Web Browsers
The Big Four (Most Used)
Google Chrome
The browser landscape is a mix of a few giants and a long history of fallen pioneers. While Google Chrome remains the undisputed king across both mobile and desktop, the rise of privacy-focused and AI-integrated browsers has kept the market active.
Apple Safari (2003)
Built on the Chromium engine. It’s known for speed and deep integration with Google services. It currently holds about 65–70% of the total market share.
The default browser for Apple devices. It is the second most popular browser globally, primarily due to its dominance on iPhones and iPads.
Microsoft Edge (2015)
Replaced Internet Explorer. It was rebuilt in 2020 using the Chromium engine, making it compatible with Chrome extensions but with Microsoft’s AI (Copilot) features.
Mozilla Firefox (2004)
The major non-Chromium alternative. Open-source and focused on privacy and user agency.
Samsung Internet (2012) Opera (1995)
Default on Galaxy phones. Optimized for Android with a heavy focus on ad-blocking and dark mode.
Opera (1995)
A veteran survivor. Offers a built-in VPN, ad-blocker, and a specialized “GX” version for gamers.
Brave (2016)
Privacy-centric; blocks all ads/trackers by default and rewards users with crypto (BAT).
Vivaldi (2016)
Created by Opera’s co-founder. Aimed at power users with extreme interface customization.
UC Browser (2004)
Owned by Alibaba. Extremely popular in China/India due to high data compression.
DuckDuckGo (2021)
A privacy-first browser that automatically clears tabs and data at the end of a session.
Arc (2022)
A modern “browser-as-an-OS” with a vertical sidebar and AI-organized spaces.
Niche & Specialized
Tor Browser (2002)
Built for anonymity; routes traffic through three layers of encryption.
Yandex Browser (2012)
The leading browser in Russia; based on Chromium with heavy local service integration.
Lynx (1992)
The oldest active browser. It is text-only, meaning it cannot display images or videos.
Retired & Historical (The Pioneers)
WorldWideWeb / Nexus (1990)
The first-ever browser was created by Tim Berners-Lee.
Erwise (1992)
The first browser with a graphical user interface (GUI).
NCSA Mosaic (1993)
The first browser to display images alongside text; it made the internet “visual.”
Netscape Navigator (1994–2008)
The first commercial success. It lost the “Browser Wars” to Microsoft and eventually became the basis for Firefox.
Internet Explorer (1995–2022)
Once the global leader (reaching 95% market share). It was officially retired in favor of Microsoft Edge.
Flock (2005–2011)
A “social” browser that integrated social media feeds directly into the browser UI.
RockMelt (2010–2013)
A short-lived social media-focused browser backed by Andreessen Horowitz.