Their main task is to access, retrieve and interpret information from the web to display it on our computer or mobile device.
Without web browsers, we would not be able to surf the Internet.
Difference between web browsers and web browsers
We should not confuse web browsers with web browsers. A web browser refers to software installed on a device that provides access to the Internet, while a web browser refers to online URL access to search engines.
In other words, a web browser takes you anywhere on the Internet. It retrieves information from other parts of the web and displays it on your desktop or mobile device.
The information is transmitted using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which defines how text, images and video are transmitted over the web.
The most used web browsers in 2022
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is the world’s leading web browser. In fact, 7 out of 10 computers in the world use this browser to access any part of the Internet.
Google remains at the undisputed top of the digital ecosystem, so much so that Chrome’s Spanish market share in February was 72.18%, more than 50 percentage points behind its closest competitor.
Since its launch in 2008, Google Chrome has become the most widely used, which has to do with its default setting on Android devices.
Apart from ubiquity, it also has certain features that make it attractive, as you can sync all your account information very easily.
Bing
Bing is a search engine developed by Microsoft and is the second most used by Spanish users, with a market share of 2.88% to 2.73% in 2021.
Among the outstanding features of this search engine, we have a very specific interface for searching videos and images, as well as a live news display on its home page.
Yahoo
Before Google arrived, Yahoo was the most widely used search engine in the 1990s. At the time, the company didn’t know how to adapt to the game changers that Google brought, focusing on speed and improving the user experience.
Ecosia
Germany’s “Ecosia” web browser has managed to carve out a niche in this market, with a 0.17% market share in 2022 thanks to its special proposition dedicated to sustainability. Ecosia works like any other search engine and what sets it apart is how it handles advertising revenue.
Safari
Apple’s flagship browser “Safari” is Chrome’s closest competitor, but it only holds 14.91% of the browser market.
Although quite different from Chrome, it is still the second most used, and this position ensures the exclusivity factor of this browser. Its market share increased slightly compared to 2021 (14.44%).
Safari is Apple’s browser designed specifically for its products and, like Chrome on Android phones, is the default browser on the iPhone. The browser stands out for its ability to interact between devices with the same browser thanks to synchronization with Apple accounts.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is an update of the obsolete Microsoft Edge Legacy and Internet Explorer. This Microsoft-developed browser, like Chrome and Safari, has the option to synchronize websites with a personal account (in this case, Outlook).
It offers several advantages, especially in terms of work, being able to synchronize tools such as Microsoft Teams, Office 365, among others.
The Edge web browser usually comes by default on laptops with Windows built in.
Firefox
The browser Firefox slowed Edge’s rise in the ranking, going from 4.36% to 3.65%.
Years ago, when Google Chrome was born, the browser world was divided between the Windows flagship Internet Explorer and the free, open-source Mozilla Firefox browser.
The browser is still one of the most widely used and currently holds a 3.65% share of the Spanish market, dropping one place after becoming the third largest browser in Spain in 2021.
Samsung Internet
The “Samsung Internet” browser is integrated in different Samsung-branded cell phones and tablets, becoming the default browser on these devices along with Chrome.
Although it has dropped slightly from 3.04% in 2021, it is still the fifth most used browser with a market share of 2.77%.
In addition, we have the ability to customize the navigation menu, an assistant when viewing videos and the use of addons, or Samsung’s own extensions.