For years, the go-to browser for users fed-up with Internet Explorer and all the hassles that come with it (including its lack of web standards, poor security, and lack of extensions) has been Mozilla Firefox. Call it the tool-of-choice for nerds, the top competitor of Internet Explorer, or just a versatile browser; Firefox is the _de-facto_ standard when someone asks, "I don't want Internet Explorer. What should I get instead?"

Lately, though, there has been a string of new competitors to the heir of "Internet Explorer Alternative". While it's entirely plausible that there will be multiple players in this field, Chrome is beginning to look like the stand-out Firefox alternative for a lot of people.

Extensions

One of the biggest advantages that Firefox has to Internet Explorer is its extensibility. That is, you can add extensions to Firefox, most of which are developed by third-party developers, which can make your web browsing experience more enjoyable. For example, one popular extension is AdBlock, which blocks banner ads and other forms of advertisement on the Internet. Another popular extension is Firebug, which is the most popular Firefox debugging tool for web developers creating Web sites.

Most of the same extensions that are available for Firefox are also available in the Google Chrome extensions directory. So, when it comes to extensions, Google Chrome and Firefox are neck-and-neck.

Speed

Speed-wise, there's no question. Google Chrome blows Firefox out of the water. Over the past few years, Firefox has become more bloated with features than it needs to be, and performance has suffered. Google Chrome, on the other hand, is built on top of Apple's WebKit, a browser module that is specifically engineered for top performance. Not only is Google Chrome built on WebKit, but it was also specifically developed to enable users to browse more quickly.

And, of course, it is in Google's interest to make the fastest web browser. Why? Google makes most of its money via advertisements. If people can browse the web more easily, then they can also perform more Google searches. Even if the difference is indiscernible, if each user of Chrome can perform, say, 30 more Google searches per year, this translates into real revenue for Google. Expect Google to continually make Chrome faster, leaner, and better at browsing a lot of pages in a short amount of time than Firefox is; it's in their best interest to. Google Chrome is the clear winner as far as speed goes.

Drawbacks

If you're not a fan of Google, or feel uncomfortable about its data collection methods, then you probably won't like Google Chrome. In fact, the fact that it collects (anonymous) data on your web browsing and searching habits is probably enough of a drawback for many to reconsider switching to Chrome. However, if this is a non-issue for you, and if you are willing to sacrifice this minor privacy issue, then consider switching to Google Chrome. It is clear that Google Chrome is surpassing Mozilla Firefox in most of the important metrics.