Apple Silicon Macs have a very capable built-in browser (Safari 17+). Whether to use Safari as your primary browser or switch to Firefox is a real question with real tradeoffs. Here's the honest comparison for Mac users.
The Case for Safari on Mac
Best-in-class battery life: Safari is deeply integrated with macOS and Apple Silicon power management. On M-series MacBooks, Safari uses significantly less battery than any other browser. This is the strongest argument for Safari.
iCloud Keychain integration: If you're in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone + iPad + Mac), Safari + iCloud Keychain gives seamless cross-device password sync that Just Works.
Handoff: Open a page on your iPhone, open it on your Mac from the dock. Vice versa. Deep integration that no other browser provides on Mac.
Apple Pay: Safari supports Apple Pay natively. Other browsers don't.
Optimized performance: Renderer is tuned for macOS. Some complex web UIs are noticeably more fluid in Safari.
The Case for Firefox on Mac
Privacy: Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention is good but not as comprehensive as Firefox's ETP + Total Cookie Protection combination. Safari still relies on Apple's closed-source implementation; Firefox is auditable.
Extensions: AMO has a smaller selection than Chrome Web Store, but it's comprehensive for the extensions that matter. Safari's extension ecosystem is significantly smaller and more expensive (many Safari extensions are paid).
uBlock Origin: Available for Firefox on Mac with full capability. Safari's content blockers (including uBlock for Safari) are more limited due to the Safari extension API restrictions.
Cross-platform: If you also use Windows or Linux, Firefox provides consistent experience and sync across all platforms. Safari is Mac/iPhone/iPad only.
Containers and multi-account: Firefox's Multi-Account Containers have no Safari equivalent.
No account required: Firefox works without an Apple ID. Safari on Mac works without sign-in, but full feature use (iCloud sync, Handoff) requires Apple ID.
Performance on Apple Silicon
Both are fast on M-series chips. Safari is natively optimized; Firefox has a well-optimized ARM build. For most web browsing, the difference is imperceptible.
The measurable difference: battery life. If you're doing long sessions on battery, Safari's power efficiency advantage is real. Tests consistently show Safari using 20-40% less power than Firefox on M-series MacBooks doing equivalent work.
If you're always plugged in, this doesn't matter.
The Honest Choice
Safari if: You're heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone + iCloud Keychain + Handoff are meaningful to you), you do long mobile work sessions on battery, and the extension ecosystem difference doesn't matter for your use case.
Firefox if: Privacy beyond what Apple provides, uBlock Origin at full capability, cross-platform consistency, and the additional extension options (Containers, various tools) are more important than battery optimization and Apple integration.
Hybrid if: Use Safari as the default for most browsing (battery, Handoff), use Firefox for research and anything where privacy matters more (healthcare, financial research, anything you don't want in Apple's analytics).
The New Tab Question on Mac
Safari's new tab shows "Start Page" with customizable backgrounds, frequently visited sites, and Siri suggestions. Firefox's default is also configurable.
For Firefox on Mac: Weather & Clock Dashboard replaces the Firefox new tab with weather + world clocks. Safari new tab doesn't support this kind of extension (Safari extension API doesn't allow new tab replacement in the same way).
This is one concrete extension capability that Firefox on Mac provides that Safari on Mac doesn't.
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