Safari vs. Chrome are two of the most popular browsers in use today. The question is: which one values your privacy more? To understand where each browser stands, our review team at VPNOverview tested both, specifically focusing on four key areas:
- Security
- Performance
- Ease of use
- Data privacy
The results were tighter than you may have thought. While there’s obviously a very subjective element to this, we put each browser through its paces and tried to be as objective as possible.
Whether you prefer Safari or Chrome for daily use, using a VPN can make your browsing experience safer and more private. We recommend NordVPN as the best VPN, and it works just as well with both Safari and Chrome.
For a full understanding of the tests we performed and the features we looked at, check out our Safari vs. Chrome comparison below!
In the age of digital warfare, where your every click and scroll can be a battleground, choosing the right web browser is more crucial than ever. Safari and Chrome are two of the most commonly used browsers today.
As privacy concerns mount and data breaches become increasingly common, we pit these two titans of the browsing world against each other, examining their strengths and weaknesses to help you confidently navigate the treacherous online landscape.
Which is the best browser for Mac? Which is the safest web browser between the two? The results might just surprise you.
Safari vs. Chrome: Functionality and Feature Comparison
| Browser | Safari | Chrome |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Apple | |
| Release Date | January 2003 | September 2008 |
| Supported Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows (outdated) | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, Android, Linux |
| Security | Safari Private Browsing Connects to Google’s Safe Browsing Database Keychain password manager Regulate security patches, though updates come less frequently | Incognito Mode Connects to Google’s Safe Browsing Database Google password manager Regular security and other updates |
| Performance | Faster graphics rendering than Chrome | Beats Safari in both Javascript handling and general responsiveness |
| Ease of Use | Tab grouping makes tab management easy Translate web pages (less effectively than Chrome) Handoff website tabs between devices Make purchases on macOS and verify with mobile Blocks pop-ups natively | Tab groups to manage multiple tabs Can translate most foreign-language webpages Cast almost anything to Google Chromecast Blocks pop-ups natively |
| Extensions Support | Supports web extensions, though less than Chrome Supports use of mobile extensions on iOS/iPadOS | Significant support for thousands of extensions Cannot use Chrome extensions on iOS |
| Data Handling | Gathers limited data, including browsing history, browser cache, download history, login credentials, and IP address Shares data with limited Apple partners Tracking and cross-site tracking protection Built-in pop-up blocker | Gathers IP and location, search and browsing history, user identifiers, and product interaction data Do Not Track feature for tracking protection Uses anonymized data extensively for targeted advertising Built-in pop-up blocker |
Safari vs. Chrome: Which Browser is More Secure?
It’s important to have a browser that keeps you secure online. An unsecured browser can expose you to keyloggers, malware, and other online threats.
With this in mind, the first stop in our Safari vs. Chrome comparison was to look at security. We considered points including:
- The frequency with which both Google and Apple fixed security flaws
- Whether each browser can help you to detect and avoid security risks
- How each browser managers your passwords and other credentials
- Any other added functionality, such as dark web monitoring
So, let’s look at how each browser can help to keep you secure.
1. Malicious website detection
Safari and Chrome both make use of Google’s Safe Browsing database. Think of this database as a dictionary of malicious web resources. Safari and Chrome reference the database to check whether you visit a safe website.
If you navigate to a website listed in the database, you’ll see a warning. While you can choose to continue, we recommend you follow the recommendations and steer clear. These websites can use social engineering tactics, like phishing, or install keyloggers and other malware onto your device.
Both Safari and Chrome also indicate when a website is HTTPS secured. Look for the little padlock icon in your browser’s URL bar. With all of the above in mind, Safari and Chrome are essentially tied on security at this point.
2. Password management
Dedicated password managers are a great solution because they can be used on multiple devices. But both Safari and Chrome have a built-in way to manage your passwords. On Safari, you can access Apple’s Keychain, while on Chrome, you can use Google Password Manager.
Like the best password managers, Safari’s Keychain integration remembers and stores your passwords so that you don’t have to remember them all.
When you visit a website or app, Keychain suggests and auto-fills your credentials. Google Password Manager effectively has the same functionality offered by Keychain, so we’re still at a tie between Safari and Chrome.
