Browser Speed Comparisons

[Chode]

Source

Opera and Firefox users are quite vocal on the subject, but none of them can actually show any research to back up their statements, ususally just saying "X takes way longer than Y to start" or "my friend uses X and it is much slower on his computer than Y is on mine". Those that did try more than one usually say "X just felt faster than Y when I tried them" (although this may refer to familiarity with the individual user interface - something that I do not cover here). I have even heard people comparing Firefox and Opera, then realised they were referring to Opera 6 (even though historically, Opera 6 is about equivalent to Netscape 4), something that was replaced with a completely new engine long before Firefox even existed.

Well, I've had enough of these unfounded arguments. I present my research. This is an honest, unbiased view (or as unbiased as I can be). Unlike most people, I not only test all the browsers, I test them all on the same computer as each other - grouped into Linux, Mac and Windows (using the same or equivalent hardware for each). This, I hope, gives an accurate comparison, not only of the browsers compared with each other, but for those that work on multiple platforms, it also gives a fairly accurate comparison of the different optimisations for each platform.

So overall, Opera seems to be the fastest browser for windows. Firefox is not faster than Internet Explorer, except for scripting, but for standards support, security and features, it is a better choice. However, it is still not as fast as Opera, and Opera also offers a high level of standards support, security and features.

On Linux, Konqueror is the fastest for starting and viewing basic pages on KDE, but as soon as script or images are involved, or you want to use the back or forward buttons, or if you use Gnome, Opera is a faster choice, even though on KDE it will take a few seconds longer to start. Mozilla and Firefox give an overall good performance, but their script, cache handling and image-based page speed still cannot compare with Opera.

On Mac OS X, Opera and Safari are both very fast, with Safari 2 being faster at starting and rendering CSS, but with Opera still being distinguishably faster for rendering tables, scripting and history (especially compared with the much slower Safari 1.2). Camino is fast to start, but then it joins its sisters Mozilla and Firefox further down the list. Neither Mozilla, Firefox nor IE perform very well on Mac, being generally slower than on other operating systems.

On Mac OS 9, no single browser stands out as the fastest. In fact, my condolences to anyone who has to use one of them, they all perform badly.

View the article for the graphs and results. I like this article, it is ubiased and it's tests are widespread.

[ZZOOzzoo]

Firefox is not faster than Internet Explorer

Opera also offers a high level of standards support, security and features

Cheers for the truth told. (Y)

Great find. (although very flammable) :laugh:

[+virtorio MVC]

I have done a fair bit of testing myself and (as stated above) Opera always comes out on top for speed.

[CJC]

Thanks for this. This is all stuff that I more or less knew, but an interesting read none the less. I still choose Firefox. :happy:

[+Neyht Subscriber²]

I thought it was a pretty good test.....

for each platform, I use just one computer to ensure that the tests compare just the browsers, and not the hardware or software they run on

Anyone else see a problem with this?

The numbers were interesting though.

I liked the part where the moox optimized build actually scored lower than the normal firefox build.

[ZZOOzzoo]

I liked the part where the moox optimized build actually scored lower than the normal firefox build.

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In my experience, moox built actually gave me so much bugs and no speed improvement, that I had to switch to the original.

[Techno_Funky]

no way i have tried opera,maxthon,firefox and I.E

but somehow find Firefox has beter speeds than other browsers

[Doli]

no way i have tried opera,maxthon,firefox and I.E

but somehow find Firefox has beter speeds than other browsers

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based on???????

[celestialspring]

based on???????

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:angry: On his own experience(s), I guess, which hardly matter to others.

[Doli]

:angry: On his own experience(s), I guess, which hardly matter to others.

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Maybe you didnt read his post

hmmm quote " no way i have tried opera,maxthon,firefox and I.E " unquote

he hasnt tried A,B,C,D, but thinks E (firefox) is faster just because. doesnt make any sense.

