Google Chrome vs. Safari: Which browser is better for iPhone and Mac?

Tab isolation: Chrome uses a process isolation model, which means that each tab runs as a separate process. This can help prevent a single tab from using up too much memory and crashing the entire browser.

Reduced memory leaks: Chrome’s use of a “garbage collector” helps to prevent memory leaks and ensure that unused memory is released back to the system, improving the overall stability and performance of the browser.

Tab discarding feature: This feature automatically discards inactive tabs that are not being used, freeing up RAM and reducing the strain on a device’s resources.

More likely to crash: If Chrome uses too much RAM, it can cause the browser to crash, which can be hugely frustrating for users.

Drain battery life: If you’re using Chrome on a MacBook or iPhone, the higher RAM usage can quickly drain your battery life.

Applications could slow down: If Chrome is using too much RAM, it can slow down other applications you have open, making it difficult to work efficiently.

More frequent updates: Chrome’s relatively higher RAM usage means that it may require more frequent updates to fix bugs and improve performance.

Faster performance: With more RAM to spare, Safari can store more data in memory, making it faster to access and load websites and web applications.

Better multitasking: By using less RAM, Safari can handle more open tabs and processes at the same time without slowing down.

Improved stability: Safari is less likely to crash or freeze when running memory-intensive applications or websites.

Enhanced gaming experience: Safari is better-able to support high-resolution gaming and provide smoother gameplay.

Limited extension support: Safari limits the amount of memory that can be used by browser extensions, which can cause some extensions to function poorly or not work at all.

Limited customization: Safari’s RAM management has limited options to adjust memory usage or control how tabs and processes are managed, which means they can’t really be catered to the user.

Fewer development tools: Safari’s RAM management also doesn’t offer as many development tools or plugins as other browsers, which can make it less useful for web developers and designers.

It’s touted as being fast: Chrome is known for its fast page loading times and overall swift performance.

It’s up-to-date with the latest technology: Chrome is designed to take advantage of modern hardware and software, which allows it to run smoothly on a wide range of devices and operating systems.

It has prerendering: Chrome has a feature called “prerendering” that allows it to anticipate the user’s next click and start loading the page in advance, which can significantly speed up browsing.

RAM issues can affect its speed: Chrome is known to be a memory hog, which can slow down performance on devices with limited resources.

Regular updates: Chrome’s frequent updates and new features can sometimes lead to bugs and other issues that impact performance.

Third-party extensions: Chrome’s privacy features, such as ad-blocking and tracking prevention, can sometimes slow down website loading times, especially for sites with a lot of ads and trackers.

It’s got a good reputation: Safari is generally considered to be one of the fastest web browsers available for macOS and iOS devices.

It’s made for Apple devices: Safari is optimized for Apple’s hardware and software, which allows it to run smoothly on these devices.

Its ITP feature makes it faster: Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) feature can speed up website loading times by blocking unnecessary tracking scripts and cookies.

It’s not optimized for other devices: Safari may not perform as well on non-Apple devices and operating systems, because they can only use earlier versions of the browser that aren’t up-to-date.

Potential cache issues: Safari’s performance can be affected by the amount of cache and browsing data stored on the device, which can slow down the browser over time.

Web technology support: Safari may not always support the latest web technologies as quickly as other browsers, which could impact the performance of certain websites and web applications.

Pros: 

• You can search for a term within a website from the address bar itself by typing in a URL, hitting the space bar, and typing in a search term.
• Chrome’s tab grouping feature allows users to organize tabs into groups, which can be color-coded for easy identification.

Cons: 

• Chrome doesn’t offer tab previews that accurately represent the content of the page if you hover over them. 

Pros: 

• Chrome allows you to create folders to organize your bookmarks into categories, which can help you to keep them organized and easy to find.
• The little star on the address bar makes it quick and easy to bookmark a page. 

Cons:

• Navigating to the Bookmarks manager isn’t seamless. Also, bookmarks are arranged in the order that they were added instead of alphabetically, which makes finding one in a hurry a little harder.

Pros: 

• Also known as the omnibox, Chrome’s address bar also serves as a search bar.
• Users can quickly access their browsing history and bookmarks by typing “chrome://history” or “chrome://bookmarks” into the omnibox.

Cons: 

• While you can permanently turn off omnibox predictions,  they will still appear based on your browsing history, which lowers your privacy.

Pros: 

• The default homepage on Chrome displays the Google search bar and a collection of frequently visited web pages for quick and easy access 

Cons: 

• While you can customize the appearance of your Google Chrome homepage background by adding a theme/changing colors, there are limits to how much you can customize functionality and behavior compared to Safari.

Pros: 

• On Mac, you can hover over a tab to see its live preview.

• You can right-click a tab and select the option that allows you to close all tabs to the right of it, which can help save time.

Cons: 

• Safari’s tab management is less flexible as moving tabs to a different window, or opening up a new tab from the current one isn’t straightforward.