3. Security and vulnerability updates
While browsers are designed to be secure, hackers routinely exploit security vulnerabilities that make it through the QA process while releasing a new update.
Thankfully, security researchers are usually fast to identify these issues and flag them to Apple or Google. Both Apple and Google also offer generous bug bounty programs, rewarding users for identifying security flaws.
While both Apple and Google regularly patch security vulnerabilities and update their browsers, Chrome tends to do so more frequently. Chrome pushes out updates, on average, every couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, Safari’s updates tend to come bundled with macOS or iOS updates, making them more infrequent. So, it’s Google Chrome that takes the crown here.
This is subjective, because pushing out less security updates doesn’t always indicate better security. In some cases, it also reflects the overall security stack of Safari.
4. Support for security-focused extensions
Web extensions can completely personalize your experience with a browser. The best extensions for privacy and security significantly boost your privacy. These include VPN extensions, ad-blockers, anti-tracker tools, and cookie auto-delete software.
Bear in mind that certain extensions are only available on certain browsers. Thanks to the less-stringent rules around third-party applications, Chrome tends to have a broader selection of extensions, which may expose you to certain privacy risks of browser extensions.
Safari is the winner here, as Apple supports Safari extensions to iOS on mobile. Remember, we’re talking about using Chrome on iOS or macOS, and Apple doesn’t support Chrome extensions for its products.
5. Private browsing modes
Private browsing modes in internet browsers offer increased security compared to “regular” browser windows. Both Safari and Chrome offer a private browsing function, but you should know about the data collection policies between normal and private mode.
Safari Private Browsing is Apple’s private mode, which will not save your search or browsing history. That said, it has its limitations. Websites can still see your IP address, and your ISP (internet service provider) can still see your search history.
Chrome offers Incognito Mode, which has the same benefits and drawbacks as Safari’s private mode. Chrome sees your IP address, even in Incognito Mode.
However, even if you’re using a VPN, Chrome will also let web services see your activity and your identity if signed into a web service like an email account. Chrome also remembers your location.
In effect, if you want true privacy, you need to be using one of the best VPN services — but remember our warning about Chrome. While this was a close competition, Safari wins here owing to Chrome’s increased scrutiny of your online actions, even in private mode.
What is the most secure browser?
In terms of security and privacy, Safari tends to offer the most secure experience. This is partly why macOS users typically suffer fewer malware infections than their Windows counterparts.
Safari picked up an additional win over Chrome, with better private browsing, but Apple also generally ensures a pretty watertight product all-around due to development restrictions.
However, Safari and Chrome are both very much everyday consumer products. If you want maximum security, check out our list of the best web browsers for privacy.
Safari vs. Chrome: Which Browser is Faster?
Speed is important when it comes to browsing. We compared Safari vs. Chrome in a speed and general performance test. This included looking at aspects like:
- How each browser responds under heavy use
- How each browser handles graphics-intensive websites
To test the performance between Safari and Chrome, we used three applications: JetStream 2, MotionMark, and Speedometer. We ran these applications on a MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and a 1.8 GHz Dual Core Intel Core i5 CPU. Our results are below.
1. Javascript performance testing with JetStream
Javascript is a programming language that handles most script processing behind the scenes on most webpages. This includes content changes, user interactions, mouse pointer movements, and more.
JetStream runs a suite of tests to see how well a browser performs during periods of high Javascript activity. In the JetStream test, a larger score means better performance. Here’s how the two tests measured up:
| Browser | Score |
|---|---|
| Chrome | 96.774 |
| Safari | 93.217 |
Chrome’s score of 96.774 puts it just slightly ahead of Safari, scoring 93.217. This suggests that Chrome should perform better when running sites or apps with complex Javascript functions, though the gap is only marginal.
2. Graphics performance with MotionMark
The more complex a webpage, the slower it loads, as your browser has to render every element on the page. MotionMark is a tool that checks how well your browser handles intense tasks that use your browser and the device’s graphics capabilities.
| Browser | Score |
|---|---|
| Chrome | 357.01 |
| Safari | 425.67 |
Chrome scored 357.01 in the graphics performance tests. Meanwhile, Safari managed to surprise us, scoring 425.67. Regarding user experience and the responsiveness of complex applications, Safari should provide a smoother experience.
3. Responsiveness with Speedometer
Speedometer simply measures the responsiveness of web applications. The tool simulates user interactions, timing how long these actions take to complete. In these tests, which cycle 480 times, the tool creates a to-do list, adds multiple items, checks them off, and loops back to the beginning.
| Browser | Score |
|---|---|
| Chrome | 91.4 |
| Safari | 66.7 |
We started with Chrome, which scored 91.4 with Speedometer. But when we moved over to Safari, it was immediately obvious that the test was struggling. Safari scored just 66.7 by comparison, with Chrome coming out on top.
Memory Saver in Chrome
If you’re running a lot of tabs, you may have noticed a performance dip. The browser consumes more RAM, eating more memory and slowing down your computer. In Google Chrome, a feature called Memory Saver can help you avoid this sluggish performance, even though Chrome is notorious for hogging RAM.
If you leave a tab open but don’t interact with it for a while, Chrome puts it in a rest state. This frees up CPU memory to perform other tasks. But you can still return to that tab later and continue where you left off.
What is the fastest browser?
The results of our Safari vs. Chrome performance and speed tests speak for themselves. Chrome performed better than Safari when it came to performing complex, fast-paced actions and general responsiveness. Moreover, with features like Memory Saver, Chrome can help keep you working faster.
While Safari outshone Chrome with graphics performance, Chrome is the overall winner. This is why power users who use multiple different Google apps will often choose it over Safari.
Safari vs. Chrome: Which Delivers the Better User Experience?
Ease of use is difficult to analyze and compare, as it’s often quite subjective. Die-hard Apple fans will probably get on well with Safari, as it’s more familiar. The same applies to Chrome and Google fans.
To gauge user experience, we looked at the following points:
- Multiple tab and window management
- Cross-platform support from desktop to mobile
- User settings and customizations
1. Working in multiple tabs
Opening multiple tabs is common when you need to do research or work. Problem is it can be easy to get lost when you’re using multiple windows. So, we looked at how tab management works in Safari and Chrome.
Tab management in Chrome using Tab Groups
When opening multiple tabs in Chrome, we found that things can get a bit messy. The more tabs you have open, the harder it becomes to find your place. Everything gets sort of squished together, until you can only see the site’s logo.
However, you can add tabs to groups for better organization, which lets you cluster related tabs together. You can easily switch between groups to focus on one particular task simultaneously. This works differently depending on whether you’re using a computer or a mobile device.
On Chrome for desktop, set up tab groups by following the below steps:
- Hold “Ctrl” and right-click on a tab.
- Hover over “Add tab to group” and click “New group.”
- Name the group and choose a color.
- Click “Enter” to save the group.
- Click on the group to collapse or expand all tabs.
If you want to group tabs on Chrome mobile, tap on the “Tabs” button in the upper-right corner of your screen. Long-press one tab and drag it on top of another to group them.
Tab management in Safari
Safari isn’t getting left behind by Chrome here. You can also group tabs on Safari for desktop — but only if you’re up to date with your operating system software.
This feature was introduced by macOS Monterey, and released at the end of 2021. Upgrading to this version isn’t always possible for people with older devices or low memory.
- Open Safari on a computer.
- Click on “File” while you have Safari open.
- Click “New Tab Group with X Tabs,” where X represents the number you currently have open.
You can follow the same logic on iPhones. On mobile, the latest version of iOS sees Safari stack all tabs like a deck of cards. Unless you set up Tab Groups, you’ll have to scroll through them all to find what you’re looking for.
- Open Safari on the app.
- Long-press a tab until a menu appears.
- Select “New Tab Group.”
- Name your Tab Group and click “Move.”
- Now, you can click the Tab Group name at the bottom to swap between groups.
Navigating between tabs
Both Safari and Chrome offer additional options for keeping on top of your tabs. In Safari, you can search through tabs by clicking “View” then Tab Overview for a grid view with a search bar. In Chrome, type “@tabs” into your URL bar, and click the “Search tabs” button and run your search.
