What is it that they say? That if you can’t beat them, join them? That’s exactly what Microsoft did with their new Edge Chromium browser. But is the Microsoft Edge Chromium safer than Chrome? And is it worth using? Or is it just a copy of the Chrome? Well, it’s for sure better than the previous version of the Edge browser.
Microsoft Edge Chromium is Almost Identical to Google Chrome
Microsft Edge Chromium is built on Google’s Chromium engine that Chrome is also built on. That results in it being almost identical.
Below we’ve attached a picture of the Edge, Chrome, and also the old Edge browser, and as you can see, the new Edge and Chrome look like twins. There’s very little difference between them, with that difference mostly being a difference in icons, and well, search engine, although, you can, of course, change that. Is Microsoft Edge Chromium looking almost identical to Google Chrome a good thing? For those that have been using Chrome for years, absolutely. It means that you are right away used to the new platform.
Microsoft Edge Does Overtake Chrome as Far as Features Though
While we have to acknowledge that both browsers are almost identical in this Microsoft Edge review, it’s also worth noting that while they are almost identical, Microsft does a lot of things better and implemented more than a few new features that aren’t around on Chrome.
- Get text read aloud without any extensions.
- Turn websites into apps.
- A superb Collections feature that takes bookmarks to the next level.
And that’s just the name a few of the great features. That’s not to say that Microsoft Edge has it all though, as it doesn’t support Offline Docs for instance.
The Extensions (Big Thing to Consider When Looking at Whether Microsoft Edge Chromium Is Safer Than Chrome)
If you are wondering if Microsoft Edge Chromium is safer than Chrome, then extensions need to be considered. People love Chrome for the extensions that are supported.
…And Edge Chromium, now supports extensions that Chrome supports due to the nature of both browsers running the same engine. That will for sure increase the downloads of the Edge, but if you are wondering if Microsoft Edge Chromium is safer than Chrome, from this perspective, both browsers are at a disadvantage, for several reasons. With the biggest one is that a ton of Chrome extensions, especially the free ones, collect data and can be a malware concern.
Google has been making efforts to investigate extensions and even removed a big portion of them in the last few years and months, but even with that, extensions (not all, but some) can be a big privacy risk. But then again, everything that’s free comes at the price of privacy.
Does that mean that you shouldn’t use extensions? No. But perhaps be cautious about when you have them on. Another big aspect to consider is that extensions allow for more complex browser fingerprints to be made which we’ll dive into as you continue reading.
The Edge is Incredibly fast
If there’s one thing that really stands out about the Microsoft Edge Chromium browser, it’s its speed. Edge looks and behaves like Chrome, but does it much faster. We’ve run more than a few tests with the same tabs and extensions opened, and Edge was coping better with a small number of tabs opened as well as when a ton of tabs were opened. And if you love having a ton of tabs opened, that might be a reason to get the Microsoft browser.
Is Microsoft Edge Chromium Safer Than Chrome?
This is why you are here. So is the Microsoft Edge Chromium safer than Chrome?
Well, it’s important to make it clear that Chrome isn’t the safest browser out there. It’s also not the most transparent browser out there. This is where the Edge can shine. When you go into Settings and Privacy and Services, you will see 3 tabs. Basic, Balanced, and Strict.
These privacy settings are much safer than those on Chrome, and for sure much easier to understand. And since understanding is often the issue when it comes to safety, that makes the Microsoft Edge Chromium safer than Chrome. However, just because the Microsoft Edge Chromium is safer than Chrome doesn’t mean it’s a fully safe web browser.
…Nor that the safety features are 100% practical.
Why? As when you block trackers, you often break the functionality of websites. And if a website you want to access isn’t working, who cares about Microsoft Edge Chromium being safer than Chrome? And then there’s the aspect that Edge doesn’t fully block everything because of the fact browser fingerprinting exists. Everyone has a digital fingerprint online. What that means is that even if you were to change your IP address via a VPN or a proxy, it would still be possible to identify you because the Edge won’t spoof what browser you are using, what system you are operating, the language you have set, the timezone you are in, or your canvas fingerprint. Of course, if tracking is blocked, some of these won’t be tracked and websites will instead in many cases stop functioning right, but some of these aspects, even with the strictest safety mode on Chrome are still collectible.
That means you aren’t fully safe.
This applies to Microsft Edge Chromium, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. And this is where Kameleo comes in.
Kameleo allows you to change your browser fingerprint instead of blocking it. With it, you can look like you are using a 5K screen on macOS while you are on a 1080p laptop rocking Windows 10.
You can change your canvas fingerprint, you can change your fonts, timezones, and anything else that can be used to identify you, without destroying the usability of websites, due to the fact Kameleo spoofs your browser fingerprint rather than blocking trackers. If you’d like to learn more about browser fingerprinting, we do have a guide on it in which we explain this topic in more detail.
To Sum up This Microsoft Edge Review
It’s not often that copies are better than the originals. Microsoft Edge? It’s not really a copy, it’s just based on the open-source Engine that Chrome is built.
…But it is much better than Chrome. It’s faster, slightly slicker, packs a few new features, supports extensions, and overall, is safer, and at least more transparent and easier to understand.