[mircleman]

i know about 23 million would say thats bunk you can take any test you want and just because you say you took a unbiased test dont mean nothing out em in a lab control enviorment with all the machines exact same and the testers being normal everyday users. then I might say ok, but in my view just uninstalling opera 8 today firefox is faster then any ive found and ive used everyine out there today.

[Chode]

If people believe that these tests are bunk, I challenge them to find another test as precisely carried out and unbiased as these.

[Johnston]

opera has came out top on all tests, just different versions of it lol,

opera 8 has come out top on 4 out of the 7 tests and lets not forget its still in beta, so these times can only be improved and may take the top seed of the other 3...

I use opera at the moment though but may go back to opera when 8 final is out, i just have a few extensions in firefox such as foxytunes which are soo handy for my use

[amoeba]

Maybe you didnt read his post

hmmm quote " no way i have tried opera,maxthon,firefox and I.E " unquote

he hasnt tried A,B,C,D, but thinks E (firefox) is faster just because. doesnt make any sense.

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It doesn't make sense because you didn't read what he wrote. Translated into proper English it reads: "Those tests are wrong, by golly! I have tried Opera, Maxthon, Firefox and Internet Explorer and Firefox was the fastest!"

And to these tests...

Interesting. Hrm. *ponder

[cork1958]

Great job! Let the truth be told!!

Opera rulez!!

[ZZOOzzoo]

It doesn't make sense because you didn't read what he wrote. Translated into proper English it reads: "Those tests are wrong, by golly! I have tried Opera, Maxthon, Firefox and Internet Explorer and Firefox was the fastest!"

And to these tests...

Interesting. Hrm. *ponder

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And now what Techno_Funky said makes even less sense.

[amoeba]

How is my rewrite confusing? He thinks Firefox is fast.

[biorK]

No flames on "Firefox is not faster than Internet Explorer" yet? :p

A very interesting read indeed, and finally an unbiased article. (Y) Great find Chode.

[ZZOOzzoo]

No flames on "Firefox is not faster than Internet Explorer" yet? :p

A very interesting read indeed, and finally an unbiased article. (Y) Great find Chode.

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I think that is the best part of the review.

[Toxicfume Veteran]

That should quieten down some fanboys :yes:

Nice find.

[vcv]

Overall, Opera is faster, and there is little denying that. The 7.x series started to slow down, but with 7.5 and now 8.0, its taking its speed back.

But there are other factors that end up affecting the speed. Many people are victims to these factors that make one browser look bad, and then they end up thinking it's all the browsers fault, when sometimes it is not.

In terms of raw speed, Opera's latest version vs. Firefox's latest version is generally faster. You can say "firefox feels faster" all you want, and maybe it does for you, but that doesn't change anything really.

Also, when people talk about Opera being the fastest browser on earth, it's more than just the rendering engine. It's the whole internet experience and the power Opera gives you to browse faster and more efficiently.

[x-byte]

Nothing new here... Opera IS the fastest browser no doubt.

But good to get some solid facts so that fanboys can shut up.

[Chode]

No flames on "Firefox is not faster than Internet Explorer" yet? :p

A very interesting read indeed, and finally an unbiased article. (Y) Great find Chode.

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Don't thank me, thank OperaWatch, my new daily read :happy:

[biorK]

Don't thank me, thank OperaWatch, my new daily read  :happy:

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Think we can get a Neowin news poster to post news from this site? :p

Make the light shine on Opera for a moment (on Neowin start page). :)

[lav-chan]

I remember reading an article about this in the past, but there are so many browsers and stuff that i can't remember it all.

Basically the article was about the different ways that browsers render pages. It was written by one of the guys who worked on Safari, and it talked about how a browser can appear to load a page faster, even though it isn't, by doing something like loading the text before the images, or something like that.

I remember that Firetruck does its loading differently from Safari, but i don't remember how they compare to Opera. But either way, maybe that difference is the reason that some people think Firefox is faster than Opera even though it technically isn't? :shrug: