Microsoft has an “Edge” over Google (Chrome) and Mozilla (Firefox).π
What if I say Microsoft Edge is the best web browser out there? Even Google Chrome and Firefox are far behind in the race. You may not believe it, but its features and performance say it all.
Why Microsoft Edge is the Best Browser?
My experience with Edge has been great, as it’s equipped with everything I need to be productive and efficient while working. For instance, it lets us group tabs and even position tabs vertically, which is very helpful. Also, it uses a minimal amount of system resources, which doesn’t affect the overall functioning of the computer like Google Chrome.
Besides, there are many more features, as discussed below, which make Microsoft Edge a champion of a browser.
Shopping Assistant
The first thing that makes Microsoft Edge better than other browsers is its built-in Shopping Assistant. The native Shopping Assistant assists you at every step of the buying process, from finding the right deal to saving some serious bucks. Also, it comes pre-enabled.
This lets you compare the price of the same product on other sites to help you find the best deal. Other than this, it also shows the price graph of the product to let you determine whether it’s the best time to buy it and the historical price fluctuations.
Last but not least, it also scans the entire web for coupons and discount codes to help you save money. To view the coupons and discount codes, visit the product page and click the Shopping tag icon next to the URL box.
Sidebar Functionality
Another reason why Microsoft Edge is better than Google Chrome and Firefox is its sidebar functionality. You can add your websites, like Spotify, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, Google Docs, Amazon, etc., to access them anytime.
You can also quickly read emails and access Shopping Assistant and Microsoft 365 services from the sidebar.
It also includes the file transfer option to send files to your connected devices. Also, the same sidebar has a Tool section where you can find various tools, like Calculator, Unit Converter, Language Translator, Typing Test, Number Converter, etc.
Text to speech
Normally, you need separate extensions for this. However, with Edge, you can just activate this text to speech engine with a click of a button.
Immersive Reader
Another helpful feature that Microsoft Edge comes with is Immersive Reader. Immersive Reader lets you read articles on the web without any distractions, such as ads, promotional banners, etc. You can also change the text size, font, alignment, and page theme.
Immersive Reader also has a function highlighting all nouns, verbs, and adjectives. This is one of the reasons why Microsoft Edge is the best browser for grammar nerds.
Search Rewards
You may have heard of the Brave browser, which gives BAT tokens (a cryptocurrency) for viewing ads while browsing. Similarly, Microsoft has a reward program that offers points for searching queries on Bing. You can use those reward points to get gift cards, make donations, etc.
Writing Assistant
Another reason Edge is the best browser for students and professionals is Microsoft Editor. Microsoft Editor assists you with grammar and spelling while writing. It also provides style suggestions to write confidently. Besides, it comes with text prediction functionality, which sends your written words to Microsoft Cloud and predicts the next word based on them.
*You can get this extension on Chrome too.
Resource Efficient
One of the most highlighting parts of Microsoft Edge is that it consumes minimal system resources. It has many other options that let you optimize its performance to the extreme and use it efficiently.
You can choose from two efficiency modes: Balanced savings and Maximum Savings. The Balanced savings mode extends your system’s battery life by saving its resources when it’s not plugged into the power. At the same time, Maximum savings conserves the battery life by strictly limiting its working.
The Maximum savings mode is handy when you can’t connect the PC to the power for some time. In addition, Microsoft Edge also puts inactive tabs to sleep after a particular time to save the PC’s resources.
Screenshot Tool
The Screenshot tool is another reason why Microsoft Edge is the best browser. Even Chrome, with most of the share in the browser market, doesn’t have this functionality. This tool lets you easily capture a particular part of the page, an entire page, and a specific tab in the image. After taking the screenshot, you can even annotate them to highlight the important parts.
Tracking Prevention
One thing that Microsoft Edge is known for is its robust security functions. It has many built-in options that keep you and your data safe while browsing the web. For instance, it has built-in tracking prevention, preventing trackers from collecting your info while browsing. It lets you choose three tracking prevention modes – Basic, Balanced, and Strict.
The Basic mode does these things – blocks known harmful trackers and allows most trackers to work correctly. On the other hand, the Balanced manner blocks trackers from websites you haven’t visited earlier, displays less personalized content and ads, and blocks harmful trackers. Lastly, the Strict mode blocks most trackers, known as deadly trackers, working in the background and showing less personalized ads and content.
It also integrates a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen component, which protects you from malicious sites and downloads. Also, it blocks downloads of harmful apps that can cause issues.
Password Monitor
Besides an integrated password manager, Microsoft Edge also has a password monitor. This notifies you if your passwords saved in Edge have been compromised in a data breach or have been detected on the dark web.
Vertical Tabs
Like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge also lets you create Tab Groups to organize all similar tabs in one place. But interestingly, it also enables you to manage tabs vertically.
This means you can manage all your opened tabs in side panel. To manage tabs vertically, you must allow it from the Sidebar section of Microsoft Edge’s Settings.
Progressive Web Apps Support
Microsoft Edge comes with Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) support, which means you can install a PWA-capable site as an app on your PC to open it anytime. You don’t need to open the browser to access the site. However, this only works in some areas. But as far as I know, it works with popular sites like Gmail, YouTube, Outlook, Spotify, WhatsApp, Twitter. etc.
Maths Solver
Do you want to know why Microsoft Edge is the best student browser? This is because it has several study-oriented features, and one such feature is Math Problem Solver.
You can use this to solve questions related to pre-algebra, algebra, statistics, trigonometry, and calculus. To solve a math question, you only need to select the question using your mouse. You can also type it in the text box and ask the tool to solve it.
It not only provides the immediate solution to your math problem. But it also offers a step-by-step explanation, so you can easily understand and solve it once or twice.
Add the Math Solver button from the Customize toolbar section of Edge’s Settings to use it.
Annotate PDFs
Microsoft Edge not only lets you read PDFs, but it also enables you to annotate them. You can add important notes to your PDFs with text in your favourite colour. Besides, you can highlight the important part of your PDFs using the Draw and Highlight function. Not only this, but you can also change the thickness of the highlighter and pen as per your requirements.
AI Chatbot
Microsoft Edge also integrates an AI chatbot, which runs on the same technology as ChatGPT. You can talk about anything and everything to it and get human-like responses from the sources.
You can also use the AI chatbot to write poems, stories, and songs. It can also help with writing a synopsis on any topic. Also, if you’re a professional, you can use it to write emails per your requirements. The best part about this chatbot is that it can also generate images from text.
By default, Bing Chat doesn’t come enabled. To use it, you must enable it from Settings of Edge.
Games
The last reason Microsoft Edge is the best browser is that it’s also perfect for casual gamers. It has a Game section with various free cards, word, and puzzle games. The best part is that it gives you access to vintage Microsoft Solitaire, Microsoft Jewel, Microsoft Mahjong, Microsoft Edge Surf Game, and much more. You can go to the Game section from Settings and more menus of the Microsoft Edge app.
Final Note
So, these are some reasons why I feel people should consider switching to Microsoft Edge. These reasons show how Microsoft Edge became one of the top 3 web browsers worldwide, with over 5.39% of the market share. Though, it’s not at the top of the list, it has some unique features that make it better than Google Chrome, which owns most of the browser market share.
So, we end this discussion right here. Lastly, let us know which features of Edge you like the most.