Pros: 

• Safari’s sidebar for bookmarks makes it easy to organize and access frequently visited websites.

Cons:

• Safari doesn’t allow you to add a bookmark by dragging and dropping a URL into the folder. Instead, users must click the Share button and add it manually.

Pros: 

• Like Chrome, Safari’s address bar doubles as a search bar, allowing users to search for terms or phrases directly from the bar, without having to navigate to a separate search engine.
  

Cons: 

• Safari’s address bar has built-in support for privacy features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) that prevents third-party trackers from following users across the web.

Pros: 

• Users can customize the start page. You can set a background image and display new sections, such as Siri Suggestions, Privacy Report, and Shared with You. Your customizations also sync across devices.

Cons: 

• Safari allows users to customize the toolbar and homepage, but some users may find it difficult to find or access these options, especially if they aren’t familiar with Safari’s interface.

Large variety available: Google Chrome has an extensive library of extensions available for desktop devices. These extensions can streamline your browsing experience, making it more efficient and personalized.

Limited to desktop: Most extensions aren’t available on mobile devices, which is a significant disadvantage for Chrome users who also browse the web on their smartphones or tablets.

Support for web extensions on your mobile devices: The recent support offered on iOS devices and later means that users can now customize their browsing experience to their iPhones and iPads in the same way as on their Macs.

Experience isn’t very customizable: Safari has a limited extension library compared with Chrome.

Fast synchronization: Chrome tends to synchronize data faster than Safari, particularly large amounts of data, such as bookmarks and browsing history.

More options: Chrome offers more options for syncing, including syncing extensions, open tabs, history, settings, and autofill content. It also automatically syncs with your Google profile when you log into a new device.

Cross-device sync: Chrome allows you to sync open tabs across devices, so you can pick up where you left off on a different device.

App integration: Google Chrome doesn’t integrate as closely with other Apple apps and services, such as iCloud Keychain and the Apple ecosystem.

Password manager: Safari’s iCloud Keychain is more tightly integrated with the Apple ecosystem, making it easier to sync passwords across multiple devices.

Customizable Start screen: Safari syncs its customizable Start screen across devices, as well as passwords, bookmarks, history, and tabs.

Safari is primarily limited to macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, meaning information can only be synced across these devices.

• Utilizes Google Safe Browsing database to protect against phishing sites and malware.
• Chrome is updated frequently to address vulnerabilities.
• Pop-ups are blocked by default.
• Offers a range of customizable security extensions, including ad blockers and anti-virus monitors.
• Alerts users when they visit an insecure HTTP website.
• Chrome uses sandbox technology to isolate web pages and prevent them from interacting with other parts of your computer. This helps prevent malware from infecting your system.
• Chrome’s password manager and other security settings can be synced across devices, which makes it easy to maintain a consistent security setup.
• In the past, Google has encouraged hackers to find vulnerabilities in its browser so the company can improve its product.

• Password manager only works within the browser and can’t be used as a third-party password manager on Apple devices.
• Because of its popularity, Chrome is often a target for hackers and cybercriminals. This means that it may be more vulnerable to security breaches.

• The browser has a Privacy Report feature that shows you which websites are tracking you and how often.
• Like Chrome, Safari uses the Google Safe Browsing database to protect against phishing sites and malware.
• Automatically upgrades insecure HTTP sites to HTTPS.
• Alerts users when it encounters suspicious websites and prevents them from loading.
• Password management is top-notch, with a built-in iCloud keychain and password monitoring feature.
• Safari includes an intelligent tracking prevention feature that blocks cookies and other website data from being shared across domains. 
• It has an anti-fingerprinting feature that helps prevent websites from identifying you based on your browser settings and preferences.

• Not as frequently updated as Chrome, which could pose a risk.
• Limited options for ad blockers.
• Safari’s security features are built-in and can’t be customized to the same extent as Chrome’s.

• Chrome offers a wide range of browser extensions to enhance privacy
  Part of Chrome’s code is open-source, which allows users to scrutinize the browser
• Incognito mode prevents activity from showing up in browser history

• Chrome has a vague privacy policy
  Google’s revenue stream relies on advertising, leading to the potential misuse of browsing data
• Several features that compromise privacy are enabled by default—such as search predictions and URL suggestions that automatically get sent to Google’s servers

• Easy to block cookies and trackers
  Safari offers users a privacy report to monitor trackers and websites contacting them
• Users can opt for iCloud+ premium features such as Private Relay and Hide My Email
• Private Relay encrypts traffic and sends it through two separate relays to ensure anonymity
• Hide My Email creates unique email addresses to keep your actual address private
• ITP prevents trackers from profiling you using your IP address
  Private Browsing mode to avoid activity showing up in browser history

• Safari is not open-source, so outsiders can’t scrutinize any of its code
  Users who want more control over their privacy may find other browsers offer more customization options