Web Browser Usage Statistics By Market Share and Facts (2026)

Introduction

Web Browser Usage Statistics: The year 2025 marks a significant point for the global web browser ecosystem, as it has turned out not only because of users’ preferences but also because of technological innovations, privacy concerns, and potential revenue streams. Web browsers are no longer just the means by which users access web pages; they have become the channels through which users participate in digital economies, interact with data ecosystems, and experience the AI-enabled world. The browsers have a major impact on how users search, shop, communicate, and consume content online.

Hence, browser usage statistics are of utmost importance to developers, marketers, and business leaders. This comprehensive article will present the Web Browser Usage statistics and integrate credible market share statistics, user movement, monetization figures, and studies from the industry to describe the overall scenario of browser usage in 2025.

Editor’s Choice

1. In 2025, the use of web browsers has become an indispensable factor in digital economies, AI-driven experiences, and online monetization, impacting how more than 5.65 billion global internet users get access to the web.
2. Google Chrome leads the world’s browser market with a 68.38% share, well ahead of rivals, thanks to its efficiency, integration with the ecosystem, and uniformity across devices.
3. Safari comes in third place globally with 17.09%, drawing heavily from its default position on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS—Apple’s mobile, tablet, and desktop platforms.
4. With a 4.92% share worldwide, Microsoft Edge is growing, and this gradual growth is driven by Windows bundling and its Chromium-based performance.
5. Firefox has a 2.46% share, sustained by the loyalty of privacy-focused and open-source advocates, despite overall usage being on the decline.
6. Samsung Internet (2.23%) and Opera (2.01%) are still in the game because of their implementation of mobile-first features like device optimization, data compression, and built-in VPN tools.
7. Mobile browsing is the leader in global web traffic, accounting for 59.3%, while desktop use has dropped to 35.6% and tablets have a 5.1% share, with a slight yearly increase.
8. Chrome is still the dominant browser for all kinds of devices, surpassing 48% on mobile and about 70% on desktops.
9. Safari is the leading mobile browser in several regions, with a global market share of 23.4% and almost half of the mobile market in the U.S.
10. Microsoft Edge has a stronger presence on desktops (11.3%) than on mobile, where it has a share of less than 1.5%.
11. The younger generation is the main user of mobile phones, with Gen Z mobile surfing reaching 72% in North America and only 51% for Gen X.
12. Voice-activated browsing is becoming more popular, with a 19% annual increase in usage, especially among mobile, tablet, and older users.
13. Privacy-centred web browsers are getting more popular, with Brave reporting the fastest growth of 34% annually and DuckDuckGo surpassing 15 million active installations.

Global Browser Market Share

(Reference: sqmagazine.co.uk)

• The global web browser market in April 2025 is clearly dominated by Google Chrome, which accounts for 68.38% of total usage worldwide.
• This overwhelming power is the result of Chrome’s strong performance, its close integration with Google services, and the corollary cross-platform experience.
• Safari, Apple’s web browser, comes in second with a 17.09% share, mainly because it is pre-installed on Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
• The next browser in line is Microsoft Edge, with a 4.92% market share, which can be seen as a slow but steady growth trend since Microsoft is still providing Windows for free, and Edge is enjoying the performance improvements that come with adopting Chromium.
• The Mozilla Firefox browser keeps a tiny slice of the market at 2.46%, which mainly consists of users who want privacy, are in favour of open-source development, and want user customization.
• On the other hand, Samsung Internet is gaining market share at 2.23% owing to its popularity among Samsung smartphone users and its mobile-centric features.
• Opera’s share is the smallest at 2.01%, though it has been kept alive by generous features such as a VPN and tools to save data while browsing.
• All other browsers together account for 2.91% of the global share, underscoring the role of niche and local browsers in a market dominated by a few players.

