Microsoft Edge is catching up to Google Chrome — here's the proof

Microsoft Edge is catching upwardly to Google Chrome — here's the proof

(Epitome credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft Edge is finally looking like it'southward getting some attention, equally the Chromium-based browser is now the second most pop web browser in the earth.

The latest figures from NetMarketShare evidence Border has 7.59% of the web browser market place share. That puts it in 2d place behind Google Chrome, which dominates the market with a 68.five% share, and knocks Mozilla's Firefox browser into the third position every bit its share dropped from nine.27% to 7.19%.

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Despite Microsoft presenting Edge as a adjacent-generation browser, it failed to really galvanize involvement in information technology, with Chrome still existence one of the first browsers people plough to after booting upwards a new PC.

But then Microsoft went back to the drawing board and retooled Edge to be a Chromium-based browser, tapping into the open-source code that underpins Google Chrome, as well as the Opera and Amazon Silk browsers.

Doing this meant people could apply the aforementioned browser extensions they had in Chrome when switching over to the new Edge. Every bit a result, Edge became a more flexible browser, no longer plagued with the incompatibility bug the old version of Border had from being built on Microsoft'due south own engine. The Chromium-based Border is likewise faster than its predecessor was.

Making the move to Chromium appears to accept borne fruit for Microsoft, every bit it has snapped up market place share despite being only a few months out of beta. It'due south non likely to catch Chrome anytime soon, but and then again neither is any other browser.

And there'southward a practiced chance that Edge could accept a higher market place share if information technology wasn't for some v.6% of people still using Cyberspace Explorer xi, likely due to visitor IT policy restraints or less savvy Windows 10 users wanting to stick with what they find familiar.

If you're looking to make the switch from Chrome or Firefox, and so the Edge browser now looks like a proficient bet. On top of supporting Chrome extensions and being faster than before, Border now finally allows users to drop Microsoft's own Bing search engine in favor of Google, the most popular and arguably best search engine in the earth.

Roland Moore-Colyer is U.K. Editor at Tom's Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He frequently writes well-nigh gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he'southward also got an interest in cars. When non at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, ofttimes with a look of curiosity on his face.