Last summer I asked the question if Chrome will Overtake Firefox in the race to become the most popular internet browser. You can see from the graph I posted back then it appeared inevitable.
Well the time has come.
To refresh your memory, the traffic data I’ve collected is from StudioPress because in my world, that provides the largest sample I could use. Over the past 21 months, StudioPress has received over 6,000,000 visitors, with 35,000,000 page views.
Now that the 1st Quarter of 2012 has ended, I ran some traffic numbers to confirm my longtime suspicion.
Here’s the updated chart on Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
Here’s a recap of the previous 9 quarters worth of data:
Q1 2010 - 56%
Q2 2010 - 54%
Q3 2010 - 51%
Q4 2010 - 49%
Q1 2011 - 46%
Q2 2011 - 45%
Q3 2011 - 42%
Q4 2011 – 39%
Q1 2012 – 36%
Q1 2010 - 12%
Q2 2010 - 15%
Q3 2010 - 19%
Q4 2010 - 21%
Q1 2011 - 23%
Q2 2011 - 25%
Q3 2011 - 29%
Q4 2011 – 32%
Q1 2012 – 36%
Just last month it was announced that Chrome was the second most popular browser, and the analytics of StudioPress confirm that.
I’ll be interested to see what the graph will look like after Q2 of 2012 – and yes, I’ll be sure to post that. This has been quite an interesting thing for me to follow, especially since I made the switch from Firefox to Chrome nearly a year ago.
And I haven’t looked back.
What Browser are You Using?
It took some time for me to make the change from Firefox to Chrome – and that was primarily because there were certain tools (Firebug) that I clung to.
Once I realized that Chrome offered similar (and sometimes far superior) alternatives, the choice was simple. What’s holding you back?
Feel free to leave a comment and discuss which browser (and why) you are using for your internet experience.
These are some interesting statistics. It depends on what I’m doing but usually I switch between Firefox and Chrome. Most of the time using Firefox because I understand how to use it better. Over the past few months I’ve began to use Chrome more to become familiar with it. There are some add-ons I’ll need to figure out how to use in Chrome. Eventually I may switch completely over to Chrome but for now I’ll continue to switch between them.
I tried double dipping for a while, and then just couldn’t stand the slowness of Firefox. Once you spend enough time in Chrome, you’ll start to see the speed differences between the two. Ultimately what I did was make a commitment to exclusively use Chrome for a while and see if I could work through not having the extensions I thought I needed.
Chrome slapped right into Firefox face in terms of speed
However, there are some extensions which are only available for Firefox, so I still keep this browser
I started using Chrome about a year ago and have never looked back. I could manually observe the speed difference that time in loading website. Moreover, now Chrome has evolved so much more. The app collection is huge. I hate to ditch the free and great FF browser but surely various browser tests have proved that Chrome is definitely a step ahead ( even if marginally ) of Firefox.
At this point, I don’t know how Mozilla could possibly keep up with Google in the race for the better browser experience. Just think of the bankroll that’s backing Chrome, and you’ll realize this is a war long lost for Firefox.
I’ve been using Chrome for quite a while now but I still boot up Firefox for Firebug. I know there is Firebug for Chrome but when I used it (a long time ago) it just wasn’t as good. Firefox is very fast though. I think the only reason it might be slower than Chrome is because of extensions/addons.
Have you ever tried Chrome Developer Tools? It’s way better than Firebug. Like you, I was turned off by Firebug Lite for Chrome, but once I started using the Developer Tools Firefox pretty much became useless to me.
Exactly, The development tools are so much better. I can change look and feel, CSS and so many things on a site in order to see what it will look like after those changes without having to do so in actual code.
I dont know whether FF even have these features.
The developer controls in chrome are still not up to firebug level in firefox. Fine for general things but for ajax debugging, firefox is way ahead with firebug.
