Mozilla Firefox vs Microsoft Edge
Two of the top three web browsers, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- Mozilla Firefox has 80 points and Microsoft Edge 73, 7 apart on our web browsers rules.
- Mozilla Firefox earns more on privacy and security, sync and sign-in and price; Microsoft Edge earns more on extensions.
- Cost to use: Mozilla Firefox $0, Microsoft Edge not published.
- Only Mozilla Firefox meets: open source, end-to-end encrypted sync, tab groups and cost to use.
- Only Microsoft Edge meets: saves passkeys, Chrome Web Store extensions and separate profiles.
Mozilla Firefox80/100 #2 of 12
Best for: People who want open-source code, tracker blocking and sync that Mozilla cannot read.
Microsoft Edge73/100 #3 of 12
Best for: Windows users who want tracker blocking by default and Chrome extensions.
Points by group
| Group | Mozilla Firefox | Microsoft Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Systems of 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Privacy and security of 37 | 32 | 27 |
| Sync and sign-in of 22 | 17 | 14 |
| Extensions of 12 | 6 | 12 |
| Tabs and tools of 16 | 12 | 12 |
| Price of 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 80 | 73 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | Mozilla Firefox | Microsoft Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Other systems (8) | macOS, Linux, iOS, Android 8 | macOS, Linux, iOS, Android 8 |
| Blocks trackers by default (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| Built-in ad blocker (5) | Not published 0 | Not published 0 |
| Fingerprinting protection (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| Built-in VPN or proxy (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Open source (5) | Yes 5 | Not published 0 |
| Public bug bounty (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Phishing and malware warnings (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Free sync across devices (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| End-to-end encrypted sync (8) | Yes 8 | Not published 0 |
| Built-in password manager (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Saves passkeys (5) | Not published 0 | Yes 5 |
| Chrome Web Store extensions (6) | Not published 0 | Yes 6 |
| Manifest V2 extensions still work (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| Vertical tabs (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Tab groups (4) | Yes 4 | Not published 0 |
| Built-in page translation (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Separate profiles (4) | Not published 0 | Yes 4 |
| Cost to use (5) | $0 5 | Not published 0 |
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox suits people who want privacy features in the browser itself: tracker and fingerprint blocking, a free-tier browser VPN and sync Mozilla cannot read. Its code is open source and Mozilla says it keeps Manifest V2 support. The catch: Firefox's pages do not mention passkeys or Chrome Web Store installs, and a past Bugzilla breach is on record.
Microsoft Edge
Edge suits people who want tracker blocking switched on from the first launch, a small built-in VPN allowance and access to Chrome extensions. Its bug bounty and vertical tabs are documented. It also saves passkeys. The catch: Microsoft does not document end-to-end encrypted sync with a key only you hold, and the Edge browser source is not published.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score web browsers.