War of the Web Browsers: Which is Best for Web Developers?

In this day and age, Internet browsing has become integrated into our daily routine. Whether you’re searching for a local lunch spot on your iPhone, researching for an article on your laptop or working as a top Web developer at your company, your choice of Web browsers matters. In fact, Web browsers can greatly effect how users see and use the Internet. Each browser has different strengths and weaknesses that may cater best to different professions. So which one is the best for Web development?

IT PRO tested three main browsers — Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer — on both a Windows 7 laptop and an Intel Core-i5 CPU. They chose to remove Safari from the test because of Apple’s choice to discontinue Windows support for their browser.

The test examined many factors that are major factors for browser choice in the Web development industry — boot time, memory consumption, browser benchmarks, design, additional functionality, cross-platform interoperability and security and privacy.

Chrome won on speed, memory consumption and design. Chrome is simple, yet elegant; it is easy to navigate, yet aesthetically appealing. Chrome also has great functionality because it can blend and integrate all parts of the Google ecosystem, making management and organization extremely easy for any Web development company. Many individuals working in Web development use Chrome to balance multiple tasks, extra plugins and communications with clients.

Chrome also worked best across all devices. Although not available on Windows phones, it offers the best mobility of the three browsers. Chrome also won out on security, a very important consideration for any Internet user. Web development companies should choose Chrome for the best security with built-in flash.

Internet Explorer and Firefox are not as closely intertwined in Google, making data collection a little less likely. However, Firefox was deemed the best option for browser benchmarks because it can balance the base JavaScript used in the Web development industry and the flashier HTML used by sites like YouTube. Firefox was determined to be the fastest of the browsers.

Internet Explorer fans would be displeased to know that their browser came in last, with few redeeming qualities. It seems Firefox and Chrome beat Internet Explorer by a landslide.

Web development companies might need the improved technical skills of Firefox, but Chrome offers a unified and cross-platform experience. Although its JavaScript speed might not be the fastest, the plugin capabilities of Chrome make it the best choice for Web development capabilities overall.

Saja Chodosh writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. She writes for many other clients as well.