Developer wise, I prefer Firefox and haven’t switched to Chrome yet. I really don’t see how I can work efficiently with Chrome, maybe I didn’t give Chrome a fair chance.
For normal browsing I would recommend Chrome over Firefox, but lately Firefox has significantly improved regarding performance.
P.S. Is there a post with statistics for all major browsers, not just Firefox and Chrome?
I don’t have stats from any other browser, primarily because this was a personal thing for me. Firefox vs. Chrome that is.
As for development, like I recommended to Al – give Chrome Developer Tools a try.
I am still with Firefox and unlikely to move in near future. For me Firefox does what it took. Yes there is problem with memory usage but Chrome has its own problem as well. I do use Chrome but its very limited.
I like Chrome but dropped it in favour of Firefox because its performance on my netbook; rapidly consuming system memory. I prefer to use the same browser on PC and netbook and reluctantly switched. But I really like Firefox and the tools and extensions available. Maybe I’ll try Chrome again soon.
After seeing how much slower Firefox loads some of my webpages in Google Analytics I realized why I had moved away from it and to webkit. Easy choice really.
I mirror the sentiments.
Google, chrome.
I went reluctantly. Am there now pretty much exclusively.
Used to be Firefox till I got a new computer and the fellow who assembled it for me insisted I used ONLY IE and not make any changes to the system he installed.
I switched back to Chrome as soon as the door closed on his departure. I still have IE as 2 learning programs I needed to view were only or best seen via Internet Explorer.
I need simple – but then I am ‘only’ a consumer of the results, not a developer and none of my programs are delivered yet online.
Helena
I was reluctant to move to Chrome even with Firefox giving me trouble. I made the switch a few months ago and I’m not seeing the benefit at this point. As far as speed goes, when I load Chrome it seems fine for an hour or so and then I keep getting a pop message that says the pages are unresponsive…wait or kill pages.
This is what I hoping to avoid by making the move. Now I find myself using Safari move often than not and losing out on the productivity add-ons that made my daily work flow very smooth.
Hm, really weird to hear that you’re experiencing load/performance issues on Chrome. How many tabs do you have open on any given day?
Maybe 6 or 7. I know huh? It’s a conundrum for sure. lol
Heh, 6 or 7 is nothing. My wife Shelly has over 20 going at any given moment.
That’s what I thought too. LOL Maybe the gremlins in my system are working overtime.
I alternate, as others do, but I have to say that I have always preferred the built in Chrome dev tools to Firebug.
With that said, Marcy, just curious what keeps you in Firefox then? Pretty much every time I hear this folks say it’s the “Firebug” thing.
That would be my reply… “It’s the firebug thing”
Maybe it is time for Chrome.
Cough. Chrome Developer Tools. Cough.
LOL! I don’t know; I think it’s just habit. I have more bookmarklets set up in Firefox; I’ve just never added them to Chrome.
Right click on an element and the Dev tools open up… yes!
Like that.
I’m using Chrome. Never liked Firefox much.
I tried switching over to Chrome last year but couldn’t make the jump. No question I do get frustrated with Fire Fox and they way it can lock up or slow down.
So it sounds like there is a good alternative for Fire Bug. How about SEO tools? I use SEO Book’s plugin for Fire Fox, especially SEO X Ray for quick looks. Do they make a version for Chrome?
YES, Chrome Developer Tools. Much better than Firebug!
There was a time that Firefox was heaven for me. I guess compared to IE, that wasn’t saying much but now enter Chrome. I’m with you, Mr. BG. Chrome is vastly superior to all the other browsers and I recommend it to everyone I consult, coach and mentor.
Thanks for all your do, Sir. Love your emails.
Keep the faith and keep being you.
Goooooood day! :~)
Hey Ronald, sounds like you and I have been browsing in sync over the years. I agree, prior to Chrome – Firefox was a much better alternativ than the dreaded Internet Explorer. Back then I was on a PC and hadn’t ventured into the Safari waters. Others suck as Flock and Opera never pulled me in.
