Best Browser for Mac 2025: Which One Tops the List?

The best browser for Mac 2025 isn’t as simple now. As Apple’s hardware technology continues to improve speed, thanks to M-series chips and macOS updates, the macOS browser you choose to use can impact the performance of your computer, battery life, and overall experience. If you’re a fast user, a security-focused user, love the features of productivity, or simply want the best integration with Apple’s ecosystem, then there’s a perfect browser created specifically to meet your requirements.

In this guide, we’ll examine the best browser for Mac based on performance, privacy, features, and compatibility for 2025. You’ve come to the right spot.

Why choose the Best Browser for Mac in 2025

Before we dive into our best picks, let’s discuss why this is a crucial decision more than ever before:

• macOS Ventura and Beyond: Apple’s newest operating systems include performance optimizations, but not all browsers are up sufficiently fast to take advantage of the benefits.
• M1 and M2 Chips M1, M2, and M3 Chips: These chips are fast and efficient, but some browsers are designed to work better with Apple Silicon than others.
• A Greater Focus on Privacy. In 2025, browser-based privacy features will be required, especially with tracking and AI-based ads.
• Developer Requirements: If you’re a developer who uses software to test applications, you’ll require a browser that supports debugging, performance tracking, and automation to work optimally.

Best Browser for Mac

There’s no universally good browser for Mac. Instead, finding the best browser for Mac should depend on which features are most important for you, including speed, security, privacy settings, battery life management, or support of third-party extensions.

1. Vivaldi

Vivaldi is an extremely customizable browser packed with features designed to accommodate users from novices to experts alike. Although extensions may not be needed given its vast feature set, should additional ones become necessary, you may access all extensions available from Google’s Chrome Web Store.

Pros:

• Highly customizable UI
• Tracker & ad blocker
• Android & iOS apps

Cons:

• Compatibility issues
• Slower than basic browsers

Also read: Top 10 Unblocked Browsers To Access Any Website

2. Arc Browser

Product of The Browser Company, Arc is changing the way we use browsers. It’s lightweight, gorgeously constructed, and incredibly useful for those who use tabs. It comes with the sidebar UI and instant notes, and integrated tools like split view, which is natural to macOS.

In 2025, Arc will be the best browser for Macs when your work is artistic or creative. It can also be research-oriented.

Pros

• Spaces for work/life browsing organization
• Integrated tools such as notes, screen capture
• Privacy-first defaults
• Apple Silicon optimized

Cons

• Fewer extensions (although increasing)
• Learning curve if you’re accustomed to classic UI

3. Brave

Brave has always been focused on privacy and security, and this hasn’t changed even in 2025. With built-in ad blocking, anti-tracking, and Tor support, it’s one of the most secure and best browsers for Mac.

Pros:

• Memory efficient
• Ad blocker available
• Advanced privacy & security

Cons:

• Limited built-in VPN
• Infrequent updates
• Few site compatibility issues

4. Google Chrome

Google Chrome is an intuitive web browser designed for ease of installation and usage. It is one of the world’s most-used browsers for Mac and other operating systems, offering various extensions and integrations that enhance its use. It’s possible to transfer the browser’s data between your Mac and iOS device using a Google account, which makes it effortless to use across all devices.

Pros:

• Fast performance
• Syncs across all your devices
• Huge extension library

Cons:

• Privacy concerns: Google may track users’ private browsing
• Chrome is infamous for being a resource hog

5. Mozilla Firefox

Firefox uses malware protection to prevent cross-site tracking cookies and fingerprinting, crypto miners, and trackers for social media, which makes it the best browser for Mac for those who are concerned about security. It protects you from the majority of ads and malicious trackers, without compromising the functionality of websites.

Firefox is the sole major browser of the present that’s not based on Chromium. Websites that utilize specific Microsoft technologies or other nonstandard Google features might not work with Firefox.

Pros:

• Vast add-on library
• Solid privacy & security
• Many customization options

Cons:

• Inefficient RAM usage
• Slower than competitors
• Incompatible with some web pages

6. Opera

Opera comes equipped with its own ad blocker built directly into it. No additional extension needs to be installed, as with Chrome, though security and privacy concerns have been expressed regarding its less effective malware blocking than Google Safe Browsing.

Opera is an established browser built upon Chromium technology. As an open-source browser with no requirement for extensions or add-ons, Opera offers all the essential features. Should something not exist natively within its interface, extensions may provide solutions, making Opera the best browser for Mac computers.

Pros:

• Multiple built-in features
• Fast & responsive
• Built-in ad blocker

Cons:

• Privacy & security concerns
• High RAM usage

7. Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge stands as one of the fastest internet browsers for Mac and other platforms, ranking second only to Google Chrome in speed and memory consumption. It boasts a lighter design, which requires less memory usage, reducing load times significantly. Edge has been upgraded to move away from Internet Explorer’s slow stop-motion scrolling to a smoother movement to enhance users’ experience.

Edge is a simple PDF reader that can compete with other add-on readers, such as Javelin PDF Reader. When you highlight text or note it down, it is when you return to your PDF viewer.

Pros:

• Quick lookup feature
• PDF reader with markup
• Fast loading speeds

Cons:

• Fewer extensions
• Privacy concerns
• Cluttered homepage

8. Safari

Safari is the default browser on MacBook and iOS and is compatible with all Apple devices. It stores your data in the cloud instead of on your device, which helps conserve space on your gadgets. Apple’s “private relay” makes it the best browser for Mac than Chrome because nobody else can access the websites that you visit or who are, including Apple. Additionally, it requires significantly less RAM to run.

Pros

• Included with every Mac
• Syncs well with other Apple devices
• Good performance and features

Cons

• Fewer extensions than Chrome-based rivals
• Doesn’t play well with non-Apple devices

Also read: 5 Best Antivirus for Mac in 2025

9. Orion Browser

Orion released a new web browser in 2022. Based on WebKit (like Safari ), Orion offers the style and look of an original Mac application while remaining compatible with both Chrome and Firefox extensions.

Orion is a good privacy tool with integrated tracking and ad blocking, and also tries to prevent fingerprinting. However, its fingerprint protection isn’t as comprehensive as that of Tor Browser. Not enforcing HTTPS as standard could expose your data to insecure sites. When combined with a VPN service, this provides an extra layer of protection, especially useful when connected to public Wi-Fi networks.

Pros

• Lightweight and efficient, good for battery and speed
• Supports many Chrome and Firefox extensions despite being WebKit-based
• Clean interface with vertical tabs and focus modes

Cons

• Smaller user base means less community support
• Still relatively new, some bugs remain
• Not all extensions work consistently

Final Word

Selecting the best browser for Mac can be challenging, since each has their specific benefits. Safari may suit you perfectly for macOS connectivity, while Google offers many extensions and privacy-conscious features. But other browsing applications might provide better solutions depending on your needs. Don’t limit yourself to just one option. Use multiple browsers together to find better solutions.

FAQs: Best browser for Mac