Chrome vs Firefox in 2026: Extensions, Privacy and Speed

Chrome or Firefox: which is better in 2026?

Neither wins outright. Chrome is the safer default for compatibility and extension choice; Firefox is the better pick if privacy defaults and uncompromised content blocking matter more to you than convenience.

The rest of this guide unpacks each row, because the right answer depends on which rows you care about. If you spend your day in Gmail, Docs and Meet, Chrome's integration is hard to beat. If you want a browser that blocks trackers before you install a single add-on, Firefox starts ahead.

One thing the table can't show: switching is cheap. Both browsers import each other's bookmarks and passwords, and many people end up running both, one for work and one for personal browsing. The final sections cover that.

Which browser has better extensions?

Chrome has the larger catalogue, and most developers ship to Chrome first. Firefox uses the same WebExtensions format, so many popular extensions exist on both, but niche business and productivity tools are sometimes Chrome-only.

The bigger difference in 2026 is the platform underneath. Chrome finished its move to Manifest V3, which retired Manifest V2 extensions and, for most extensions, replaced the blocking webRequest API with declarativeNetRequest: content blockers now hand Chrome a list of rules instead of inspecting every request themselves. Google documents the change in its Manifest V2 phase-out timeline.

Mozilla adopted Manifest V3 too, but kept blocking webRequest and continued support for Manifest V2 extensions. In practice, Firefox extensions keep some abilities Chrome ones lost, which matters most for ad blockers and privacy tools.

Store review differs as well. Mozilla's Recommended Extensions programme gives featured add-ons an extra security review; the Chrome Web Store uses automated and manual review plus a Featured badge. Neither is a guarantee of quality, which is why every pick in our curated extension directory is judged against our review methodology rather than store badges.

Can you install Chrome Web Store extensions in Firefox? Not directly. You need the developer's Firefox version from AMO. Our guide to running Chrome extensions on Firefox covers what carries over and what doesn't.

Does uBlock Origin still work in Chrome?

Not the original. The full uBlock Origin was a Manifest V2 extension and no longer runs in current Chrome. Its developer publishes uBlock Origin Lite, a Manifest V3 version built differently to fit Chrome's new rules.

uBO Lite applies filter lists through Chrome's declarative rules, so its basic mode doesn't need permission to read every page, and it adds very little overhead. The trade-off is fewer advanced controls than the original, and filter lists that largely update with the extension itself rather than on the fly.

In Firefox, the full uBlock Origin still runs, with its element picker, dynamic filtering and per-site rules. If aggressive, customisable blocking is the main reason you're weighing a switch, that is Firefox's strongest single argument.

Is Firefox more private than Chrome?

By default, yes. Firefox blocks known trackers and isolates cookies per site out of the box; Chrome relies more on settings you turn on yourself, and it comes from a company whose main business is advertising.

Enhanced Tracking Protection (Firefox)

On by default in Standard mode. Blocks social media trackers, cross-site tracking cookies, cryptominers and known fingerprinters. Strict mode blocks more but can break some sites. Mozilla explains the modes on its Enhanced Tracking Protection help page.

Total Cookie Protection (Firefox)

Gives every website its own cookie jar, so a tracker's cookie set on one site can't follow you to another.

Safe Browsing (both)

Chrome warns about dangerous sites and downloads, with an Enhanced protection mode that shares more data with Google. Firefox also uses Google Safe Browsing lists, so switching doesn't cost you phishing and malware warnings.

Third-party cookies (Chrome)

Blocked by default in Incognito. In normal windows you can block them at chrome://settings/cookies.

Private windows (both)

Incognito and Private Browsing stop your device keeping history and cookies after you close the window. They don't hide you from sites you log in to, your network or your internet provider.

Chrome's gap narrows with a few changes: block third-party cookies, run the Privacy Guide at chrome://settings/privacy, and add a content blocker. For automatic cleanup, History Cleaner deletes history older than a number of days you set, and Auto History Wipe clears history, cache and cookies on a schedule.

More options, from tracker blockers to password managers, are in our security and privacy extensions category.

Is Chrome faster than Firefox?

For everyday browsing the gap is small enough that most people won't notice it. Chrome often feels quicker on heavy web apps because many sites are built and tested against Chromium first; Firefox is competitive on ordinary pages, and results vary with your hardware and how many tabs you keep open.

