Edge is Microsoft’s latest web browser, and it looks its best when you use it as it was intended to be used: by running Bing, which is Microsoft’s search engine.
Microsoft Edge is undoubtedly the second-biggest fish in the pond, as of now. But it offers virtually everything users need to put up a tough fight to its long-time competitor, Google Chrome.
After dragging its feet with Internet Explorer, Edge is Microsoft’s best answer to the competition. It has all the features and enhancements users expect from a modern web browser. Windows users swear by Edge’s speeds and performance improvements. With the introduction of AI-powered functionalities on Edge, the user experience is way more personalized than before.
For the ones looking for a reliable browser that comes with security, user data privacy, and an easy user interface, Edge is a great choice. If you want to know more about the browser and how it can make a difference to your online experience, read on!
Microsoft Edge: Features
Microsoft Edge offers one of the fastest browsing experiences in the industry, thanks to its performance features such as “Sleep Tabs”. Thanks to this feature, Edge will put the tabs that haven't been used in a while to sleep, opening up more space and power for your CPU and RAM so that they can take on the active tabs.
Edge is also one of the quickest browsers as far as launching is concerned. That’s because it uses a special feature called “Startup Boost.”
Whether you’re opening the browser from the main menu, taskbar, or a link, the Edge window will open up almost instantly, whereas Opera and Safari usually take a lot longer.
So if you’re in a hurry to look up something or open a link, Edge won't stand in your way. This feature is available on all current versions of Windows.
Edge is highly battery-efficient. Microsoft is constantly working to optimize energy usage so that Edge can function on minimal battery power.
Current tests show that Edge’s efficiency mode helps you save up to 25% of your battery life. Features like putting your tabs to sleep further contribute to it. Even for your active tabs, Edge uses a rather tiny portion of the battery to keep them running in the background.
With Edge’s Clarity Boost protocol, all the visuals on your screen look much clearer and life-like. For avid gamers or movie enthusiasts, this feature is a huge win. Currently, this feature is available on devices running Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Speaking of gaming, if you’re looking for a browser that’s masterfully crafted for gamers, Edge is a must-try. With its “Efficiency mode”, Edge keeps your PC running fast and smooth even when you’re playing a demanding game.
The Efficiency mode is turned on by default. But if you want to turn it off, go to “Settings,” click on “More,” select “System & Performance” and turn off the “Improve your PC gaming experience with efficiency mode” setting. However, if you’re keen on getting the best browser performance, we don't recommend turning it off. After all, it's not going to take up any extra power or space.
When comparing Microsoft Edge and Chrome for gaming performance, most benchmarks favor Edge primarily due to its integration with the Windows operating system. This is even true for machines with less powerful hardware since the browser tends to use less system resources than its peers.
Also of note are Edge’s AI features, primarily the “Copilot” functionality. When enabled by clicking its icon, you can interact with Copilot using natural language. You can ask it to summarize the content of a page, ask questions about the content of a web page, and more. Copilot can also help you compose social media posts and emails.
Microsoft Edge: Privacy
Microsoft Edge comes equipped with several privacy-enhancing features. For starters the browser ships with three Tracking Prevention mechanisms to block trackers from tracking your movement through the web.
By default, the browser uses the Balanced Mode where it blocks trackers from websites you haven’t yet visited. If you are truly paranoid about tracking, you can toggle the Strict Mode, which will block a majority of the trackers, but could potentially degrade the browsing experience on some websites.
Some users prefer to use the Strict Mode of tracking when using the browser’s InPrivate browsing mode. This is similar to the Incognito mode in other browsers, and prevents the browser from storing any browsing history, or cookies.
Additionally, you can also choose to clear all cookies and block all or certain websites from saving cookies during browsing sessions. Remember however that while this does enhance your privacy, it can also potentially prevent some webpages from displaying correctly.
The browser’s headline privacy protection feature is the “Defender Smartscreen”. It helps you stay away from malicious websites and can also block phishing and malware attacks.
Edge also includes 5 GB of free VPN data protection that renews every month. The protection obscures your location and IP address, and kicks in automatically when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network or visit a non-HTTPS secured website.
Talking of visiting insecure websites, you can use Edge’s “Enhanced Security Mode” that automatically applies stricter security settings on unfamiliar sites. The opt-in feature isn’t enabled by default, but will adapt to your browsing habits once you toggle it.
The browser also includes a Password Monitor that alerts you if any of your saved passwords have been exposed in a data breach anywhere.
Microsoft Edge: Ease of use
If you’re not a fan of complex browsing applications, you’ll certainly appreciate Edge’s simple interface. The biggest advantage here is that Edge comes pre-installed on most devices running Windows 10 and 11. This means that you won't have to go through the hassle of downloading and setting up a new browser.
Once you open the browser, you’ll have everything you’ll need at your fingertips. Granted, at first, it might be a little overwhelming because there are too many options, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
You can also ask Edge to display Vertical tabs. This is a space saving functionality that puts tabs on the left side of the screen instead of across the top.
You can also use the browser in the “Immersive Reader” mode that makes the text easier to read by removing all distracting elements from the webpage. There’s also the AI-powered “Read aloud” feature that helps you listen to the content on a webpage in multiple languages. You can control the pace of the speech, and even the voice accent.
There’s also the Collections feature using which you can collate webpages, images, text snippets, and more from different websites into a single location. This comes in handy when you’re researching on the web for a holiday, or planning an event.
Microsoft Edge: The competition
Edge and Google Chrome are the two most popular browsers, and although they share a lot of similarities, many people consider Edge to be easier to use.
This is primarily because of features like vertical tabs, Collections, Immersive Reader, and a whole gamut of AI-powered functionalities. Edge has also been designed to be familiar to Windows users with a similar design philosophy, giving it an advantage over its peers.
What’s more, Edge is also faster than Google Chrome. When it was initially launched, Microsoft claimed that it was 112% faster than Chrome. While we cannot confirm that exact number, tests run by Avast show that Edge is faster than Chrome, Opera, Firefox, and many other popular browsers.
It's also the default browser for Windows, unlike others like Opera or Mozilla Firefox, which have to be downloaded and installed separately.
That said, Opera does outperform Edge in some parameters, particularly VPN. While Edge's VPN has a limited monthly data allowance and automatically connects to the nearest location, Opera bundles a more flexible free VPN with no data cap. Another potential downside is that Edge doesn’t offer as vast a selection of extensions as Google Chrome.
However, in short, if we consider its ease of use, speed, features, and overall performance, Edge is by and large at-par, if not ahead, of most of its competitors.
Microsoft Edge: Final verdict
Considering all the reviews, facts, and results from our own evaluation, we find Microsoft Edge to be a good browser and certainly worth your time.
Thanks to its beginner-friendly yet uncompromising nature, it's the perfect browser for people who aren't-tech savvy. Another point to consider here is that it’s the default browser for Windows, so you won't have to put any effort into setting it up.
As the cherry on top, the Edge browser is battery plus internet usage efficient. For people who are constantly on their laptops/computers, a power and data-saving browser is a must-have. No matter how many tabs you have running at any given moment, Edge will always minimize power usage.
