Mozilla Firefox vs Safari
Mozilla Firefox
firefox.com
Safari
apple.comSide by side
| Figure | Mozilla Firefox | Safari |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Web browsers | 9.0 (#11) | 8.6 (#28) |
| Browser engine | gecko | other |
| Cross-device sync | Yes | Yes |
| Extensions | Firefox extensions add browser features and tools, with thousands of free extensions available through addons.mozilla.org. | Safari extensions are available through the App Store, and Apple says App Store extensions are reviewed, signed, hosted by Apple, and kept up to date automatically. |
| Extension support | own_store | own_store |
| Founded | 2004 | 1976 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | both | both |
| Security | Firefox uses Google Safe Browsing to protect against malicious downloads and phishing attacks, and validates web pages and technical data with certificate authorities. | When Fraudulent Website Warning is enabled, Safari warns about suspected phishing or malware websites; checking a site may send calculated address information to Apple and Google Safe Browsing. |
| Support | Mozilla provides Firefox help resources for desktop, enterprise, Android and iOS. | Apple Support provides Safari help for updating, clearing browsing history and cookies, blocking pop-ups, and troubleshooting websites that do not load. |
Plans
In their own words
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a free, open-source web browser that uses the Gecko engine. It is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and as a browser extension, and its download page lists availability in more than 90 languages. Standard tracking protection and built-in ad blocking are included. Total Cookie Protection isolates cookies so they cannot follow users between websites, while Tab Groups organize open tabs by project, mood, or task. A Mozilla account can sync bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs across devices. Firefox also offers access to multiple AI chatbots in one place, letting users choose whether to use them. Thousands of free extensions are available through addons.mozilla.org. Mozilla’s privacy notice says browsing history, form data, temporary files, and cookies are processed on the device unless stated otherwise. Automated translation and PDF alt-text suggestions use downloaded language models locally; Firefox says those features do not send page content, PDFs, images, or tab URLs to Mozilla. Firefox is listed at free.
Safari
Safari is a free web browser and web technology platform built on WebKit, included with Apple device operating systems. It supports iOS, macOS, and extensions. Intelligent Tracking Prevention uses on-device machine learning to help prevent cross-site tracking, while Privacy Report shows trackers prevented from profiling you. Private Browsing does not retain visited pages or AutoFill information, and its open tabs are not stored in iCloud or synced across devices. Safari synchronizes passwords, bookmarks, history, tabs, and more across Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. Built-in tools include page translation, text interaction in images and paused video, and Visual Look Up. Extensions come through the App Store, and web apps can be saved to the Mac Dock or iPhone and iPad Home Screen. When enabled, Fraudulent Website Warning flags suspected phishing or malware sites. Apple no longer offers Safari updates for Windows or other non-Apple operating systems; Safari 5.1.7 was the last Windows version.