Memory is where the reputations come from. Both browsers split work into several processes for stability and security, which uses more RAM than older designs. Chrome's Memory Saver (Settings > Performance) frees memory from tabs you haven't used for a while, and Energy Saver limits background activity on battery. Firefox unloads inactive tabs automatically when system memory runs low.

Extensions often matter more than the browser. Every extension that injects scripts into pages adds work on each load, so a lean list beats switching browsers. Some extensions save time rather than cost it: Video Speed Controller adds keyboard shortcuts to speed up or rewind any HTML5 video, and our video speed control picks compare the options.

• Update first: Chrome at chrome://settings/help; Firefox via Menu > Help > About Firefox.
• Open Chrome's Task Manager with Shift + Esc on Windows and ChromeOS, or More tools > Task manager from the three-dot menu on Mac, to see which tab or extension is heavy.
• In Firefox, type about:processes to see resource use per tab and per add-on.
• Remove extensions you haven't used in a month: chrome://extensions in Chrome, about:addons in Firefox.
• Test the same heavy site in both browsers on your own machine; that tells you more than any published benchmark.

How do Chrome and Firefox compare on phones and sync?

Firefox is the only one of the two that runs extensions on Android. On iPhone and iPad neither supports extensions, and both are built on Apple's WebKit engine in most regions, so the differences there come down to sync and interface.

Chrome sync covers bookmarks, passwords, history, open tabs, settings and extensions across devices signed in to the same Google Account. Firefox sync covers bookmarks, logins, history, open tabs, add-ons and settings, and is end-to-end encrypted so Mozilla can't read it. Chrome can match that if you set a sync passphrase in its encryption options, at the cost of some Google features that rely on reading your data.

If you own a Chromebook, Chrome is the practical answer: it is the operating system's browser, and Firefox there is a workaround. On a Windows PC or Mac, you have a genuine choice.

Which is better for passwords and two-factor codes?

Both have capable built-in password managers, but a cross-browser manager is the better choice if you might switch or use both. It keeps your vault independent of either browser.

Google Password Manager syncs with your Google Account and Android phone; Firefox's built-in manager syncs through your Mozilla account and flags logins exposed in known breaches. The moment you run two browsers, though, you end up with two half-filled vaults and passwords saved in the wrong one.

Whichever manager you choose, turn off the browser's own password saving afterwards so you don't get two save prompts: chrome://password-manager/settings in Chrome, Settings > Privacy & Security > Logins and Passwords in Firefox.

How do you switch from Chrome to Firefox without losing data?

Firefox imports bookmarks, history and saved passwords directly from Chrome on the same computer. Extensions don't transfer; you reinstall the Firefox versions from addons.mozilla.org.

1. Close Chrome so its profile files aren't locked.
2. Open Firefox and go to Settings > General.
3. Under Import Browser Data, click Import Data.
4. Choose Chrome from the list, and pick the right Chrome profile if you have several.
5. Tick bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history and form data as needed, then click Import.
6. Open about:addons, search for each extension you rely on, and install it only from its official developer.
7. Sign in to a Mozilla account under Settings > Sync if you want everything on your other devices.

Going the other way? In Chrome, open chrome://settings/importData, choose Mozilla Firefox, tick what you want and click Import. If you use a standalone password manager, you can skip importing passwords entirely and just install its extension.

Plenty of people never fully switch. Running Chrome for work (Google Workspace, internal tools, company-approved extensions) and Firefox for personal browsing is a reasonable split, and it keeps work and personal logins apart.

Who should choose Chrome, and who should choose Firefox?

Choose by your daily work, not by reputation. The deciding factors are usually your Google account, your ad-blocking expectations and whether you want extensions on your phone.

• Choose Chrome if you use Google Workspace all day, depend on business extensions that are Chrome-only, use a Chromebook, or simply want web apps to work without fiddling.
• Choose Chrome if your employer manages your browser; many IT teams standardise on it and build policies around it.
• Choose Firefox if you want tracker blocking without installing anything, the full uBlock Origin, or add-ons on your Android phone.
• Choose Firefox if you'd rather your browser didn't come from an advertising company, or you want end-to-end encrypted sync with no extra setup.
• Either works for students, casual browsing, streaming and shopping: add one content blocker and a password manager and the gap largely closes.

Whichever you pick, a short, well-chosen extension list does more for privacy and speed than the logo on the browser. Read permissions before installing, remove what you don't use, and revisit the list every few months.

For setup guides and more head-to-head comparisons, browse the Find Extensions blog.