Microsoft Edge’s chances to become Chrome’s rival are close to zero

Chrome reigns supreme in the browser market share while Microsoft Edge stays in the fourth place

Microsoft announced the new version of Internet Explorer as “the faster, safer, browser for Windows 10.” However, despite the fact that Windows is one of the leading operating systems in the word, its very own browser is unlikely to surpass users’ favorite Google Chrome.

Recent research by NetMarketShare shows that in June 2017, Chrome held almost 60 percent of the market share, leaving Internet Explorer in the second and Firefox in the third position. Microsoft Edge, despite its outstanding features, stays in the fourth position with only 5,65% of the market share.

Microsoft’s attempts to convince users that Edge is the best seem to be unsuccessful

It seems that Microsoft is doing everything it takes trying to prove that Edge is better than the competitors. The company provides the following arguments:

• Using Edge ensures longer laptop’s battery life – according to Microsoft, A PC running their browser lasts up to 77% longer than Firefox and 35% longer than Chrome.
• The company also brags about the speed of the Edge, stating that it works up to 27% faster than their competitive Google Chrome and 51% faster than Firefox.
• Finally, the company states that Microsoft Edge is safer than Google Chrome – according to them, their product can protect users from phishing attacks. 

However, it seems that even all the positive features that Edge has can’t reduce the popularity of Chrome. Even after Microsoft’s efforts to lower the number of Chrome users by preventing Windows 10 S users from setting Chrome or Firefox as default browsers, Google Chrome continues to reign the position of users’ favorite web browser.

However, the reason why users are so unlikely to swap Chrome for Edge might be related to Edge’s launch itself. It seems that the company has failed to impress potential users with its first try – users were complaining about drawbacks such as weak extension support, lack of flexibility, privacy and performance concerns, and not being a cross-platform browser.

Chrome, IE and Firefox crowned as the most popular web browsers despite being primary targets for cybercriminals

We must say that Microsoft Edge received some improvements overtime, and there are numerous advantages of using a not-so-popular web browser. Let’s not forget that Chrome is the number one target of cyber criminals that distribute malicious browser extensions, and Firefox is the number one.

Examples such as “The HoeflerText wasn’t found” or “Add Extension to Leave” scams prove that cyber crooks target Chrome and Firefox users mainly. It is not surprising, considering that these two browsers are the top two most used web surfing tools on a global scale.

It is obvious that Microsoft needs a lot of time and patience, and clearly – creativity to win users hearts. Currently, the use of the browser is below expectations, and the situation is unlikely to change in the nearest future.

Written by

Viktoras Jasinskas

Network & Infrastructure Expert

Network diagnostics VPN troubleshooting DNS configuration Wi-Fi connectivity Proxy and firewall issues

Viktoras Jasinskas is a network and infrastructure expert covering connectivity issues for Windows home and business users. With a background in IT infrastructure, he approaches network problems methodically — isolating whether a fault lies in the OS network stack, driver layer, router configuration, or ISP. His guides address DNS failures, VPN connectivity problems, Wi-Fi drops, IP conflicts, proxy misconfigurations, and firewall rules that block legitimate traffic. Viktoras also contributes to the uGetFix news section, covering security vulnerabilities and network-related threat advisories.

251 guides published LinkedIn ↗ All articles →