Comparison of the Five Major Browsers

Chrome

A browser developed by Google, built for speed, and based off the open-source project Chromium.

Pros: Executes JS, renders CSS, and caches pages faster than any of the other browsers. Extensions install instantly. Includes Developer Tools, which allow editing of HTML on pages.

Cons: Loads pages about 110 ms slower than Firefox. Extensions do not have as many permission.

Firefox

Open-Source browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation.

Pros: More extensions, and they have more control over the browser. Loads pages 110ms faster than Chrome.

Cons: To install extensions or themes, a browser restart is required. To edit HTML, you need to install Firebug.

Internet Explorer

Browser developed by Microsoft

Pros: Installed on Windows by default

Cons: No extensions, it’s the slowest browser, it breaks some CSS, it does not even support the latest version of CSS, it does not work with HTML5, and for me it constantly freezes on start-up. Also it uses ActiveX which is very vurnable to security attacks.

Safari

Browser developed by Apple, and is the Macintosh counterpart for Internet Explorer, but there is a version for Windows too.

Pros: Uses the WebKit engine, like Chrome. Cross-platform (except for linux). Has a debug menu like Chrome.

Cons: Images don’t have a context menu, tabs don’t have favicons, and no extensions.

Opera

An internet suite developed by Opera Software, that not only includes a browser, but a bittorent client, an email client, an IRC client, and a contact manager.

Pros: An Internet Suite, not a browser, containing lots of tools to use the web.

Cons: No extensions.

Source: http://sixrevisions.com/infographs/browser-performance/