Google Chrome vs Safari
We give Google Chrome a 3.6 GPA and Safari a 3.4, out of 4.0. Google Chrome grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Safari grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Google Chrome
Google's free browser for desktop and mobile, with Gemini built in
Free
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoogle ChromeExcellent | 3.4GPASafariVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe browser is free, so there's no bad deal to be had. The one thing to pay for is auto browse, which needs a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription and only works in the U.S. Chrome's pages don't say what that costs. | AFree, with no paid tier at all. It comes with the operating system on every Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, so there's nothing to buy and nothing to upgrade to. |
| Free plan and trial | AAll of it, on every device: sync, the password manager, Safe Browsing, tab groups and extensions. No trial and no locked buttons. Only auto browse sits behind a subscription. | AThe whole browser is free and already installed. Tracking prevention, Tab Groups, Profiles, sync and the Reading List all come with it. |
| Features | BTab groups, vertical tabs, split view, a password manager with passkeys, and the Chrome Web Store for everything else. But no ad or tracker blocker is on the feature list, and Gemini in Chrome depends on your account, country and device. | ATracking prevention with a Privacy Report, Tab Groups you can share, Profiles to keep Work and Personal apart, passkeys through iCloud Keychain, Reader, an offline Reading List and page translation. Extensions come from the App Store. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 3.9 million App Store ratings. Download it, sign in with your Google Account, and your bookmarks and passwords are already there. A new version lands every four weeks. | B4.4 from about 180,000 App Store ratings. It's there the moment you switch the device on, with nothing to install. One catch: a new Safari only arrives with an operating system update. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android. Sign in and tabs, bookmarks, passwords and payment details sync across all of them. You can even send a tab from your laptop to your phone. | CMac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, with Handoff passing a page from one to the next. That's all Apple. Apple says it no longer offers Safari for Windows or other non-Apple systems. |
| Best for | the same browser on every device you own | people who live on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Google Chrome and Safari. How we grade
Where they differ
- Google Chrome is free. Safari is free.
- Only Google Chrome lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Google Chrome also covers password manager.
- Safari also covers read later.
In commonFree planmacOSiOSPasskeysWeb browser
At a glance
| Google Chrome | Safari | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Chrome is downloaded and installed at no charge on every platform. The auto browse feature of Gemini in Chrome needs a separate Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription. | Safari is included with the operating system on Apple devices and is listed as free on the App Store. There is no paid tier. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Apple | |
| Price read from | support.google.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Google Chrome
- Google Account users who want the same bookmarks, passwords and tabs on every device
- People who depend on extensions from the Chrome Web Store
- Those who want Gemini and Google's AI search inside the browser
Safari
- People who use a Mac, iPhone and iPad together
- Browsing with tracker protection that is on by default
- Families and groups planning together in shared Tab Groups
Worth knowing
Google Chrome
- Auto browse, where Gemini carries out multi-step tasks, is available only to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.
- Gemini in Chrome needs a signed-in, eligible account in a supported country, and Google's FAQ says it is not available on Android yet.
- Enhanced Safe Browsing requires browsing data to be sent to Google.
- Desktop requirements start at Windows 10, macOS 13 Ventura, and 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04, Debian 10, openSUSE 15.5 or Fedora Linux 39.
Safari
- Safari runs only on Apple devices. Apple says it no longer offers Safari updates for Windows or other non-Apple operating systems.
- New versions arrive with operating system updates, so getting the latest Safari means updating macOS, iOS, iPadOS or visionOS.
- Live Text, which selects text inside images and paused video, is supported in seven languages.
Key features
Google Chrome
- Tab groups, vertical tabs and split view
- Tabs can be grouped, labeled and color coded, stacked down the side of the window as vertical tabs, or shown two at a time in split view.
- Sync across devices
- Signing in to Chrome brings bookmarks, saved passwords, payment info and open tabs to any phone, tablet or computer, and a tab can be sent from one device to another.
- Google Password Manager and passkeys
- Google Password Manager is built in to save, manage and generate passwords. Passkeys allow sign-in with a fingerprint, face, PIN or pattern.
- Safe Browsing and Safety Check
- Safe Browsing warns before a dangerous site or download, with an optional enhanced mode. Safety Check reviews saved passwords, extensions and settings and points out anything that needs attention.
- Gemini in Chrome and AI Mode
- Gemini in Chrome answers questions using the context of open tabs, and Skills save prompts for reuse. AI Mode, Google's AI search, accepts tabs, files and images as context.
- Extensions and performance controls
- Extensions from the Chrome Web Store add features, Energy Saver and Memory Saver limit resource use, and Google ships a new Chrome update every four weeks.
Safari
- Intelligent Tracking Prevention
- On-device intelligence limits cross-site tracking and hides the IP address from known trackers. A Privacy Report lists the trackers stopped on the current site and over the past week.
- Tab Groups and Profiles
- Tab Groups save named sets of tabs, sync between devices and can be shared with other people. Profiles keep history, extensions, cookies and favorites separate for topics such as Work and Personal.
- Sync and Handoff
- Passwords, bookmarks, history and tabs sync across Mac, iPad and iPhone, and Handoff passes the page being viewed from one nearby device to another.
- Passkeys and iCloud Keychain
- iCloud Keychain stores and autofills passkeys, passwords and credit card numbers on trusted devices. Safari also warns about suspicious websites and upgrades HTTP to HTTPS when available.
- Reader, Reading List and translation
- Reader removes ads and navigation from articles, Reading List saves pages to read later on any iCloud-connected device, even offline, and whole web pages can be translated in the browser.
- Extensions and web apps
- Third-party extensions for iPhone, iPad and Mac come from the Safari category on the App Store. A website can be saved to the Mac Dock or the iPhone and iPad Home Screen as a web app.
Plans
Google Chrome
Free$0
The full browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, with sync through a Google Account.
Safari
Free$0
The full browser on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, included with the device's operating system.
