At the beginning of 2016 Internet Explorer, Microsoft's browser, was still the most popular browser. So, at the end of 2015 - the beginning of 2016, 46% of Internet users worked with it. 32% used Chrome and 12% Mozilla's Firefox. However, the days of Internet Explorer are numbered due to the fact that Microsoft itself abandoned the development of its browser. So far, updates for it are coming out, but the development of new features was stopped back in 2015 in favor of the new Edge browser. This browser is more secure, its functionality is higher than that of Internet Explorer. But it has one drawback - it is available only for Windows users 10, respectively, the audience of this browser is quite limited.
The picture above in terms of browser market share has changed dramatically by the end of 2016. For example, the market share of the Chrome browser has grown to 56%. The same figure for Internet Explorer fell to 21%. Edge approximately doubled its own market share to 5.3%, which is not surprising given Microsoft's aggressive policy to promote its operating system. Windows systems 10. By the way, at the beginning of 2016, the market share of this OS was about 10%, but at the end it was already 24%.
Geektimes has repeatedly described the various techniques used by Microsoft to promote its operating system. Some of them are too harsh - the company itself admitted this a couple of months ago. However, all this has paid off. It is worth noting that among Steam users, the share of Windows 10 was about 50%. At the same time, Windows 7's market share has fallen, and quite significantly.
As for browsers, since the 90s of the last century, none of them showed such a rapid decline in market share (in the 90s it was Netscape Navigator). But the reasons for this are clear and described above.
It appears that only 22% of Windows 10 users choose Edge as their native browser. The rest either continue to use the familiar Internet Explorer, or use browsers from Google and Mozilla. However, this browser's market share continues to grow, and not just because it ships with operating system from Microsoft. The fact is that Edge developers are really trying to make this browser "usable". In particular, it is now compatible with extensions from Chrome and Microsoft. Of course, it cannot be called ideal, and competitors still compare favorably with various functions, including the convenience of working with tabs and saved passwords (experts, at the same time, do not advise saving passwords in any of the browsers).
Firefox's market share hasn't changed much. Now it is 12%. By the way, in August for some reason this figure dropped to 8%, but then rose again, Mozilla managed to catch up. This was largely due to the efforts of the developers - in particular, they introduced a function that prevents the entire program from crashing if one of the tabs crashes. There are still problems, and in terms of security, according to experts, Firefox is inferior to the same Chrome, Safari or Edge.
Of course, on Chrome, Edge or Firefox, the light has not converged like a wedge. Do not forget about Opera browser, whose market share hovered at about one percent. In light of everything that happened, this is not so bad for the browser. So, do not forget that Opera Software in November was divided into several companies at once. A consortium of Chinese companies Kunqi Opera Software, and Opera Mediaworks, Opera Apps & Games (including Bemobi), Opera TV were excluded from the list of assets being sold. At the same time, the Chinese got a mobile browser, a desktop browser, software for performance and information security, as well as the Opera brand and trademarks.
Now Opera is not what it was until 2013. The fact is that the developers decided to start using the Blink engine, based on WebKit, which is used by Chrome users. By the way, a number of ex-employees of the company began developing their own browser based on the principles of the "old" Opera. In 2016 they released the first version of the Vivaldi browser. It's also based on Blink, but the browser interface is much easier to modify than the original Opera.
Now Vivaldi is developing, and the world saw it a new version, 1.7. Developers position their browser as a system for advanced users who need a powerful, customizable tool. The market share of this browser is still minimal, there is no need to talk about any serious figures.
The second browser market entrant is the Brave browser, which was released by Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich. He also invented JavaScript. There is an interesting point in this browser - it blocks ads on websites, replacing them with ads from its own advertisers. In doing so, advertising revenue is shared between Brave, ad networks, and browser users. Brave, like Vivaldi, hasn't taken significant market share yet.
Perhaps in the new year, new browsers will be able to change something, but, of course, a cardinal change of players is not expected here. Chrome is likely to get more and more users, and Internet Explorer will soon become a ghost.
