I’ve noticed that browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Opera tend to be faster than Firefox, even though they come with a lot of extra features and bloat. Can someone explain why these browsers are faster? Also, I’ve tested my browser with Speedometer 2.0, and I got a score of 164 ± 13. Is that a good result?
Ok, so… Chrome and Edge are Optimized for Rendering and Resource Management. And this is the reason for them being faster than Firefox. Basically, Chrome, built on Chromium, has aggressive optimization techniques for managing tabs, background processes, and rendering web pages.
Edge has further optimized Chromium with Microsoft’s improvements, making it more lightweight than Chrome in some cases, despite offering similar performance.
These browsers are designed for high-speed web page rendering and handling multiple tabs, which is why they perform well even with more features enabled.
However, despite the perceived bloat, these optimizations often offset the overhead caused by extra features.
From a testing perspective, if you’re developing a site or application, using LambdaTest can help you assess your site’s performance across different browsers, including Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
LambdaTest allows you to run automated cross-browser testing and identify performance bottlenecks across multiple environments, ensuring that your website performs optimally regardless of the browser users prefer.
I hope this answer satisfies your curiosity @smrity.maharishsarin.
Opera - Speed and Resource Efficiency with Built-in Features
Opera is another browser known for its speed and efficient resource management. Unlike Chrome, Opera is built on the Chromium engine but has unique features like built-in ad-blocking, a VPN, and a battery-saving mode that help improve its overall performance.
Despite these extra features, Opera manages to maintain a fast browsing experience by handling background tasks more efficiently and reducing unnecessary processes that could otherwise slow down the browser. It also tends to use less memory than Chrome while keeping the speed high, especially for users who open many tabs.
While LambdaTest isn’t a tool for browsing speed directly, it’s helpful for developers to check how their websites perform across different browsers, including Opera, to ensure that optimization strategies (like reducing memory usage and enhancing page load times) are effective.
Testing across environments on LambdaTest can give you insights into what works best for Opera and other browsers.
Hope you find it helpful! 
@babitakumari and @dimplesaini.230 told about the pros of the pro browsers, but let’s understand why not Firefox? Or if there is some good in it, what is it?
While Firefox is often slower than Chrome and Edge in raw speed, it excels in privacy and customization. Mozilla’s Firefox is built with a strong emphasis on privacy features like Enhanced Tracking Protection, which can sometimes reduce its speed compared to Chromium-based browsers.
Firefox also offers more customizability in terms of add-ons and user settings, which can sometimes lead to more overhead. However, the performance differences are typically more noticeable on resource-heavy sites and when you have many tabs open. For users who prioritize privacy over speed, Firefox remains a solid choice.
If you’re testing Firefox’s performance or comparing its speed to Chrome or Edge, tools like LambdaTest are invaluable for cross-browser testing. You can simulate performance on Firefox across various devices and screen sizes, allowing you to pinpoint slow-loading elements on your site or app and optimize accordingly.
Speedometer 2.0 Score: Is 164 ± 13 Good?
A score of 164 ± 13 on Speedometer 2.0 is decent but not extraordinary. Speedometer tests a browser’s responsiveness by simulating real-world web applications, so a higher score generally indicates better performance.
For comparison, modern browsers like Chrome and Edge often score higher, but a 164 score is still acceptable for most everyday browsing needs. If you’re developing a web application, it’s a good idea to use LambdaTest to test your site across different browsers and devices to optimize it for performance, especially if you want to improve your Speedometer score in future tests.
Thanks! 