But Chrome, that’s a sweet one. Gonna take something pretty ridiculous to pull me away.
Brian…what Chrome developer tools are you using that are comparable to Firefox tools such as web developer, firebug, etc? Since I constantly use them I’ve found no need to switch.
Chrome is nice, fast, and the tools are there, but I am still using Firefox because I love the multirow bookmarks that I can line out favicons on and have all my links up front. Chrome does not have anything like this yet that I have found (only one row). When it does I’ll make the switch.
I’ve been using Firefox for a long time, and I guess I’m still a faithful user until I see a big reason not to be.
Good for you Jordan, for being so faithful.
It really comes down to different strokes for different folks. At some point, as the development cycle continues to get throttled by Google’s ability to throw money at Chrome, this trend will continue and slowly folks will move over.
It’s been over a year since I switched to Chrome and I’ve never looked back. I use it at work and home; can’t imagine using anything else.
Every once and a while I’ll open Safari to see if they’ve made any major changes, but I can’t stand not being able to search in the toolbar.
You’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head, in terms of how I feel. The search feature in the toolbar is something I’ve grown so accustomed to, I can’t think of doing it any other way.
I’ve been a longtime Firefox user, but since I’ve been using Chrome at work, my experience with it has been good. It seems to load faster, it seems to be more stable, and it’s clean design makes working online better.
At some point I’ll probably switch too, just like I made the switch from Netscape to Explorer to Firefox.
Major +1 for Chrome Developer Tools. I can’t use Firebug anymore after using Chrome’s tools.
I’m not 100% happy with Chrome, though. Initial load is painful (and as another commenter mentioned, even after it loads, the first 30 seconds is hit or miss on if tabs load correctly or not). Only a couple of tabs with only two extensions installed.
For random browsing, I use Firefox. Anything development-related, Chrome.
Don’t know how you go back and forth. Makes me dizzy.
I was all about firefox for so long. Especially for things like firebug. But the more I used Chrome, the better I liked it. Now, Firefox crashes on me 10 times out of 10 and I hardly ever have issues with Chrome. (I have the latest versions of both on a fast machine running Win7, but have the same FF issues on comps using XP and Vista as well.)
Chrome is way way way better. As was said before: search in the toolbar, not to mention all of the add-ons that work far easier than any with Firefox. Chrome is it. Hands down.
I have a game that I play… “Will Firefox prompt me to update this time when I open it?”
3 months ago I made a switch from FF to chrome. I just got tired of waiting for stuff to open. But I just recently found another browser that is very similar to chrome but it offers even more speed and the exact same debugging tools as Chrome. It is called http://www.maxthon.com/ . I am not associated with them in any way I just think it is a kick butt browser. Not to many plugins though that is the only drawback for me. But it score higher on the HTML3 CSS3 scale and is super super quick.
great post & discussions! i exclusively use FF for browsing but the above points are opening me up to the possibility of switching over, like you, for a dedicated period of time. my developer would love it if i did!
… would love to see IE results next to your FF & Chrome results. purely out of curiosity!
I’m still bouncing back and forth between the two. I keep Chrome open with my gmail(s), reader etc, but still do a lot of my browsing in FF.
I found a great dev add-on for both browsers:
chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/
Just a heads-up Brian, this page is about 15px too wide on my Kindle Fire in portrait.
I use Chrome since their first release. I used to be a Firefox fan but Chrome changed that.
And considering it’s form google, and I have an Android phone and use many Google Tools (Analytics, Webmaster, Adsense, Keyword tool, Gmail, etc) I can’t see how to get back to Firefox.
I used to think about the extensions too, but since Chrome’s web store launch and so many apps there, I find almost anything I want, just like you do on Android or iOS.
And yes, Chrome is faster (that’s why I made the change at the beginning), and I normally open between 15-30 tabs at the same time. No problem with a High End Desktop.