In the rubric:Despite the variety of browsers that have appeared in recent years, the main "whales" of the sphere remain Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Microsoft's Internet Explorer and the new Edge, as well as Safari. If we consider which browser is better when ranking browsers for Windows, Safari does not count, since the Windows version of the apple program is no longer available.
Let's see what is the best browser of 2016 according to the statistics, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each product, and also test the latest versions of the above five.
Top browsers 2016
According to the StatCounter resource, the question of which browser is better for Windows has an unambiguous answer: in terms of prevalence among users, it leads by a huge margin Google Chrome, receiving 52%. This is followed by Internet Explorer with a share of 16.5% (for sure, this figure also hides the “bonus” from Edge), Mozilla Firefox over 15.6% and 1.8% - Opera.
However, market shares do not reflect the full picture: it is much more important which browser is better and faster in practice. In terms of ease of use, additional options, loading time and navigation, the TopTenReviews portal puts the "fire fox" in the first place, followed by Chrome, Opera and Internet Explorer.
But let's move on to practice.
Google Chrome
Although Google Chrome is not the fastest browser for Windows in terms of opening many tabs, you can not argue with the usability of Chrome:
The program itself loads quickly, plus when you close the tabs, the RAM is quickly released;
If an unplanned shutdown occurs, the browser will restore all open tabs;
Problem with one of open pages will not affect the operation of the entire browser, since a separate process is launched for each;
Search queries are entered directly into the address bar;
Autocomplete is available so as not to waste time entering the same information into forms;
If you are using Google account in the browser, all basic data, that is, history, bookmarks, open tabs, autofill, passwords, can be used on any other device on which this account is also open;
Easily sync desktop and mobile device: web pages from a computer to a mobile phone are sent with one click, in turn, Google Now tips from a smartphone are displayed in the browser;
To use a lot of Google services and applications, you do not need to constantly enter your login and password: you are logged into your account, and you can easily open mail, cloud, YouTube, etc.;
The Google Chrome interface is as simple as possible, but at the same time it can be customized for a specific user;
A huge number of applications and alternatives to conventional programs are available for the browser.
Test
Some sin in the absence visual bookmarks, an inconvenient download manager or something else, but this is a matter of taste. A more serious accusation is the freezing of Chrome.
Testing latest version Windows 7-based browser with several active extensions and ten open tabs showed that Chrome processes use 0.83 GB of memory. At the same time, this is not the largest figure among our four.
In addition, in the Browsermark benchmark, which evaluates the performance of a computer and a browser, Chrome showed the highest result of the four - 4019 points.
Total
Google Chrome is the answer to the question of which browser is better for Windows in terms of performance. A browser for those who have enough RAM, who actively use their Google account and are ready to use a small amount at the same time open tabs.
Tip: if you like Chrome, but the “brake” is unnerving, look in the menu Additional tools → Task manager → Statistics for system administrators. It details what RAM is used for, including tabs and plugins - decide what can be disabled to reduce the load.
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is positioned by developers as the fastest browser and has several advantages:
Excellent speed of working with many bookmarks, the speed of searching and switching between bookmarks, as well as the speed of downloading files;
A smart address bar that will add an address for you;
Comfortable work with bookmarks, their creation and movement: when you press Cntrl + B, a panel with all available bookmarks appears on the left;
High level of security, including private browsing, "forget" browsing history button, secure connection, anti-phishing, etc.;
Synchronization between Firefox on different devices;
A huge number of themes, add-ons and extensions with which you can customize the browser for yourself.
Test
For all the merits of Firefox, criticized overall performance browser, which is inferior to its brothers, as well as the prospect of freezing on weak computers.
The browser test in Browsermark showed only 1914 points. However, the rate of involved random access memory in approximately the same conditions as Chrome (Windows 7, several active extensions and ten open tabs), it was the least - about 0.4 GB.
Total
What is the fastest browser to handle multiple bookmarks? Like Mozilla Firefox. Theory meets practice: a fast, reliable and flexible browser.
