Apple’s macOS ships with Safari, which can be considered the best browser MacOs Catalina. However, Mac users deserve more than ‘decent;’ they deserve the best browser out there that works on a Mac.
If you’re like a lot of people, you do most of your work in a browser. From editing documents to photo editing, creating presentations, managing spreadsheets, conducting meetings, and even running alternate operating systems, there are only a few things that are impossible with a browser.
While Safari is a decent browser, there are many alternatives that give it a run for its money. Here, I’ll show you some of the best alternative browsers for macOS Catalina.
Best Browser MacOS Catalina
- Google Chrome
If you’re buying your first Mac after previous experience with Windows PCs or Chromebooks, Google Chrome will probably be your browser of choice.
Google Chrome runs on the Chromium web engine, the most popular open-source browser engine out there. Most popular web browsers run around the Chromium web engine, including Microsoft’s offering: Edge.
While Chrome may not be the best browser from a privacy standpoint, it is inherently secure, given that its developer also keeps the largest list of unsafe sites on the internet, a list that Apple’s Safari uses.
If you want an enhanced browsing experience, you can customize Google Chrome with extensions. There is an extension for everything, from the one that lets you take screenshots to the one that shows you cute daily cat pictures.
However, Google Chrome remains the best browser for converts from other OSes. Also, you can’t find a better browser if you’re deeply invested in Google’s ecosystem.
Google Chrome has a simple UI and doesn’t disturb the front page with personalized article suggestions, unlike most competitors.
If you use Chrome on your phone, you can sync your browsing history, passwords, or bookmarks across all of your devices.
And, there’s still the Dino Game that’s only playable if you lack an internet connection, so you never get bored with Chrome.
- Microsoft Edge
If you love Google Chrome but hate simplified interfaces, you will love the new Microsoft Edge.
Available for PCs, Macs, Android and iOS smartphones, and even Linux PCs, Microsoft is seriously trying to capture the browser market this time.
It runs on the same Chromium web engine as Google Chrome, which means you can port all your Chrome extensions over to Edge.
Also, Microsoft Edge ships with an ‘Internet Explorer mode.’ The Internet Explorer mode helps developers visualize how a webpage looks like in Internet Explorer without installing the crazy old browser itself.
Microsoft ships with some extra features to make the browser even more appealing to a larger audience.
There is a Math Solver feature that does exactly what it says, albeit unreliably. You can also have Microsoft Edge read an article loudly for you.
When you lack access to an internet connection, Microsoft Edge also lets you play an offline game. However, it’s nothing like the Dino Game. This game is a surfing game (surfing in water and not on the internet).
- Safari
Apple’s Safari can be the best browser for macOS Catalina, depending on who you ask. The browser is built to run on your software and hardware to maximize performance while minimizing load.
If you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem, no browser can serve you quite as well as Safari. Running on the WebKit engine, Safari consumes a lot less RAM than Chrome or Edge.
Also, Safari syncs your browsing data (passwords, tabs, history, etc.) across all iDevices where you’ve signed in to your iCloud account.
While it trails Google Chrome in security features, there is no competition if the discussion is about privacy. As Apple doesn’t live on selling ads, it doesn’t need to collect any information about users to personalize anything.
If Apple’s claims are accurate, Safari should be faster than any other browser on macOS Catalina.
Also, you will experience a lot less battery drain with Safari, as Apple’s data cite up to three hours of additional browsing when using Safari, compared to other alternatives like Google Chrome.
You can also use extensions to enhance your browsing experience on Safari. Although Safari’s extensions are nowhere as much as what you’ll find on Chrome, the basics are already there.
- Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is that browser that always makes the best shortlist but never cuts the absolute best.
Firefox is undoubtedly a good browser, and it’s a pacesetter for most of the popular browsers we know today.
Mozilla Firefox is fast, but that depends on your hardware. On Macs, you’re better off with Safari or even Google Chrome. If you don’t mind making some minor tradeoffs, Mozilla Firefox is pretty great for macOS Catalina.
The browser prides itself in consuming lower resources than Chrome, although real-world testing doesn’t quite prove their claims.
The UI is alright; design choices are subjective. If you want my opinion, I’ll go with the minimalist interface of Google Chrome or Safari’s more ‘Apple’ interface.
Safari is created and managed by Mozilla, a non-profit free software community that believes in open source.
Against Apple’s WebKit engine and Google’s Chromium engine, Mozilla also has a unique web engine for Firefox, the Gecko engine.
The Gecko engine also powers Thunderbird email client, another program you should check out if you just got a Mac.
Conclusion
Your web browser is the most important program on your computer. You do almost all your work on your browser, and this isn’t a dying trend. For this reason, you should carefully choose your preferred browser on your Mac.
If you don’t sweat over your choices, go with Safari; you’ll eventually get used to it. However, you can go with Google Chrome if you’re coming from a Windows PC or Firefox if you’re a fan.
Whatever browser you choose doesn’t matter; what matters is getting your job done, and any browser will guarantee that.