Alternatives to Microsoft Edge
Microsoft's Chromium-based browser, bundled with Windows. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft's Chromium-based browser, bundled with Windows.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Microsoft Edge.
Google Chrome
Google's browser, the Chromium-based one most web development is tested against.
Google Chrome keeps the same Chromium engine and extensions with four-weekly updates, trading Bing and Microsoft account prompts for close ties to Google accounts and advertising.
Firefox
The main browser not built on Chromium, with tracking protection turned on by default.
Firefox moves to an independent open-source engine with Total Cookie Protection, containers and tab groups, though a few Chromium-only sites may not work.
Brave
A Chromium browser that blocks ads and trackers out of the box, with no extension to install first.
Brave keeps Chromium and Chrome extensions, is open source, and blocks ads and trackers by default, but bundles a crypto wallet, rewards programme and AI assistant.
Vivaldi
A Chromium browser for people who want tab stacks, split screen and a mail client in the same window.
Vivaldi keeps Chromium and adds tab stacking, tiling and vertical tabs plus a built-in mail, calendar and feed reader, though it is not open source.
Opera
Chromium browser with an ad blocker, a free proxy VPN and a messenger sidebar.
Opera keeps Chromium and adds a built-in ad blocker, no-account proxy VPN and sidebar messengers, but it is closed source and owned by a Chinese consortium.
Safari
Apple's browser, with the deepest integration into macOS and Apple devices.
Safari uses WebKit with Intelligent Tracking Prevention, iCloud sync and low battery use, but it is macOS only and lags on some web platform features.
Chromium
The open-source browser project that Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi are all built from.
Chromium is the open-source upstream without account integration or usage reporting, but official builds do not auto-update and most lack DRM for paid streaming.
Arc
Chromium browser organised around spaces, a sidebar and split views.
Arc keeps Chromium and organises browsing into spaces with a sidebar and split view, but has no Linux build, requires an account and receives limited feature work.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Microsoft Edge as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
360 Secure Browser
A Chinese Chromium-based browser from Qihoo 360 with malicious site blocking and built-in AI tools.
Microsoft Edge is also Chromium-based and bundled with Windows, adding vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a PDF reader, while pushing Bing and Microsoft accounts instead of Qihoo services.
Cốc Cốc
A Chromium-based web browser made for Vietnamese users, with ad blocking and video downloading built in.
Microsoft Edge is Chromium-based with vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a built-in PDF reader, runs Chrome extensions unchanged, and pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts instead of Vietnamese services.
Firefox ESR
The Extended Support Release of Firefox, a long-term stable build intended for organisations.
Microsoft Edge moves managed deployments to a proprietary Chromium browser bundled with Windows that runs Chrome extensions, while pushing Bing and Microsoft accounts.
Lunascape
Japanese browser with built-in ad blocking and a crypto wallet.
Microsoft Edge brings vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a PDF reader, runs Chrome extensions unchanged and supports Linux, but pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts.
Maxthon
Long-running Chromium browser with built-in notes, passwords and AI chat.
Microsoft Edge is a Chromium browser with vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a built-in PDF reader, adds a Linux build, and pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts.
Microsoft Edge Dev / Canary
Preview channels of Microsoft Edge for testing early features.
Microsoft Edge stable trades early feature access for the regular release, which is more stable and intended as a daily browser on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Naver Whale
Korean Chromium browser with a sidebar, split tabs and built-in capture tools.
Microsoft Edge offers vertical tabs, tab groups, sleeping tabs and a built-in PDF reader, runs Chrome extensions unchanged, and pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts instead of Naver.
Norton Private Browser
A free Chromium-based browser from Norton with built-in tracker and phishing protection for Windows and Mac.
Microsoft Edge keeps a Chromium base and adds vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a PDF reader on Windows, macOS and Linux, while promoting Bing and Microsoft accounts.
Opera GX
Gaming edition of Opera with CPU, RAM and network limiters.
Microsoft Edge uses sleeping tabs to save resources rather than hard limiters, runs Chrome extensions unchanged, and pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts.
QQ Browser
Tencent's Chinese-language web browser with a built-in Yuanbao AI assistant, split-screen browsing and file tools.
Microsoft Edge adds vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a built-in PDF reader on a Chromium base, runs Chrome extensions, and pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts instead of Tencent services.
Sleipnir
Japanese Chromium browser from Fenrir built around mouse gestures and text rendering.
Microsoft Edge stays on Chromium with vertical tabs, tab groups and sleeping tabs for heavy tab use, runs Chrome extensions, and adds Linux support.
Slimjet
Chromium browser with ad blocking, form filling and download tools built in.
Microsoft Edge adds vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a PDF reader on Chromium with updates from Microsoft, but pushes Bing, Microsoft accounts and promoted features.
Thorium
Use a Chromium-based browser with CPU-specific builds.
Microsoft Edge adds vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a PDF reader and runs Chrome extensions unchanged, but it is proprietary and pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts.
Ulaa
Privacy-focused Chromium browser from Zoho with separate browsing modes.
Microsoft Edge keeps Chromium with sleeping tabs, tab groups and a PDF reader, but steers users toward Bing and Microsoft accounts instead of Zoho services.
Yandex Browser
Chromium browser from Yandex with built-in translation and AI features.
Microsoft Edge stays on Chromium with vertical tabs, sleeping tabs and a PDF reader, operated by Microsoft rather than a Russian company, though it pushes Bing and Microsoft accounts.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Speedometer
A browser benchmark that measures web app responsiveness by simulating user actions in demo applications.
HTML5test
A web page that scores how many HTML5 and related web platform features your browser supports.
Firefox Developer Edition
A pre-release build of Firefox for web developers, with the newest developer tools and platform features.
MotionMark
A browser graphics benchmark that measures how well a browser animates complex scenes at a target frame rate.