Opera Next
The Opera Next browser also has its own features:
Nice interface;
Convenient work with the express panel and tabs;
From the express panel, you can search in several search engines;
The number of open tabs does not really affect the speed of the browser;
For each tab, a separate process is launched, like Chrome there is a Task Manager, in which you can familiarize yourself with the “articles” of memory consumption;
Turbo mode, which allows you to increase the speed of loading pages and files at a low connection speed;
Again, all kinds of add-ons and themes that allow you to customize the browser for yourself;
Mouse gestures are supported, with which you can refresh the page, return to the page, go to a new window, and so on.
Test
Like other browsers, Opera is not without criticism: not all processes are fast, and Turbo mode can sometimes backfire, slowing down page opening. Some people don't like working with bookmarks in the browser.
In practice, testing under the same conditions showed that Opera Next consumes RAM slightly less than Chrome - 0.74 GB, and the benchmark test showed the second result in terms of performance - 3700 points.
Total
It's hard to say which browser is better when comparing Opera with other positions: perhaps it's a solid mid-ranger in the 2016 browser ranking.
Internet Explorer
Yes, and Internet Explorer has something to praise:
First, it shipped right out of the box with previous versions of Windows;
Minimum settings;
Smooth opening pages, watching videos and online games due to hardware acceleration;
High level of security with anti-malware filters and security features.
Test
User complaints about Internet Explorer focus on not very fast work browser.
The test in Browsermark showed the lowest level of performance - 1798 points. At the same time, 1.32 GB of RAM was allocated for a dozen bookmarks without any add-ons.
Total
Internet Explorer has not lost popularity due to the fact that many people still use past versions of Windows, which have it by default. Explorer, perhaps, can be advised to those who are interested in which browser is better to have in reserve as an add-on (do not delete it in the plan - let it be just in case :)).
Microsoft Edge
Instead of the outdated and heavy Explorer, they did not expect a miracle - a modern, practical and productive browser. But the miracle almost happened: the Microsoft Edge browser that appeared in Windows 10 turned out to be one of the most interesting products among such software.
Microsoft Edge is very unusual search: in addition to autocomplete, while you are typing a query, you will be offered a description of what you are looking for with a picture, search query options, site options and options from your magazine (in various combinations, depending on what you are looking for). And all this in the context of the search.
In addition to a simple menu, there is a handy hub that contains Favorites, Reading List, History, and Downloads tabs.
Favorites are also special here: you can put pages with notes in it. When you're on the page you want, you can click on the pencil button right below the minimize window icon and you can highlight, add captions, and crop content. The page can then be saved to OneNote, Favorites, or Reading List. Required option to work.
When working with InPrivate tabs, no traces are saved on the computer after closing the browser: cookies, temporary files, history.
Any page you open in Microsoft Edge can be pinned as a tile to the Windows Start menu.
Reading mode allows you to read articles on websites without unnecessary elements: it removes not only banners, but also all other paraphernalia, including design. It is easier to concentrate, it is more comfortable to view text and illustrations, it is more convenient to take web notes. True, it does not work on all resources (it works on the Aporta Blog - you can check it :).
Test
The miracle almost happened, because a gigabyte of RAM is allocated for ten open tabs of the new browser. But in practice, Edge freezes slightly, tabs open quickly enough, the search is performed quickly.
Total
If you have Windows 10 installed and enough RAM, do not neglect Microsoft Edge. At least try. This is not Explorer for you - you can really work in it!
findings
According to the results of the benchmark, Google Chrome and Opera turned out to be the most productive for Windows 7. Opening the task manager, it turned out that Mozilla Firefox consumes the least amount of RAM, Google Chrome and Opera "eat" in an average way, and IE is just a voracious insolent. In terms of speed and smoothness, Mozilla Firefox stands out qualitatively, followed by Google Chrome and Opera, IE in third place. In general, the statistics were confirmed: the first place is shared by Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, the second is Opera and the third is IE.
Edge has already been tested on new Windows and turned out to be perhaps the most interesting of the browsers: without additional add-ons, it offers many important options. The Microsoft product still eats a lot of RAM, but it works faster than its predecessor (and with the speed of work on the new Win 10, I must say, there are problems with all the browsers listed in the article). For dozen users, Microsoft Edge is definitely in the top three best browsers along with Fox and Chrome.
