The latest ranking of the most popular web browsers shows Google Chrome continues to dominate as the world leader. As of April 2024, Chrome’s market share worldwide was 65.42%, which means that nearly two-thirds of internet users globally prefer Google’s browser for their activities. 

This significant market presence places Chrome well ahead of its nearest competitor, Apple’s Safari, which holds an 18.04% share. Accounting for a combined 83.62% of the market, this means that more than four out of five internet users worldwide opt for either Chrome or Safari, highlighting the duo’s dominance in the current browser landscape.

How has the Chrome browser market share evolved since its launch? In this post, we chart the upward trajectory of Google Chrome’s rise and understand how it was able to attract users from previously dominant browsers. 

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Google Chrome market share: Growth since 2010

Year

Google Chrome market share

2010

9.95%

2011

19.79%

2012

29.30%

2013

34.67%

2014

38.94%

2015

44.87%

2016

49.08%

2017

53.96%

2018

59.12%

2019

63.31%

2020

64.60%

2021

64.45%

2022

64.78%

2023

63.87%

2024

65.02%

The rise of Chrome’s market share since its launch since 2008 has been phenomenal. By 2010, two years following its release, the browser’s market share had risen to 9.95%. In other words, around one in 10 internet users worldwide that year were Chrome users. Meanwhile, Internet Explorer (IE) dominated, with nearly 50% of the market share, while Firefox held just over 30%.

Over the next few years, as IE and Firefox’s popularity plummeted, Chrome’s market share surged. By 2013, Chrome had a 34.67% share, overtaking IE to become the world’s leading browser for the first time. That year, IE and Firefox’s market shares fell to 23.15% and 16.55%, respectively.

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Chrome’s market share surpassed 50% for the first time in 2017, making the first year it became the favorite browser of the majority of internet users. It exceeded 60% in 2019 and Chrome’s market share has held relatively steady since, hovering around 63% to 65%.

Chrome’s market share: factors driving its growth

This shift toward Chrome can largely be attributed to the browser’s innovative features, speed, and simplicity. This appealed to users who were becoming increasingly frustrated with the slower speeds and security issues associated with IE and Firefox. The integration of the popular browser with other Google services also provided a seamless browsing experience, enhancing Chrome’s usage and attractiveness.

Once significant players used by more than four in five internet users, Firefox and IE today have market shares of 3% and 0.16%, respectively.

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