All in all, both browsers offer useful ways to manage your various browser windows. So, we really had to look closely to pick a winner or draw a tie. In the end, Chrome takes the lead here.
Apple’s tab grouping functionality relies on you having the latest iOS software, plus you can’t set them up as quickly by simply Ctrl-clicking on a tab.
2. Working across multiple devices
Integration between devices is continuously improving, making it extremely easy to switch from your desktop to mobile and carry your work along. This is more evident when using other products in the Apple or Google ecosystems. With multiple Apple devices, you can quickly pick up and continue work on one device from another.
If you’re an iPhone user, then you’ll be right at home with Safari, as it integrates with the Apple ecosystem. If you’ve got an iPhone or iPad, you can easily pass your desktop Safari tabs to your mobile device and continue browsing.
Apple Pay can also be used cross-platform, and you can verify purchases made on a desktop with your mobile phone’s biometrics.
When you have multiple tabs open, passing tabs between devices is simple. Enable Handoff on your Mac and mobile device first to make sure this works:
- Open “Settings,” then “General” on your mobile device.
- Click “Handoff” and ensure it’s switched on.
- Now, go to “System Preferences” and then “General” on your Mac.
- Again, find the checkbox to “Enable Handoff.”
- Now, drag your finger up from the bottom of your mobile device’s screen to get to the app switcher.
- You’ll see an option to pull the tabs from your Mac.
- If you want to move tabs in the other direction, look for the mobile icon on the Safari app in your dock.
That said, there are benefits to Chrome that are lacking in Safari. While iPhones are hugely popular, more people own Google Home devices — and streaming devices like the Google Chromecast — than those who own Apple’s smart home device. Apple’s foray into the smart home market never really took off in the same way.
This is where Google Chrome shines. If you have a Chromecast or Google Nest, you can cast videos or entire webpages to your big screen by simply right-clicking anywhere within the window.
And it’s for all of these reasons that we have to declare a tie for this section. The best browser for Mac in this particular situation comes down to your existing devices or the ecosystem you use.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, you’ll find the experience on Safari far more seamless. If you use an Android smartphone or want to make the most of your Chromecast, Google Chrome is excellent.
3. Support for multiple languages
Sometimes, you might want or need to visit a website not intended for your country. Aside from potentially needing a VPN, there may well be a language barrier in these cases.
This is common among people who like to stream online with a VPN but can’t work out what anything on the website says. Remember, do check if streaming is legal or not before you access different sites.
We’re just going to say it outright: Google Chrome is generally superior in supporting multiple languages, thanks to the power of Google Translate. Both Safari and Chrome can translate webpages from one language to another. But Google is miles ahead in the translation space.
To put this to the test, we got a Chinese IP address with Intego Privacy Protection, one of the best VPNs for mac. We then loaded up several popular Chinese shopping websites we had no hope of understanding. While Google Chrome offered to translate the page, Safari did not.
4. Pop-up advert blockers
Pop-ups are not just annoying, but sometimes they can be malicious too. Safari has native pop-up blocking built into the software. You can enable it by opening Settings or Preferences, then blocking some or all pop-up adverts.
Chrome is configured to block pop-up adverts by default. It’ll indicate when this happens with a small icon in the address bar. If, for any reason, you want to enable pop-up adverts, you can simply go into Settings, Permissions, then Pop-ups and redirects.
This is a fairly simple and standard feature, but it’s good to see that each developer has included it natively. So, it’s a tie in this section.
What is the most user-friendly browser?
For general ease of use, Chrome won over Safari in more sections. But as we mentioned, usability is subjective and largely influenced by the other devices you already own.
People who use Apple’s products may find Safari easier to get on with. Not to mention, you could miss out on features by using Chrome, including Handoff and Apple Pay integration.
Safari vs. Chrome: Which Offers Better Data Privacy?
There’s big money in data, so companies will often collect as much user information as they can get away with. But giving away your data can come with privacy risks, which is why we’re huge advocates of using a VPN to encrypt your data.
