Google Chrome vs Firefox
Both are free browsers for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS; Firefox is licensed under MPL 2, while Chrome is Google's build with Gemini and Google account sync.
Pick Google Chrome if…
You use Google services and want Chrome's sync, Google Password Manager and Gemini in Chrome. You are on a system that Chrome supports, such as Windows 10+ or macOS 13+.
Pick Firefox if…
You want a browser under a free software licence with tracker and fingerprint blocking listed as built-in features. You also want to keep running on older macOS versions, back to 10.15.
Price
- Free
- Free
- Open source
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | Google's web browser for desktop and mobile, with sync through a Google account and Gemini built in. | Mozilla's web browser for desktop and mobile, with tracker and fingerprint blocking built in. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | — | — |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Works on | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Try Google Chrome (opens the Google Chrome website in a new tab) | Try Firefox (opens the Firefox website in a new tab) |
Both browsers cover the same platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Both have sync, a password manager, private browsing and add-ons or extensions, so day-to-day browsing is similar.
The licence is the clearest difference. Mozilla says Firefox is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2, a free software licence. Google says most of Chrome's source code is available under open source licences, while its terms cover the executable version of Chrome.
Chrome's page highlights Google integrations: sign-in sync, Google Password Manager, Google Pay, Google Lens and Gemini in Chrome. Some Gemini features, such as auto browse, are limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. Firefox's page highlights Fingerprint Blocking, Ad Tracker Blocking and blocking of more than 2,000 trackers.
System support differs too. Chrome needs macOS 13 or later and Windows 10 or later (Windows 11 on ARM). Firefox 158.0 needs macOS 10.15 or later and Windows 10 or later. Neither company's pages we checked state a price for the browser itself.
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Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money