• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

AppleToolBox

Tools and Fixes for Mac, iPad, iPhone & iWatch

Search posts

  • About
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

CATEGORIES

  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • iPod
  • Apple Watch
  • Mac/MacBook
  • AirPods
  • Apple TV
  • News
  • Apple Services
  • HomePod
  • Reviews

SITE

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Search posts

You are here: Home / Mac / Is Chrome Faster Than Safari On Mac?

Is Chrome Faster Than Safari On Mac?

By Andrew Myrick 4 comments Last updated May 17, 2022

In recent years, Apple has been making some excellent strides in an effort to provide a more reliable web browsing experience. Safari on the Mac is arguably the best it’s ever been, but there are still some clear improvements that could be made. Instead of taking the Microsoft Edge route and adopting Google’s Chromium source code, Apple has stuck with its in-house development of Safari, for good and for bad. But recent updates to Google’s browser might have you wondering if Chrome is faster than Safari on the Mac.

Related Reading

  • How to Download the Right Version of Chrome for Your Mac
  • How to Autofill Passwords From Google Chrome on iPhone and iPad
  • Delete Chrome From Your Mac and Enjoy the Increase in Speed
  • How to Autorun Chrome Web Apps on Mac
  • Comparing the Best Web Browsers for iPhone or iPad

Is Google Chrome Faster Than Safari On Mac?

When it comes to the question of “is Chrome faster than Safari on Mac”, if you were you ask Google, the answer would easily be yes. In a recent blog post, Google explained the changes that continue to be made, leading up to the release of Chrome M99. And there’s actually a good reason why Chrome might just be the fastest browser, as Google also shares that it used Apple’s own Speedometer 2.0 benchmark application to achieve a score of over 300.

This marks the first time that any web browser has scored over 300, including Apple’s own built-in web browser, Safari. The score was achieved using an “M1 MacBook”, however, it’s unknown how much RAM was included on the machine and whether it was a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. The model doesn’t play too much of a role in the final score, but having a more RAM could definitely influence the scenario.

The result of years of work has been an 83% improvement in Speedometer score, a dramatic improvement we are happy to deliver to our users. With Apple’s introduction of the M1 CPU, combined with Sparkplug and LTO+PGO, Chrome now scores over 300 – the highest score any browser has ever achieved \o/.

Google has been tracking the speed of Chrome over the past few years, ever since the first M1-based Mac was introduced in late 2020. In the blog post, Google also states that graphics performance is 15% faster than Safari, while Chrome is almost 50% faster than it was when the first M1-powered test was run. It’s really a rather impressive feat for a browser that continues to be the most popular in the world, across an array of devices.

Should You Switch?

macOS Monterey Safari

If you’re already using Safari on your Mac, and are wondering whether you should make the switch, it’s not as clear-cut as Google makes it out to be. In various testing, we’ve seen the stable version of Safari reach scores between 280 and 290, bringing it pretty close to the 300 mark. And things get even closer if you were to try running the Speedometer 2.0 test with the Safari Technology Preview Release, which reaches around 295.

It is dependent (a bit) on the specs of your Mac, but you can actually run this test yourself. Speedometer is not part of a developer-only toolkit, as you just navigate to the landing page in your browser. All of this is to say that while it may seem like Chrome is the superior browser right now, the truth is that Safari is right behind it. And with WWDC ’22 looming, with a new version of macOS on the way, Safari could get the necessary boost to put it over the 300-point threshold.

For the time being, if you’re content with what Safari has to offer, then we would recommend that you just stick with what’s most comfortable. But it’s clear from these tests that Google is making some pretty big improvements to Chrome that could turn the tide and entice more users to its browser in the near future.

Andrew Myrick
Andrew Myrick

Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.

He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.

Related Posts:

  • How To Start Using Regex With The Shortcuts App
    How To Start Using Regex With The Shortcuts App
  • How To Navigate Folders Using The Mac Terminal
    How To Navigate Folders Using The Mac Terminal
  • How to Enable and Use Split Screen in Microsoft Edge on macOS
    How to Enable and Use Split Screen in Microsoft Edge on…
  • The Best Homebrew Apps For Mac
    The Best Homebrew Apps For Mac
  • How to Fix Verifying Microsoft Outlook Mac Stuck Error: 11 Best Methods
    How to Fix Verifying Microsoft Outlook Mac Stuck Error: 11…
  • Comparing the Best Web Browsers for Mac
    Comparing the Best Web Browsers for Mac
  • How To Download YouTube Videos To Mac Safely (and other videos, too)
    How To Download YouTube Videos To Mac Safely (and other…
  • Comparing the Best Web Browsers for iPhone or iPad
    Comparing the Best Web Browsers for iPhone or iPad
  • How To Use The Mac Terminal: The Basics
    How To Use The Mac Terminal: The Basics

Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 4 Comments

  1. JohnIL says

    May 25, 2022 at 12:18 PM

    Anyone who talks security issues about browsers should realize how little Apple updates Safari. Yes, Chrome and its similar knockoffs are bigger targets but Google is patching its browser within 24Hr of a known security risk. I do not see Apple making that same effort consistently with Safari. Google has a far better commitment to keeping Chrome secure then I would claim Apple is doing for Safari

    Reply
  2. JohnIL says

    May 25, 2022 at 12:13 PM

    It would be positive for Safari if it could be a cross platform browser instead of just running on Mac OS and IOS. People today, use many different platforms with operating systems from different developers. Apple still thinks everyone should just use all Apple devices. Even Microsoft realized this with Edge which ironically even runs on Linux these days and rather well I might add. Safari is losing touch with the web and its users just as Firefox has. In many ways Safari is worse off then Firefox. With most web developers focused on Chromium browsers and not Gecko (Firefox) or WebKit (Safari). You tend to see more compatibility issues with Safari and Firefox. Apple has been ignoring Safari’s issues for awhile now and seems reluctant to address them. Maybe like Microsoft and IE they really don’t care that much about Safari anymore?

    Reply
  3. Charity says

    May 19, 2022 at 9:48 AM

    They are so close in speed that I will stay with Safari as Google has proven to be a serious security hazard, not to mention Google sells your info.

    Reply
    • Rits says

      June 7, 2022 at 7:41 AM

      This is quite possibly the most misinformed thing I’ve read today. Chrome is NOT a security hazard at all. If anything, it’s one of the safest browsers out there, definitely safer than Safari. Also, Google does NOT sell your data to anyone. Stop with that bs already..

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Add Extra Accounts in Reminders on iOS, iPad, and Mac
  • How to Fix Mac Quick Look Not Working on MacBook and iMac
  • How to Change the Expiration Time for Audio Messages in iMessage
  • How to Change Which Apps Have Access to Your Microphone on Mac
  • How to Add Work and Home Locations in Apple Maps
  • How to Turn Off Dark Mode on Word on Mac: 2 Best Methods

Connect with us

Footer

ABOUT

  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

GUIDES

  • iOS 13 & iPadOS
  • Apple ID
  • iCloud
  • App Store
  • iTunes
  • FaceTime
  • iMessage
  • Siri
  • Books and iBooks
  • Game Center
  • AirPlay

CONNECT

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • FeedBurner
  • YouTube

© Copyright 2010-2023 Guiding Tech Media · All Rights Reserved

This site and its content are in no way affiliated or endorsed by Apple, Inc. · Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited