According to data from web analytics site StatCounter, Microsoft Edge has eclipsed Apple’s Safari to become the world’s second most popular desktop browser. In February, Microsoft Edge was on the verge of overtaking Safari in terms of popularity among desktop users, with the two browsers separated by less than a half percentage point (9.54 percent to 9.84 percent). According to StatCounter, Edge is currently installed on 10.07 percent of desktop computers globally, 0.46 percent more than Safari, which has plummeted to 9.61 percent.
With 66.58 percent of all desktop users, Google Chrome is the clear leader. Mozilla’s Firefox had just 7.87 percent of the market share, down from 9.18 percent in February. MacRumors was the first to report the new information. Edge’s lead over other browsers varies a lot depending on where you are. Edge, for example, trails Safari in the United States, with only 12.55 percent of the market share to Safari’s 17.1 percent. Edge has long already eclipsed Safari in Europe, with 11.73 percent and 9.36 percent, respectively.
Firefox didn’t have much of a market share to begin with. According to Jack Gold, principal analyst at research firm J. Gold Associates, it lacks the marketing clout of either Microsoft or Google, resulting in lower brand recognition — and virtually none outside the techie community. “As a result, I don’t think Firefox will ever be more than a niche ‘alternative’ to the other guys,” Gold said.
Safari’s primary role is as the default browser on Apple’s iPhone and iPad tablets. It’s a completely different story with those gadgets. Chrome has 63.57 percent of the market, Safari has 24.82 percent, and other browsers make up the rest. Except for the ever-dominant Chrome, some web analytics services already have Edge ahead of other browsers. According to Net MarketShare’s most recent data, Chrome has a market share of 73.24 percent, Edge 12.93 percent, and Firefox 4.73 percent. Safari does not even rank among the top four browsers.
