà. Having that said, I am disappointed in the direction it's been heading. Some settings and under the hood security measures (or features) that have been default or opt-in in Chromium so far and yet either haven't made it into Firefox or just barely made the cut in the last 3-4 updates.

Always loved its customization, though the gap is not that big nowadays... I just wish they would just finally get stuff done....

Edit: In the end if other browser engines disappear, there will be no real competition aside from those within the Chromium family against each other. Which is a bad thing in my opinion. Especially since Google has been pushing its own Google web standards as the internet standard (making people forget we actually got internet web standards)...
 

The_King

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Edge is one of the best browsers right now, if not the best, and makes the most sense to use it because you don't need to install third party bloat. The only one that is tempting to replace it, depending on the features it gets, is Opera GX.
Edge is bloatware now bundled with MS windows I already had a web browser installed.

I don't disagree that the chromium based Edge browser is good very good actually but the intention behind the software is another issue.

Some history:
Internet Explorer is, at best, the second most popular web browser. Sometime in late 1998 or early 1999, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) became the most popular web browser, beating out Netscape. Microsoft made this happen by illegally bundling IE with Windows.02-May-2016
After MS IE went from the most popular web browser around the to browser that was only good for downloading another web browser from the internet, Microsoft
have tried in vain to capture back the market share it illegally obtained and failed miserable in the process over the years.

Finally they came up with a strategy that involved basing their Edge browser on chromium and are really only concerned
about how the can regain has much of the lost web browser market share as possible.


It always best IMHO to look at MS the company has a wolf in sheep's clothing.
 
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blackice

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Edge is bloatware now bundled with MS windows I already had a web browser installed.

I don't disagree that the chromium based Edge browser is good very good actually but the intention behind the software is another issue.

Some history:

After MS IE went from the most popular web browser around the to browser that was only good for downloading another web browser from the internet, Microsoft
have tried in vain to capture back the market share it illegally obtained and failed miserable in the process over the years.

Finally they came up with a strategy that involved basing their Edge browser on chromium and are really only concerned
about how the can regain has much of the lost web browser market share as possible.


It always best IMHO to look at MS the company has a wolf in sheep's clothing.

So they behaved like a business as a business. None of these tech companies are your buddy, they are all businesses.
 

The_King

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So they behaved like a business as a business. None of these tech companies are your buddy, they are all businesses.
Running a business is one thing having proper business ethics is another.

I am shocked that MS is allowed to legally bundle its Edge browser in Windows 10 or through windows updates.
 
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ForgottenSeer 72227

Running a business is one thing having proper business ethics is another.

I am shocked that MS is allowed to legally bundle its Edge browser in Windows 10 or through windows updates.
Well to be fair all OSes come with a default browser. And each maker of said OS may have their own in-house browser that ships with it. Apple ships with Safari, Linux typically ships with Firefox, Chrome OS/Android ship with chrome....so they all do it, not just MS.

Fact is no one is stopping users from installing which ever browser they want to use. Also, Windows shipped with Internet explorer/original Edge and that didn't stop the likes of Chrome/Firefox from being more popular/used. The difference this time around is that MS actually did a fantasic job with it and its a really, really good browser. So much so it's even put Google on notice.

In all honesty as good as Firefox is, they really only have themselves to blame. They were one of the most popular browsers before Chrome. Like many companies at the top, they stopped innovating/improving. As a result they became stagnant. Chrome comes along and catches Mozilla off guard, so now they are playing catch up. Unfortunately they can't catch up quickly enough to really stay realivent. Chrome was faster, more secure and had more features, hence why it got way more popular. Unfortunately for Firefox, it may be a case of "to little, too late."
 

ErzCrz

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I like Firefox a lot but only in conjunction with 3rd party AVs. Smartscreen is system wide and in Edge but should protect you no matter what browser you use. (I have Win 10 Home) so don't get the extra protection built-in but run Hard_Configurator to fill the gaps.

Firefox seems to have the better privacy protection but with Edge quick start, Edge is proving to be faster.
 
F

ForgottenSeer 72227

Come on guys, we are in 2021, hating Microsoft is no longer that cool.
Agreed!

I am no MS fanboy and I am not oblivious to fact they have done some pretty rotten things over the years. However I feel that people have gotten to use to blaming MS (whether true, or not) for everything and ignoring the facts.

