Microsoft Edge vs Waterfox
Microsoft Edge
microsoft.com
Waterfox
waterfox.comSide by side
| Figure | Microsoft Edge | Waterfox |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Web browsers | 9.1 (#9) | 9.3 (#3) |
| Browser engine | chromium | gecko |
| Built-in ad blocking | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-device sync | Edge syncs passwords, favorites, and settings across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. | Yes |
| Founded | 1975 | 2011 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington, United States | Suite 140, 372 Old Street, London, EC1V 9AU, United Kingdom |
| Supported platforms | both | Downloads are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android; Windows requires Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.15 or later, and Linux glibc 2.17 or later. |
| Privacy | Edge includes tracking prevention with selectable protection levels. | The privacy policy says Waterfox telemetry, health reports and crash reports are disabled and locked off at build time. |
| Product | Microsoft Edge is a web browser available across desktop and mobile devices. | Waterfox is a free, open source web browser focused on privacy and customisation. |
| Tracking protection | standard | advanced |
Plans
In their own words
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is a free web browser for desktop and mobile devices, available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and the web. It uses Chromium, supports extensions, and includes ad blocking and tracking prevention with selectable protection levels. Copilot can summarize pages, answer questions, compare options, and help with tasks using open-tab context. Other listed tools include AI-powered tab cleanup, theme creation from words, and a scareware blocker. Security features help block phishing and malware; Password Monitor can alert users if saved passwords appear in an online leak. Sleeping tabs pause inactive pages to reduce CPU and memory use. Energy Saver may provide an average of 25 more minutes of battery life, though results vary with settings and use. Mac features include Spotlight search, Touch ID, trackpad gestures, and macOS visuals. Edge also offers an in-game browser for PC gaming and access to free Microsoft 365 web apps. Feature availability and functionality may vary by device, market, and browser version.
Waterfox
Waterfox is a free, open-source web browser built around privacy and customisation. It uses the Gecko engine and is listed for Android, browser extensions, Linux, macOS and Windows. On desktop, it blocks ads, trackers, pop-ups and overlays by default; filter lists and site exceptions can be adjusted. Private tabs use their own container, and Waterfox removes that container’s site data when the final private tab closes. DNS requests are encrypted and passed through an Oblivious HTTP relay; users can change or disable the default Fastly-operated relay and Cloudflare-operated resolver. Tree tabs nest pages under the page that opened them, with branches that can be collapsed or moved together. Firefox WebExtensions work, but Chrome-only extensions do not transfer automatically. Regular updates incorporate Mozilla security fixes using the Firefox ESR model. Waterfox says telemetry, health reports and crash reports are disabled at build time. Sync is off until Mozilla-account sign-in, and synced data is end-to-end encrypted. The browser plan is free, with no premium tier or required payment.