Your results may vary significantly depending on the hardware and software components. To determine which browser is best to use, try different browsers, look at the amount of memory used, evaluate which browser your computer is running
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Ya.Browser is a web browser from Yandex, created on the basis of the Chromium engine. It combines the best features of the popular Chrome and Opera browsers, and also provides unique features to its users.
The Yandex browser is similarly capable of activating the Turbo mode that saves traffic and still the same fast page loading during a slowdown in Internet connection speed, as in. Enjoy minimalist interface, amazing speed and a built-in translator, as well as add extensions from the Google Chrome store.
version: 5.2.7.3000 dated May 31, 2019Maxton cloud browser with advanced synchronization capabilities allows you to exchange links, files and messages through your own "cloud" storage.
The Maxthon web browser runs on two engines - Webkit and Trident, thanks to which it provides a quick opening of sites created at different times using various tools.
version: 3.0.0.96 from 22 May 2019A program for safe web surfing that allows you to block access to the connected camera and microphone, view all permissions granted to various sites. 
A fast browser based on the progressive Blink core. When creating Atom, the company used the experience of working on Amigo, another browser from Mail Ru.
The Chrome browser has long been the leader among its kind by a wide margin. It would seem that such trump cards as crazy speed and user-friendly interface left no chance for analogues.
But the increasingly hot breath of competitors in the form of Mozilla and Opera, as well as the conquest of their share of the audience by new products, such as, and Yandex.Browser, demanded new accents from developers.
version: 67.0 from 22 May 2019Mazila Firefox is one of the most popular cross-platform browsers in the world, provides fast, secure Internet surfing, is flexible in settings and has a huge selection of plug-ins and extensions.
The multimillion-dollar fan club of the Mozilla Firefox web browser accelerates the market, creating conditions for the existence of healthy competition with the Google browser. The reasons why users tend to download Mozilla Firefox lie on the surface - this is an emphasis on enhanced protection against malicious sites, high speed with dozens of open tabs and the introduction of innovative technologies such as sockets, web consoles or next-generation graphics.
Tor Browser for anonymous web surfing. It is a Firefox web browser with an integrated Torbutton extension, a script blocker and an add-on for logging into sites via HTTPS.
The program allows you to visit sites prohibited by the administrator or the state, as well as to correspond in web chats, place orders and upload files, hiding your IP address and other identification elements.
version: 2019.2 from 20 May 2019Free browser, which is an alternative to the well-known Internet Explorer, but it differs from the latter in an improved security system for transmitted data and a higher speed of browsing the Internet.
Tired of Chrome and Firefox flooding the market? Then install Avant, which will make your Internet surfing more comfortable.
version: 60.0.3255.95 dated 20 May 2019The Opera browser from the descendants of the Vikings brings reliability, speed and convenience, and the use of the unique Turbo mode allows you to quickly load pages even at a critically low Internet connection speed.
Opera for PC is a powerful web browser from Norwegian developers who have focused on the reliability and convenience of web surfing.
Greetings! Agree, today it is already impossible to imagine your life without the Internet. It is important for each user to use a really worthy Internet browser, because the better and faster it is, the more comfortable it is to surf the vastness of the global network. This is especially important when the computer is not modern and installing any browser, respectively, is not a way out. Today we will take a look at the best and fast browsers for PC as of 2016, which over time have gained the trust of many users in all countries.
Browser- This is a program through which you can view various web resources. All this is done using special http requests to the server, after which data is transmitted back from it. All this data is processed according to established web programming standards, and in this way a e-page with all objects.
In other words, the browser is the same conductor between the user and the global Internet. So, we figured out what a browser is, now you can actually go to the rating of the best browsers in 2016.
TOP best internet browsers 2016
Google ChromeLet's start with you with the most popular browser today - Google Chrome. It is used by most of all users of the world, and this is not surprising, since a global corporation invests enormous resources in the development and support of its product. This browser is used for personal computers and on mobile gadgets (phones, tablets, etc.).
Advantages:
- supports all popular operating systems;
- searches directly from the address bar;
- lightning-fast translation of any page (for example, from Ukrainian to Russian);
- fast speed (pages open almost instantly);
- synchronization of settings and bookmarks.
