Most people use more than one device. Work laptop, personal laptop, phone, tablet — keeping browser bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs in sync across all of them without manual work is a solved problem, but each browser's sync approach has meaningful differences.
What Gets Synced (and What Doesn't)
Firefox Sync syncs:
- Bookmarks and bookmark folders
- Open tabs (accessible from other devices via Synced Tabs panel)
- Passwords and form autofill data
- Browsing history
- Saved login usernames
- Extensions list (but not all extension settings)
- Firefox settings and preferences
- Containers configuration
Chrome Sync syncs:
- Bookmarks
- Open tabs
- Passwords (via Google Password Manager)
- History
- Extensions
- Settings and themes
- Payment methods
- Addresses
Safari iCloud Sync (Apple devices only):
- Bookmarks
- Open tabs across Apple devices
- Passwords (iCloud Keychain)
- History
- Reading List
Privacy: Who Has Your Data
The core privacy difference is in how synced data is encrypted:
Firefox Sync: End-to-end encrypted. Mozilla holds your synced data but cannot read it. Only your Firefox account credentials can decrypt the vault. Even a Mozilla employee or server breach cannot expose your synced passwords.
Chrome Sync: By default, encrypted in transit but decrypted by Google servers. Google can read your synced data. You can enable passphrase encryption for most data types to make it end-to-end encrypted, but it's not the default and disables some features like search history sync.
Safari/iCloud: iCloud data is encrypted in transit and at rest, but Apple holds the keys for most data types. Passwords via iCloud Keychain are more strongly encrypted. Apple can be compelled to produce user data with legal process.
This matters if you sync sensitive information — work credentials, banking logins, private notes stored in bookmarks.
Cross-Platform Coverage
Firefox Sync: Works on Firefox for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. Cross-platform by design.
Chrome Sync: Works on Chrome for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. Cross-platform.
Safari iCloud: Works on Safari for macOS, iOS, iPadOS only. Limited cross-platform (Chrome/Firefox on iOS uses WebKit rendering but not Safari's sync).
If your devices span Apple and non-Apple, Firefox Sync or Chrome Sync work everywhere. Safari Sync only works in the Apple ecosystem.
Open Tabs: Synced Tabs
The ability to access open tabs from another device is underused but useful.
Firefox: View → Sidebar → Synced Tabs shows all open tabs from other synced Firefox instances. Tap any tab to open it on the current device. Works on Android and iOS via Firefox Mobile.
Chrome: The Devices section in New Tab → Bookmarks shows open tabs from other Chrome instances. Chrome's Tab Groups sync to mobile.
Safari: iPhone and iPad tabs appear in macOS Safari's Tab Bar or via File → Open From Other Devices.
For the "I have this open on my laptop and need it on my phone" use case, all three are functionally equivalent.
Extensions and Sync
Firefox: Extension list syncs, meaning if you install Tree Style Tab on your work Firefox, your personal Firefox will prompt to install it too. Extension settings don't always sync — each extension controls its own sync behavior.
Chrome: Extensions sync across devices. Some extension settings sync via Chrome's storage.sync API.
Safari: Extensions are iOS/macOS App Store apps and don't sync automatically.
Firefox Sync for Weather Extensions
Weather & Clock Dashboard for Firefox syncs its configuration (location, units, displayed clocks) via Firefox Sync when you have the extension installed across multiple Firefox instances. Set up your preferred weather location and world clocks once; they appear on your work machine, home machine, and laptop automatically.
This is a minor but concrete benefit of using Firefox Sync with an extension that stores preferences: you configure it once, it works everywhere.
Which to Choose
Choose Firefox Sync if: Privacy is a priority, you use Linux, you want E2E encryption by default, or you're already using Firefox as your primary browser.
Choose Chrome Sync if: You're in the Google ecosystem (Google Workspace, Android, Chromebook), you want tight integration with Google services, and you're comfortable with Google's encryption model.
Choose Safari iCloud if: You're entirely in the Apple ecosystem (Mac + iPhone + iPad) and have no need for cross-platform sync.
Use a third-party password manager regardless: Whether you use Firefox Sync, Chrome Sync, or nothing, Bitwarden or 1Password are cross-platform and cross-browser password vaults. Your passwords become browser-agnostic, which matters if you ever switch browsers.
The practical recommendation for most people: use whichever browser sync matches your primary browser, and add Bitwarden as the password layer on top. This keeps credentials accessible regardless of which browser you're using at any given moment.
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