In this case Mozilla stopped innovating/improving and sat by watching everyone else surpass them. There are many examples of this... just look at AMD VS Intel on the CPU side of things. Intel was at the top, sat there ignoring everyone else, Ryzen comes along....now look at where they are....playing catch up.
 
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The_King

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Well to be fair all OSes come with a default browser. And each maker of said OS may have their own in-house browser that ships with it. Apple ships with Safari, Linux typically ships with Firefox, Chrome OS/Android ship with chrome....so they all do it, not just MS.

Fact is no one is stopping users from installing which ever browser they want to use. Also, Windows shipped with Internet explorer/original Edge and that didn't stop the likes of Chrome/Firefox from being more popular/used. The difference this time around is that MS actually did a fantasic job with it and its a really, really good browser. So much so it's even put Google on notice.

In all honesty as good as Firefox is, they really only have themselves to blame. They were one of the most popular browsers before Chrome. Like many companies at the top, they stopped innovating/improving. As a result they became stagnant. Chrome comes along and catches Mozilla off guard, so now they are playing catch up. Unfortunately they can't catch up quickly enough to really stay realivent. Chrome was faster, more secure and had more features, hence why it got way more popular. Unfortunately for Firefox, it may be a case of "to little, too late."
How likely is a typical end user going to install another web browser in windows when EDGE is already a "fantastic browser" bundled in it.
Almost no one so your argument holds little to no water. This along with integrating Bing into windows start menu is forced upon
the end user.

I never said that Edge is not a great browser in fact i stated its very good.

And each maker of said OS may have their own in-house browser that ships with it. Apple ships with Safari, Linux typically ships with Firefox, Chrome OS/Android ship with chrome....so they all do it, not just MS
Firefox is the only one in your list who are not the owners of the corresponding OS. Apple owns Safari, Google owns chrome and MS owns Edge.
Linux does not own Firefox!
 
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ForgottenSeer 72227

How likely is a typical end user going to install another web browser in windows when EDGE is already a "fantastic browser" bundled in it.
Almost no one so your argument holds little to no water. This along with integrating Bing into windows start menu is forced upon
the end user.
While it is true that not everyone will install another browser than what comes with the OS, it still seems to happen enough. Why else did internet explorer have a significantly smaller market share compared to Chrome and Firefox?

I never said that Edge is not a great browser in fact i stated its very good.

I never said that you said it was a bad browser. I brought it up as it really is one of the main reasons to its increased marketshare. W10 shipped with the original Edge, while better than internet explorer..it wasn't good enough to pull people away from Chrome and Firefox. Now that they built a much better browser people are using it because they like it.

People should use what they like whether it's comes with the OS or not is irrelevant. As I've stated earlier, Windows came with internet explorer/orgional Edge. However since they weren't as good as Chrome/Firefix at the time people turned elsewhere. If Firefox wants to stay realivent, they need to make a better browser plain and simple.

Firefox is the only one in your list who are not the owners of the corresponding OS. Apple owns Safari, Google owns chrome and MS owns Edge.
Linux does not own Firefox!
I agree. I only mentioned it to highlight the fact that every OS comes with a default browser. While it is true Firefox is separe from Linux distributions, it is the primary default browser for the vast majority of Linux distros. :)
 

blackice

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How likely is a typical end user going to install another web browser in windows when EDGE is already a "fantastic browser" bundled in it.

Chrome seems to be doing just fine. Even excluding mobile their market share is not even close. Almost everyone I know installs Chrome regardless of their tech ability. If you remember Google was the cool savior of the internet 15 years ago. Does anybody remember when you were cool for having a beta gmail account? It's only relatively recently trendy to hate on them. A business's job is to increase market share. That's what all of these browsers are doing. Firefox's niche just makes that more difficult. If they could they would be controlling 68% market just like google.
 

The_King

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I agree. I only mentioned it to highlight the fact that every OS comes with a default browser. While it is true Firefox is separe from Linux distributions, it is the primary default browser for the vast majority of Linux distros. :)
This is exactly my point the OS is independent from the default web browser and it does not serve any self interest or stake.

MS could easily make chrome the default browser on Windows 10 since it is still currently the most popular browser around but
they didnt not do that.
 
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