Microsoft Edge has almost replaced Apple's Safari as the most used desktop browser after Chrome

The race for the top web browsers in the world is heating up, with OEMs focusing on empowering their hardware with their own software solutions. This is evident from Microsoft's push for its now refined Edge browser on all Windows PCs. It seems like the effort is yielding results, as Edge is all set to overtake Apple's Safari browser for the number two spot on the list of most used web browsers on desktops in the world.

The growth has been reflected in new data from web analytics service StatCounter. As per its recent report, Microsoft Edge is now used on 9.54 per cent of desktops worldwide. In comparison, Apple's Safari browser is used by 9.84 per cent of all desktop web browser users. This leaves a margin of a mere 0.3 per cent for the Edge to catch up on.

The data reflects the global use of web browsers on desktops, and, of course, is different when specified for a locality. In North America, for instance, Safari is used on 16.87 per cent of desktops, compared to Edge's 11.93 per cent market share. However, in Europe, Edge has already surpassed Safari as it now accounts for 10.9 per cent of the market compared to Safari's 9.95 per cent. Asia is a dominant market for Edge, with a 7.46 per cent share in the region, while Safari's use is restricted to 5.41 percent of the market.

While both the browsers compete strongly with each other, they are still no match for Chrome's dominance around the world. Google Chrome holds the top spot in the list of most used web browsers for desktops in the world, with a strong 65.38 per cent market share. As for the browser ranked after both Edge and Safari, Mozilla Firefox takes the fourth spot with 9.18 per cent.

Microsoft's push for Edge

Microsoft has been promoting Edge like never before, especially with the rollout of its Windows 11 late last year. Attempts to download any other browser on Windows now prompt users to try Edge instead. The prompt showcases all the features of Edge, while also listing ways of importing user data from other browsers.

The data migration is meant to make it easier for users to switch to Edge for their everyday web browsing. This data includes history, bookmarks, browser extensions, payment information, and even saved passwords of the users.

It is, thus, only natural that the user base of Edge has seen a substantial spike in the past few months. With the aggressive push by Microsoft set to continue with more and more Windows devices, the usage of the web browser can only be expected to increase in the time to come.