Web Browser Usage By Device Type (Desktop, Mobile, Tablet)

• Mobile browsing is now the major contributor to global web traffic, accounting for 59.3% of total usage.
• Desktop usage has dropped to 35.6%, and users have helped maintain this long-term downward trend by continuing their move to smartphones.
• Tablet devices account for 5.1% of the total Internet population, up from 4.7% last year.
• In the mobile browsing world, Safari is at the top with 23.4% market share, thanks to its close integration with iPhones and iPads.
• Chrome is still the most popular browser overall, with more than 48% of mobile usage and about 70% of desktop usage.
• Microsoft Edge’s desktop presence is stronger at 11.3%, whereas its mobile share is below 1.5%.
• Tablet usage has increased in certain areas, such as education and eldercare, thereby boosting browser activity on iPads and Kindles.
• In North America, 72% of the Gen Z population uses mobile browsers, while only 51% of the Gen X population does.
• The use of voice-assisted browsing is also growing, with mobile phones and tablets seeing a 19% year-on-year increase.

Regional Trends In Browser Popularity

• Chrome, with a 53.7% share, is the leading browser in the United States, followed by Safari with 31.4%.
• Firefox is the second-most-popular browser in the European market, albeit with a relatively low 5.9% market share, more than twice its US market share.
• Japan is a major iPhone market where Safari owns 47% of the market due to the high number of iPhone users.
• India is a Chrome-dominated country, with 82.3% of internet users using Chrome, mainly due to Android phones. In Indonesia, Samsung Internet ranks second with a 14.6% share, ahead of some global competitors.
• Opera is still a favourite in Africa with a 7.2% market share, mainly due to its data compression features. Privacy-centric Brave is slowly but steadily making progress in countries such as Germany and Switzerland, where privacy laws are strict.
• In Brazil, Edge usage on desktop computers has increased by 20% year over year, partly due to Microsoft’s school outreach programs.
• The situation in China is different, as the presence of browsers like UC Browser and QQ Browser has not yet decreased, even as other regions are seeing a decline in popularity.

Year-Over-Year Browser Growth Comparison

• Chrome recorded a small decrease in global market share, from 64.5% in 2024 to 62.1% in 2025, a 2.4% decline.
• Safari went the opposite route, increasing its share from 18.1% to 19.2%, for a 6.1% lift, thanks to the growing iOS user base in developing regions.
• Microsoft Edge reported modest gains, rising 12% year on year to a 6.5% share.
• Firefox has been experiencing a steady decline, losing 9.6% of users, leaving it hard to retain users.
• Brave was in the limelight among the main browsers, leaping 34% annually as people chose privacy over everything else.
• The data-saving feature of Opera still resonates very well with users in Southeast Asia, and as a result, the mobile usage of the app has increased by 6.3%.
• Samsung Internet was up 2.7% and stayed in the same line-up of devices within the Samsung ecosystem.
• The web browsing done via Tablets went up by 8.5% from last year, which might be an indication that the digital habits during the pandemic have now become normalized.
• The installations of browser extensions started at 23% compared to 2024, thus showing the rising demand for personalization, while the voice-enabled browsing increases by 21%, especially among older users and multitaskers.

Web Browsers With The Fastest Adoption Rate

• Brave is at the forefront of the market as far as adoption momentum is concerned, as it combines a 34% year-on-year growth rate with its global user base of more than 75 million.
• Arc Browser turned out to be a spectacular newcomer in the US, as it saw more than a 260% increase in installations in the first quarter of 2025.
• Vivaldi added 18.9% to its customer base, which was mainly due to the presence of developers and technically inclined users in Europe and the USA.
• The browser from DuckDuckGo crossed 15 million active installs, which means a 22% increase in annual terms.
• Microsoft Edge on macOS also got established with a 14.5% increase, and thus, communication of the successful cross-platform positioning.
• Kiwi Browser saw a whopping 16% increase in its user base, mainly in India and the Philippines, where the support for mobile extensions is much appreciated.
• Firefox Focus was up by 12.4%, thus pointing to the fact that the demand for light-weight, privacy-oriented browsing has just awakened.
• Orion Browser said that the beta users have immensely increased by five times since late 2024, and Opera GX has among Gen Z gamers worldwide, has increased its user base by 26%.
• Puffin Browser also saw a remarkable growth of 17.2% in some areas of Africa because of its server-based browsing model.