With this in mind, we wanted to understand the following:
- How much data Safari and Chrome gather
- How they protect your data
1. Personal information collected by Chrome and Safari
Under the guise of “improving your future browsing experience,” Safari has been known to gather certain information about you and your habits. This includes:
- Browsing history
- Browser cache
- Download history
- Login credentials via cookies
- IP address
Safari also offers a feature known as Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement. When enabled, this feature essentially supports advertising. Marketing agencies will be sent data relating to adverts you’ve interacted with, but all identifiable information is stripped out.
Chrome also has Do Not Track for tracking protection. But while Apple gathers limited data, we found Google tends to gather more specific data. Google is well-known for gathering a lot of data through its various services, and Chrome is one of its most prolific apps. Some of the data gathered by Chrome includes:
- Your IP and location
- Search and browsing history
- User identifiers
- Product interaction data
What’s more, unlike Safari, Firefox, and Edge, Chrome is said to tie this data to individuals and devices. As a result, we have to declare Safari the winner on this front.
2. Protection of your personal data
While Safari can see your IP address, even in Private Browsing mode, it isn’t shared. Safari has built-in Intelligent Tracking Prevention that uses machine learning to prevent trackers.
It also has a feature that prevents cross-site tracking and limits ad trackers from working. In their privacy policy, Apple says that they may share your personal data with Apple-affiliated companies, partners, developers, and publishers.
According to their privacy policy, Apple has never allowed government agency access to personal data and never will.
While Google follows data privacy legislation, your data does tend to be used more freely for advertising purposes. According to Google’s Safety Center, your data might be anonymized and used to drive targeted ads. This is partly why you’ll often see many online adverts for products you’ve recently discussed or looked at.
As a result, Safari wins here, though it’s partly a question of user experience and the annoyance that can come with ad bombardment.
What is the most private browser?
Both Google and Apple typically fight to retain user privacy. There have been numerous high-profile instances of these companies resisting requests for data from government and law enforcement agencies.
However, owing to Google’s reputation for data gathering and its use in targeted advertising, Safari wins overall on data privacy.
Safari vs. Chrome: Final Thoughts
We looked at four main comparison areas in our Safari vs. Chrome review. In conclusion, each browser won on two sections, making for an overall tie.
This is reflective of our experience with Safari and Chrome. Both are good web browsers that offer a great user experience and strong privacy and security features.
That said, the caveat is that this is a highly subjective area. It also heavily depends on what devices you’re already using.
If you’ve got a Google Pixel, the full suite of Google smart home products, and a Chromecast, you might find Safari tough to get used to.
Similarly, if you’re a die-hard Apple fan with numerous Apple devices like a Mac, iPhone, and iPad, you’ll miss out on a load of cool features if you use Chrome as your main browser.
So, to summarize, we’ll leave you with this quick reference table that should help you make a choice. The table contains our browser recommendations depending on your situation.
| What mobile device do you use? | Do you have a Chromecast? | Safari vs. Chrome |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | Yes | Tie |
| iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | No | Safari |
| Google Pixel or other Android device | Yes | Chrome |
| Google Pixel or other Android device | No | Chrome |
Key Takeaways
- Chrome generally performed better in our tests
- Chrome offers superior multi-language support and device casting
- Cross-platform use feels more seamless with Safari
- Apple fans who use Chrome miss out on cool cross-platform features
- Overall, Chrome beat Safari in more categories, making it the best browser for Mac in most scenarios
If you have questions about whether to choose Safari vs. Chrome, check out some of our previous answers below!
In our Safari vs. Chrome testing, Safari excelled in certain areas compared to Chrome. For example, Safari was better for general data privacy and processing activities with a high demand on graphics.
However, Chrome excelled in other areas, including user experience and overall performance.
You can use either browser on iPhone, but we recommend using Safari. One of the main reasons people choose Chrome is for its extensive extensions support.
However, Apple doesn’t allow you to install Chrome extensions on iOS. So, for an iPhone or iPad, Safari works best. There are other privacy-focused browsers you can pick too!
Safari and Chrome deliver a similar experience, with many shared features that lead to there being little different. Most of the differences come in the form of integrations with other Apple or Google products.
For example, if you use Safari, you can “Handoff” Safari tabs, passing them from one device to another. If you use Chrome, you can cast almost anything to a Chromecast.
