# Google vs Safari

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Safari at none against Google's 37. Safari also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). Google's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 months) and review sentiment (59% vs 37%). On price and rating there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Google sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $0.89 per month. Safari asks for nothing beyond the download.

Google holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google has 5.1M ratings behind it against 177K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Google's written reviews are positive against 37% of Safari's.

Google ships an update every 5 days, Safari every 10 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Google | Safari |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (5.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google/id284815942/reviews)** | [4.4 (177K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safari/id1146562112/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.1M** | 177K |
| Positive reviews | **59.2% of reviews** | 37.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 491 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Google

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google/id284815942)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Utilities, #19 Top Free, #144 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive search experience, integrating AI for quick answers and personalized content. It allows you to search using images, voice, or text, and offers features like song identification and real-time translation.

**Highlights:** AI Overviews for quick answers, Image search with Lens, Hum to Search for song identification, Personalized Discover feed, Real-time camera translation, Home screen search widget

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30 GB | $0.89 | per month |
| 100 GB | $1.99 | per month |
| 100 GB | $1.99 | per month |
| 100 GB | $1.99 | per month |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | per month |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | per month |
| Google AI Plus (400 GB) | $4.99 | per month |
| Google AI Plus (400 GB) | $4.99 | per month |
| Google AI Plus (2 TB) | $9.99 | per month |
| 2 TB | $9.99 | per month |
| 100 GB | $19.99 | per year |
| Google AI Pro (5 TB) | $19.99 | per month |
| Google AI Pro (5 TB) | $19.99 | per month |
| Google AI Pro (2 TB) | $19.99 | per month |
| 5 TB | $24.99 | per month |
| 200 GB | $29.99 | per year |
| 200 GB | $29.99 | per year |
| Google AI Plus (400 GB) | $49.99 | per year |
| 10 TB | $49.99 | per month |
| Google AI Plus (2 TB) | $99.99 | per year |
| 30 TB | $149.99 | per month |
| 5 TB | $249.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Reliable and feature-packed
- 👍 Seamless integration with other Google services
- 🔍 Accurate and personalized search results
- 📱 Intuitive and smooth interface
- 🔍 Helpful Google Assistant

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Biased or irrelevant search results
- 📱 Slow performance and freezing issues
- 🔍 Forced use of Google Lens
- 🔍 Difficulty removing unwanted content from feed

**Reported bugs**

- Search bar freezes or takes a long time to load
- Tabs disappearing or not saving properly
- Inability to save images or access image search
- Crashing or force closing issues
- Inconsistent dark mode/light mode behavior

**Requested features**

- Option to disable Google Lens
- Improved tab management
- Ability to customize news feed interests
- Restore image download functionality
- Dedicated search mode for trucks and larger vehicles


### Safari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safari/id1146562112)

Browse the web at high speeds with advanced privacy features and extensive customization. Access your tabs, translate pages, and sync data across your Apple devices. Enjoy a cleaner reading experience and personalized browsing.

**Highlights:** Cross-device syncing, Private Browsing mode, Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Tab Groups, Profiles, Web page translation, Reader mode

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Robust privacy features
- 👍 Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
- 🤩 Excellent reading mode
- 💡 Useful tab management options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific tabs
- 🤦‍♀️ Confusing UI changes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Inconsistent search results

**Reported bugs**

- Tabs randomly closing or disappearing
- Issues with website loading and rendering
- Unexpected behavior when switching between tabs
- Problems with syncing and iCloud integration
- Compatibility issues with certain websites

**Requested features**

- Add 'Find in Page' functionality
- Improve tab management and organization
- Provide more customization options
- Enhance search capabilities
- Optimize performance and stability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google free?

Google is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Safari free?

Safari is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Google or Safari?

Google is rated higher. Google averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5.1M ratings, while Safari averages 4.4 from 177K ratings.

### Do Google or Safari have ads?

Google shows ads; Safari does not.

### Which is updated more often, Google or Safari?

Google ships an update every 5 days, and Safari every 10 months. Most recently, Google was updated on September 29, 2026 and Safari on September 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*