The overall tendency seems to be a little different though (IE recoevered a little on April, AFAIK). Most Chrome users are power users, and I think that’s the reason behind (considering Studiopress readers are power users).
These are some interesting stats. I totally agree when you say,
“It took some time for me to make the change from Firefox to Chrome – and that was primarily because there were certain tools (Firebug) that I clung to.
Once I realized that Chrome offered similar (and sometimes far superior) alternatives, the choice was simple. What’s holding you back?”.
I was in exactly the same situation. I was getting continually frustrated by the slowness of Firefox but stuck around for Firebug. Once I realise how much quicker Chrome was and that the same functionality as Firebug was included, I switched.
If only people would switch from using Internet Explorer, all of our lives would be a lot better too.
Really Interesting facts and I am using chrome mostly but for the purpose of customizing website and bugging an error as firebug is very help full tool that working awesome in firefox but in chrome that’s not impressive working.
I think that’s the only point missing on chrome. Thanks for sharing an interesting and knowledge able post!
Hi Brian, well after using Firefox for such a long time I’m also a Chrome user as well.
I have been using Firefox for years but decided to take the Chrome challenge and glad I did. But strange enough I was having problems with Chrome about a week ago. I try to uninstall it and that to was a mission. I then reinstalled Chrome and all is good.
Wow, weird. I’m still a FF Fan, for 3 reasons, in order that push me back to FF:
1. Gmail looks much better in FF. Very hard to see the navigation bar in Chrome. Maddening.
2. Chrome won’t automatically clear out all the history, cookies, etc. when I exit.
3. One website I like has a feature that just works better in FF.
I’ve never had any stability issues in FF. I’m even surprised to see all the comments.
Both chrome and firefox are my favourite browsers. Apart from the two,I still have avant browser and IE9,but I rarely use IE9, the other three are my main browsers. I like using them at the same time. chrome has fast speed. firefox has various add-ons and stability while Avant browser has some useful build-in features and three rendering engines. They work perfectly together.
So doesn’t that put IE under 30% now? What an upstream battle…
Yea Firefox was my best browser but not Google Chrome. Its much faster then Firefox. Specially i love it all extension.
Thanks for Showing this difference.
Boy, Firefox is tanking. I prefer Chrome although it does crash on me quite a bit (maybe that’s just Windows doin’ it’s thing) and I always shudder a bit when I see Google taking a bigger piece of this pie we call the Internet.
I would like to see Firefox get back on its feet.
And IE just disappear altogether. PLEASE!
I just can’t leave the Delicious addon for Firefox behind… I’ve got years of tagging invested in that system, and no other browser lets me sync my bookmarks locally! That and Firebug.. just can’t get used to Chrome Dev Tools!
I reckon FF12 is performing much better than FF11, but I’m pretty used to doing a browser restart (got and addon to restart in a single click – sad but true)..
Very happy to think of IE falling so far behind!
I think it will be interesting to see how safari fares over the next period of time. with more and more people buying iPhones, iPads and macs – and wanting everything to sync i would expect to see a decent increase…. I use safari day to day but when I am tweaking my website and checking the results I use chrome (and I was a long time chrome user prior to converting from a pc to mac)
I finally did the complete switch myself this week.. am so sick of how Firefox is running these days even with my beast of a machine. I’d even use IE over FF now if it had the same development tools. Firefox.. you were so dreamy, now you’re just the past.
Starting to use chrome now.
Right click on an element and see all the CSS using the developer tools.
You also get a choice of hex or RGB for colours and… you get a fabulous colour picker.
At some stage I have to make this my default browser.
Chrome sucks. It looks awful, and renders sites strangely. I don’t understand why you sheeple like it so much.
Awesome!! I just decided to redo my website I created from scratch three years ago in dreamweaver – I only heard about WordPress two weeks ago. I already have a theme and WP set up and now I know how to make the changes I want thanks to this article!
Thank you!!!
beetruex