Chrome and Microsoft Edge are built on the same open-source project, Chromium, so they load websites the same way, run the same extensions and offer most of the same tools. The real differences are the account each one is tied to (Google or Microsoft), how each saves memory and battery, the privacy controls, and the AI assistant built in. This page compares them side by side, using what Google and Microsoft say about their own browsers.
- Engine: the same. Google describes Chrome as “the Chromium open source project built, packaged, and distributed by Google” (Chromium docs). Microsoft rebuilt Edge on Chromium and released it in January 2020.
- Memory: both put tabs you are not using to rest. Chrome calls it Memory Saver, Edge calls it sleeping tabs.
- Battery: both have an Energy Saver mode for laptops.
- Extensions: Chrome uses the Chrome Web Store. Edge has its own store and can also install from the Chrome Web Store.
- Privacy: Edge has three tracking prevention levels. Chrome lets you allow or block third-party cookies.
- AI: Chrome has Gemini in Chrome. Edge has Copilot.
- Account and devices: Chrome syncs through a Google Account, Edge through a Microsoft account. Both run on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android.
Want the short answer instead? See Chrome or Edge: which should you use? On a Windows PC, Chrome vs Edge on Windows 11 covers what is built into Windows and how to switch.
Speed: which is faster?
Both use the Chromium engine, and speed changes with every release and depends on your computer, so a claim that one is always faster does not hold for long.
The fair way to find out on your own computer is a browser benchmark, not an internet speed test. An internet speed test measures your connection, which is the same in both browsers. BrowserBench hosts Speedometer, which it describes as “a browser benchmark that measures the responsiveness of web applications,” maintained by the major browser engine developers.
- Update both browsers first. For Chrome, see how to update Chrome.
- Close other apps and tabs, and plug in your laptop so power saving does not slow either browser.
- Run Speedometer in Chrome, then in Edge, then once more in each. Compare the averages.
RAM usage: Chrome vs Edge
How much memory each browser uses depends on how many tabs and extensions you have open. What differs is how each browser frees memory from tabs you are not looking at.
- Chrome Memory Saver. Google says Chrome “deactivates tabs that you aren’t currently using” and reloads them when you go back. You choose Moderate, Balanced (recommended) or Maximum in Settings > Performance (Google’s performance settings help). Playing audio or video, sharing your screen, an active download, a half-filled form or pinning a tab can keep it from being deactivated.
- Edge sleeping tabs. Microsoft says sleeping tabs “puts background tabs to sleep after two hours of inactivity,” and you can change the time in Settings > System and performance > Performance (Microsoft’s performance features help). A sleeping tab is paused rather than cleared, so it comes back quickly.
To check memory use on your own computer:
- In Chrome: press Shift + Esc on Windows or Linux to open Chrome’s Task Manager (Google’s shortcuts list). You can also turn on Show tab memory usage (on a Mac, Show memory usage on tab hover preview card) under Settings > Appearance to see a tab’s memory when you hover over it.
- In Edge: open Settings and more (the three dots) and choose More tools > Performance. Microsoft’s performance detector there flags background tabs using a lot of memory or processor time.
To open Chrome’s performance settings directly, paste this into the address bar:
chrome://settings/performance
Battery life on laptops
- Chrome Energy Saver works when your device is unplugged or the battery is low. Google says it reduces the image capture rate and background tasks and stops eligible CPU-heavy background tabs; tabs on a video call or playing audio are not affected. It is available on Windows, Mac and Chromebook devices with a battery.
- Edge energy saver has two levels, Balanced (recommended) and Maximum. Microsoft says it puts inactive background tabs to sleep after 30 minutes or less while it is active. On Windows it follows Windows Battery Saver; on a Mac it turns on at 20 percent.
Both companies say their battery savers can affect video: Google says you may notice changes in gaming and video performance, and Microsoft says videos may be less smooth. Which one lasts longer on your laptop depends on the sites you use, so treat a general “Edge saves more battery” claim with care.
Extensions
Chrome installs extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Edge has its own store, Edge Add-ons, and Microsoft says “extensions designed for Google Chrome can also be used in Microsoft Edge.” The first time you install one from the Chrome Web Store in Edge, Edge asks you to Allow extensions from other stores (Microsoft’s extensions help).
Privacy controls
- Edge tracking prevention. In Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Tracking prevention you pick Basic, Balanced (recommended) or Strict. Microsoft says Strict “blocks the most trackers but could cause some websites to not behave as expected” (Microsoft’s tracking prevention help).
- Chrome third-party cookies. In Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies you choose to allow or block them, with exceptions for sites you trust. Google notes that third-party cookies are blocked by default in Incognito mode (Google’s cookies help).
Chrome’s cookie settings page:
chrome://settings/cookies
AI assistants
- Gemini in Chrome is part of Chrome on computers. You open it from the Gemini icon in the toolbar or a keyboard shortcut you set up, and it can summarize a page or answer questions using your open tabs. Google says it works only when you ask, and that “compatibility and availability vary” and it is for people 18 and over (Gemini in Chrome overview).
- Copilot in Edge opens in a side pane from the icon at the top right of the window, and can summarize, compare and answer questions about your tabs (Copilot in Edge).
Accounts and devices
If your email, documents and phone are on Google, Chrome keeps your bookmarks, passwords and history in your Google Account. If you use Outlook, OneDrive or Microsoft 365, Edge does the same with your Microsoft account. Microsoft offers Edge for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Chrome is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad and Android.
Switching from Edge to Chrome
Google’s import help says to save your bookmarks from the other browser as an HTML file, then in Chrome choose More > Bookmarks and lists > Import bookmarks and settings and pick that file. If you had no bookmarks in Chrome yet, they appear in the bookmarks bar; otherwise they go into “Other bookmarks.” To have links open in Chrome, set it as your default browser in your computer’s settings.
Does Edge use less RAM than Chrome?
Not by a fixed amount. Both are Chromium browsers and use memory in similar ways. Edge puts background tabs to sleep after two hours by default, while Chrome’s Memory Saver deactivates unused tabs sooner or later depending on the level you choose (Moderate, Balanced or Maximum). Check both on your own computer with the tools above.
Can I use Chrome extensions in Edge?
Yes. Microsoft supports installing extensions from the Chrome Web Store in Edge once you allow extensions from other stores.
Can I keep both browsers?
Yes. On Windows, Edge comes with the system, and you can install Chrome alongside it and choose which one opens links.