Web Browser Market Share By Country

China

(Source: backlinko.com)

• China is one of the countries with the largest number of internet users in the world, with the number being approximately 1.11 billion users.
• Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, claiming 52.52% of the total usage, thus confirming its widespread use as a browser among all devices.
• The next one in line is Microsoft Edge, which has an 11.44% overall share and a special good performance in desktop, where it reaches 17.88% thus being just below Chrome in terms of ranking.
• Safari is in third place with 10.25% overall, mostly supported by its presence on tablets, where it has about 44.43% of the distribution.
• The Android Browser has a 9.56% share among all platforms and a 19.05% presence on mobile, with a higher percentage.
• Browser and 360 Safe Browser constitute minor yet significant parts of the market, indicative of the wide variety of browsers that China has.

India

(Source: backlinko.com)

• India has around 806 million internet users, and the market is wholly captured by Google Chrome.
• Chrome’s share is a massive 92.3% of the total browser market and nearly 93% of the mobile browsing market, thus making it the undisputed champion across all devices.
• Opera is far behind in the second place with approximately 2.29% overall usage, while Safari, UC Browser and Samsung Internet are very close to Opera, each having a share of under 2%.
• Safari’s lack of presence is mainly attributed to India’s smartphone scenario, which is ruled by low-cost Android devices of Xiaomi, Realme, and OPPO, etc., over iPhone products.
• The once powerful UC Browser, which almost shared its user base with Chrome until 2016, fell off as people gradually moved to Chrome.
• One of the major reasons that it became popular was that it offered a lot of data-saving features, which included a lite mode that allowed browsing on even the 2G network and consuming very little data.

United States

(Source: backlinko.com)

• In the country with the largest internet population- the USA, with approximately 322 million users- Google Chrome is the undisputed ruler of the browser market with a share of 52.71% on all operating systems combined.
• Safari is in second place with a share of 29.28%, and together these two browsers represent almost 82% of the total browser usage in America.
• Microsoft Edge is in third position with a market share of 7.36%, followed by Firefox with 4.09%, while Samsung Internet and Opera have even less.
• In the mobile segment, the situation is almost the same, with Safari taking the lead with close to 50% of mobile users in the US, while iPhones and iPads are still the strongest devices.
• Chrome is second here too, with a share of just below 42%, while the users of Galaxy devices are only slightly more than the Samsung Internet share.

Recent Developments

• Google Chrome introduced AI-based tab grouping and context-aware bookmarks for users to manage their opened tabs more conveniently, and this has resulted in a reduction of Overloading of Tabs by nearly 29%.
• Safari 18 by Apple has implemented machine learning-based ad filtering, which has given an invariable shortened page load time that is, performance-wise, a 15% improvement.
• Microsoft is offering the support of integrated Copilot AI in Edge, allowing users to have the browser’s help for summaries, drafting, and context assistance, among others, right inside, thus making it easier to explore.
• In 2025, Firefox not only maintained its position as a privacy-oriented browser but also revamped its Total Cookie Protection feature, whereby cookies were tagged per site, and consequently, cross-site tracking was significantly reduced.
• By releasing Leo, an AI assistant that can summarize pages and perform on-device translation, Brave improved the browser’s privacy and security parameters by lessening the need for external servers.
• Additionally, Opera’s desktop browser got a cryptocurrency wallet, making it the first operating system to support Web3 and thus drawing the attention of decentralized app users.

Conclusion

Web Browser Usage Statistics: A strong platform concentration, mobile-first behavior, along with the demand for privacy and AI-driven features, constitute the web browser market on a global scale in 2025. On the one hand, Google Chrome stays atop the worldwide market, whereas Safari is gaining from Apple’s ever-expanding ecosystem, and Edge is slowly getting adopted through the cross-platforming practice. The typical usage pattern regionally proves how the availability of the devices, their pricing, and people’s preferences determine the selection of the browser.

Meanwhile, the likes of Brave and Arc are the new browsers coming up that are doing things in quite a different way, signalling, for instance, that their users’ main concerns are privacy, customization, and productivity. The more browsing becomes mixed up with AI, voice, and personalization, the less the browser competition will be decided by the market share; instead, it will be determined by innovation, trust, and user experience.

FAQ