Comparison

Google Chrome vs Safari

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Google Chrome

This web browser offers fast and secure internet access, integrating Google Search and Lens for quick information retrieval. It provides robust security features like enhanced protection and password management, and syncs your data across devices for seamless browsing.

Highlights
  • Fast and secure browsing
  • Google Search and Lens integration
  • Enhanced protection mode
  • Password manager
  • Cross-device sync
  • Tab groups
  • Autofill
Features
Read full description

Chrome helps you do what’s possible on the web. Download the fast, secure browser by Google. GET THE BEST OF GOOGLE IN CHROME • SEARCH WITH GOOGLE - Search and get answers on Google fast. Use your voice to search hands-free. • GOOGLE LENS - Search what you see on your screen or with your camera. • GOOGLE TRANSLATE - Explore the web in 130+ languages. Translate entire sites in one click. BROWSE WITH BEST-IN-CLASS SECURITY • ENHANCED PROTECTION MODE - Browse confidently with the highest level of Chrome’s security. • SAFETY CHECK - Get peace of mind with proactive safety alerts. • GOOGLE PASSWORD MANAGER - Securely generate and save passwords for fast sign-in, and get alerts if your passwords are at risk. ACCESS YOUR CHROME ACROSS DEVICES • SYNC ACROSS DEVICES - Save your things (like bookmarks, tabs, and passwords) and easily access them when you sign in to Chrome on your phone, computer or tablet. • TAB GROUPS - Create tab groups to stay organized across devices. • AUTOFILL - Save time typing by autofilling your saved payments, addresses and passwords. Feature availability varies by country and language. Compatibility varies. Check responses for accuracy.

About

Safari

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
Read full description

Explore the web with lightning-fast speed, powerful privacy protections and robust customization options. With Safari you can browse sites, translate web pages, and access your tabs across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Features • Passwords, bookmarks, history, tabs and more seamlessly sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac • Private Browsing mode doesn’t save your history and keeps your browsing your business • Intelligent Tracking Prevention prevents trackers from following you across websites you visit • Tab Groups let you save and organize your tabs and access them across iOS, iPadOS and macOS • Profiles help keep your browsing history, website data, and more separate between topics like work and personal • Shared Tab Groups help you share tabs and collaborate with family and friends • Extensions allow you to personalize Safari and add even more functionality to the browser • Reader formats articles for easy reading without ads, navigation, or other distracting items • Privacy Report shows known trackers that have been blocked from tracking you • Reading List easily saves articles for you to read later • Voice Search lets you search the web using just your voice • Web page translation converts entire webpages into other languages right in the browser • Handoff effortlessly passes what you’re doing in Safari from one device to another • Add to Home Screen allows you to quickly launch a website or web app from your Home Screen • Notify Me periodically checks a webpage for updates and notifies you if a change occurs

Screenshots

Google Chrome4 screens
Safari4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Safari at none against Google Chrome's 25. Safari also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). Google Chrome's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months) and review sentiment (61% vs 37%). On price there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Google Chrome sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Safari asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Google Chrome holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Chrome has 3.9M ratings behind it against 177K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Google Chrome's written reviews are positive against 37% of Safari's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Google Chrome ships an update weekly, Safari every 10 months. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Google Chrome versus Safari: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoogle ChromeSafari
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.9M ratings) — better4.4 (177K ratings)
Positive reviews60.8% of reviews — better37.1% of reviews
Number of ratings3.9M — better177K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#2 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS18.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size410 MB6 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperGoogleApple

Customer experience

Google Chrome

All ratings3,860,939 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.8%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews7,522 reviews
Positive60.8%
Neutral5.2%
Negative34.0%

Safari

All ratings177,311 ratings
Positive83.8%
Neutral3.9%
Negative12.3%
Written reviews5,737 reviews
Positive37.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative53.5%

User reviews

Google Chrome

From 3.9M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 👍 Seamless syncing across devices
  • 🔒 Robust security features
  • 💡 Useful integration with other Google services

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Unreliable search results
  • 💤 Slow page loading
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns
  • 🤔 Counterintuitive UI changes

Safari

From 177K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Google Chrome

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Keyboard issues and lags
  • Inconsistent behavior when closing tabs
  • Unreliable bookmark syncing
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Customizable UI and layout options
  • Improved tab management and session recovery
  • Better support for extensions and add-ons
  • Enhanced password management and syncing

Safari

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

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

In-app purchases

16 purchases

Google Chrome

Subscriptions16
  • 100 GB2 variants$1.991 Month
  • 100 GB1 Month trial2 variants$1.991 Month
  • 200 GB1 Month trial2 variants$2.991 Month
Show 13 more
  • 200 GB2 variants$2.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (400 GB)$4.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (2 TB)1 Month trial2 variants$9.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (2 TB)$9.991 Month
  • 100 GB2 variants$19.991 Year
  • 100 GB1 Year trial$19.991 Year
  • 100 GB1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • 5 TB$24.991 Month
  • 200 GB1 Year trial$29.991 Year
  • 2 TB1 Year trial$99.991 Year
  • 30 TB2 variants$149.991 Month
  • Google AI Ultra (30 TB)2 variants$249.991 Month
  • 5 TB$249.991 Year
None

Safari

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Google Chrome free?
Google Chrome 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 Chrome or Safari?
Google Chrome is rated higher. Google Chrome averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.9M ratings, while Safari averages 4.4 from 177K ratings.
Do Google Chrome or Safari have ads?
Google Chrome shows ads; Safari does not.
Which is updated more often, Google Chrome or Safari?
Google Chrome ships an update weekly, and Safari every 10 months. Most recently, Google Chrome was updated on September 26, 2026 and Safari on September 26, 2026.

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