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The Reasons Why Firefox is Slower Than Chrome – How to Make it Faster

You probably know that Google Chrome is one of the fastest browsers available today, but you may not know why Firefox is Slower Than Chrome. 

The answer lies in how Firefox uses your system resources while you browse.

In this article, I’ll try to point out some reasons behind the issue, and if you still want to use Firefox, you can speed up the browser by following the tips at the end of the article.

Stay connected!

5 Reasons Behind Why Firefox is Slower Than Google Chrome

Slow and steady may win the race, but in the world of web browsers, it’s the speedy ones that come out on top. 

Google Chrome has been the reigning champ when it comes to speed, but it looks like Firefox is finally catching up.

Mozilla’s Firefox Quantum was released in November 2017, and it’s been making waves in the browser world ever since. 

It’s faster and more lightweight than previous versions of Firefox, and it’s even giving Chrome a run for its money.

However, there are still some areas where Firefox lags behind Chrome. Here are five reasons why Firefox is slower than Google Chrome.

1. Lack of Hardware Acceleration

One of the most significant reasons why Firefox is slower than Chrome is that it doesn’t have hardware acceleration. Hardware acceleration is when a browser uses your computer’s graphics processing unit (GPU) to speed up the rendering of web pages.

Chrome has had hardware acceleration since its launch in 2008, but Firefox only added it in 2013. 

Even then, it was only implemented in Windows. It wasn’t until 2017 that Firefox added hardware acceleration for all platforms.

2. Outdated Rendering Engine

Another reason why Firefox is slower than Chrome is that it uses an outdated rendering engine. 

A rendering engine is responsible for displaying web content on your screen.

Chrome uses the Blink rendering engine, which is updated regularly. Firefox, on the other hand, uses the Gecko engine. While Gecko is still being updated, it’s not as frequently as Blink.

3. Overburdened Add-ons

Add-ons are one of the best things about Firefox, but they can also be a major contributor to its slowness. 

Every add-on you install adds more code that needs to be loaded every time you open Firefox.

This can quickly add up, especially if you have a lot of add-ons installed. If you want to speed up Firefox, one of the best things you can do is remove any unnecessary add-ons.

4. Poor JavaScript Performance

JavaScript is a programming language that’s used to create interactive web pages. It’s also used for many popular web applications, such as Gmail and Google Maps.

Firefox has historically had poor JavaScript performance, which can make web pages and applications load slowly.

However, this has improved significantly in recent years, and Firefox is now on par with Chrome in this area.

5. Slow Startup Times

Another area where Firefox lags behind Chrome is startup times. When you launch Chrome, it’s usually up and running in a matter of seconds. 

Firefox, on the other hand, can take several moments to start up, even on a fast machine.

One of the reasons for this is that Firefox loads all of your installed add-ons when it starts up. If you have a lot of add-ons installed, this can add significant time to your startup time.

While Firefox is slower than Chrome in some areas, it’s still a fast and capable browser. Mozilla is constantly working to improve Firefox, and it’s only going to get better with time.

How to Make Firefox Faster Than Google Chrome?

Do you use Google Chrome or Firefox? If you are like most people, you probably use the browser that came installed on your computer. For many years, that was Internet Explorer. These days, it’s probably Google Chrome.

But what if I told you that Firefox is not only just as fast as Google Chrome, but in some ways, it’s actually faster?

Here are a few simple tips to make Firefox even faster than Google Chrome.

1. Use fewer tabs

One of the biggest factors in how fast your browser feels is how many tabs you have open. 

Every tab requires memory and processor resources. So, the more tabs you have open, the slower your browser will be.

If you find yourself regularly opening more than a dozen tabs, try using a tab manager extension like OneTab or The Great suspender. 

These extensions will help you reduce the number of tabs you have open by suspending tabs that you’re not using.

2. Don’t install too many extensions

Another factor that can slow down your browser is the number of extensions you have installed. 

Just like tabs, every extension requires memory and processor resources. So, the more extensions you have, the slower your browser will be.

If you find yourself using a lot of extensions, try to find alternatives that use fewer resources. 

For example, if you use an ad blocker, you could switch to uBlock Origin. This extension is just as effective at blocking ads but uses far fewer resources.

3. Keep your browser updated

One of the best ways to keep your browser fast is to make sure you’re using the latest version. 

Mozilla Firefox is updated every few weeks with new features and security fixes. These updates can also help improve performance.

To update Firefox, click the menu button and select “About Firefox.”

4. Use hardware acceleration

Firefox can use your device’s graphics processor to speed up certain assignments. This is called hardware acceleration.

To enable hardware acceleration, type about: config in the address bar and press Enter. In the search box, type “layers.acceleration.force-enabled” and double-click the preference to set it to true.

5. Turn off automatic updates for add-ons

Another way to speed up Firefox is to turn off automatic updates for add-ons. By default, Firefox checks for updates for all your installed add-ons and installs them automatically.

This can be handy if you want to make sure your add-ons are always up-to-date. But it also means that Firefox has to scan for updates every moment it starts up, which can slow something down.

To turn off automatic updates for add-ons, type about: config in the address bar and press Enter. 

In the search box, type “extensions.update.enabled” and double-click the preference to set it to false.

6. Disable prefetching

Firefox can speed up your browsing by prefetching web pages. This means that when you click a link, Firefox will start loading the page in the background before you even click it.

This sounds like it would be helpful, but in practice, it doesn’t really speed things up. And it can actually slow down your browsing if you have a slow connection.

To disable prefetching, type about: config in the address bar and press Enter. In the search box, type “network. prefetch-next” and double-click the preference to make it to false.

7. Use a faster DNS service

One way to speed up your browsing is to use a faster DNS service. DNS is the service that converts website names into IP addresses.

By default, Firefox uses your ISP’s DNS servers. But these servers can be slow, and they may not work properly if you’re in a different country.

There are countless public DNS services that people can easily use that are quicker and more trustworthy. Some of these services are even free.

To change your DNS settings in Firefox, type about: preferences in the address bar and press Enter. Go to the “Network” tab and click the “Settings…” button.

8. Use a faster search engine

Another way to speed up your browsing is to use a faster search engine. By default, Firefox uses Google as its search engine. But Google is not the only search engine out there.

There are a number of other search engines that are just as good as Google, and in some cases, they’re even faster.

To change your search engine in Firefox, type about: preferences in the address bar and press Enter. Go to the “Search” tab and select a different search engine from the drop-down menu.

Should I Use Firefox or Google Chrome?

There is no definitive answer, as it depends on your individual requirements and tastes. 

However, in general, Firefox is a better choice for privacy and security, while Chrome is a better choice for speed and performance.

Also Read:

Conclusion:

To be honest, Google’s Chrome browser is one of my favorite software products for two reasons: Speed and simplicity. 

I use it on almost every device, But after comparing loading speeds with Mozilla’s Firefox browser on a very specific website (Google).

it turns out that I’ve been overlooking another reason why I should be using Chrome over Firefox.

After reading the article Why Firefox is Slower Than Chrome, I think you’ve got everything you need to know! 

The decision is yours. either follow the tips to boost up your Firefox speed or use Google Chrome!

Daniel Wilson

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