Disadvantages:
- on weak computers, the Google Chrome browser may “slow down”, as more than one plugin will be installed over time.
Yandex browser
Pretty fresh browser that is rapidly gaining momentum by consolidating all of its services in one place. Yandex Browser can also be used both for personal computers and on tablets, phones, etc.
Advantages:
- supports, as in Google Chrome, all popular operating systems;
- search from the address bar with hints;
- the presence of many beautiful themes that can change the browser visually beyond recognition;
- synchronization of settings and bookmarks;
- the browser has a turbo mode, which allows you to significantly speed up the loading of web content, as well as speed up video playback online when the picture slows down due to low Internet speed.
Unfortunately, Yandex Browser is practically a clone of the popular Google browser Chrome, differing only in some "own" chips. This is not surprising, since both browsers use the same engine. I would recommend you to use Yandex Browser only if you often look for any information in the Yandex search engine, or use its services. You can download this browser from the link
Mozilla Firefox
A very popular browser that is used by a huge number of users. Although it is not significantly slower in speed and loses to the Chrome browser, it has no equal in its capabilities. Firefox contains a wide variety of plugins and add-ons that are aimed at solving a variety of tasks: a password master, downloading videos and music, expanding browser capabilities, and much more.
Advantages:
- convenience in working with bookmarks, as well as their synchronization (especially useful when reinstalling the operating system);
- contains a large number of all kinds of add-ons and plugins;
- pretty high speed (unless, of course, a huge number of plugins are installed);
- editing the toolbar to your "taste" (you can remove or add any desired button);
I advise you to install this browser in any case, even if it will not be the main one, but believe me, it definitely will not hurt. You can download Firefox from this link.
Opera
This browser has been around for a long time, improving and developing. Of course, he lost quite a few fans after it was decided to switch from his own engine to a third-party one. However, he is still able to overtake many competitors today. In secret, I always have it installed and I use it, even though it is not the main browser.
Peculiarities:
- good speed work, even on weak PCs, the browser shows good results;
- a colossal degree of safety (these conclusions were made by more than one specialist around the world);
- a huge number of various extensions that add interesting features to the browser;
- turbo mode (Opera turbo) - a function that allows you to save traffic by compressing the downloaded elements of web pages. A very useful feature that appeared for the first time in this particular browser.
In principle, by and large, all browser options are the same as in the previous ones. I'll tell you one more secret: if the Opera is properly configured, then in terms of speed it can easily overtake Chrome. If you don't believe me, you can experiment. You can download this browser from the link
Microsoft Edge
A completely new browser that was included in the distribution of the new Windows 10 operating system. It is likely that in the future users will not have to download third-party browsers, as it will cope with the tasks as well, if not better. The developers set a goal - to create both a lightweight browser, and at the same time functional.
In many tests, the browser shows excellent results, surpassing popular competitors. But, since Microsoft Edge sometimes displays some sites not quite correctly, this indicates its “dampness”. The promise is great, but it's the last one on our list of the top best browsers of 2016.
Best browsers for weak PCs (light browsers)
PalemoonBefore you is a modified version of the Firefox browser, which I described above. The most optimized Palemoon browser is ready to boast of fast speed. By the way, most of the plugins and add-ons for Mozilla Firefox can easily function in Palemoon.
I recommend using this browser to those users who like Firefox browser, but who do not like its speed on weak machines. You can download this browser from the link
QupZilla
The next lightweight browser is QupZilla. This miracle eats little RAM and uses the processor differently than other browsers.
Of the features can be identified: the presence of a portable version, which eliminates the need to install the program; the ability to block various kinds of ads; support for all versions of Windows, including the top ten, etc.
K-meleon
Just like the previous two browsers, K-Meleon is a fast and easy solution for surfing the web. Source open, so each user can modify and adjust for himself.
The advantages of this browser are as follows: very fast speed (including weak PCs); the ability to disable the loading of images of a web page (this is done in one click); minimalism and super-lightness.
Today we reviewed top best browsers of 2016, and I think each of you made a certain conclusion by choosing a decent browser for surfing the Internet. Try, test and choose the best browser for your machine.
That's all! See you soon!