Google Chrome is the undisputed king of the browser market for mobile and desktop platforms, and its market share increased in December 2024. Statcounter reports that the U.S. Department of Justice hopes the browser spun off from Google will finish the year strong and continue to gain market share.
Google Chrome browser started 2025 strongly with a market share of 66.88%, with a single-month market share increase of 0.5 percentage points and a year-on-year increase of 1.65 percentage points (compared to December 2023).
Such a huge market share makes the gap between the first and second place very wide. Microsoft Edge is the browser closest to Google Chrome, but its market share is still far behind. In December 2024, Edge's market share increased from 12.87% to 13.21% (+0.34 points). A year-on-year increase of 2.31 percentage points.
Apple's Safari browser ranks third, which is pretty good considering it's the only browser that doesn't support Windows. According to Statcounter, Safari currently holds 8.49% of the desktop browser market (-0.64 percentage points). Firefox ranked fourth, accounting for 6.14% (-0.3 percentage points), and Opera ranked fifth, accounting for 2.74% (-0.07 percentage points).
Google Chrome: 66.88% (+0.5 percentage points)
Microsoft Edge: 13.21% (+0.34 percentage points)
Apple Safari: 8.49% (-0.64 percentage points)
Firefox browser 6.14% (-0.3 percentage points)
Opera House: 2.74% (-0.07 percentage points)
Google's dominance of the browser and search markets may soon be challenged, as the U.S. Department of Justice recently filed a court filing asking Google to spin off its browser or even sell it to a competitor. While there are arguments that such a change could bring more choice and more innovation to the market, Google claims that selling the browser, launched in 2008 and well-received, will damage the United States' technological leadership and put users and their data at risk.
Despite its relatively low market share, Microsoft's Edge may also be struggling. Browser makers and rights groups recently wrote to the European Commission asking it to include Edge in DMA regulations and label Microsoft as a gatekeeper that harms other businesses with predatory behavior.