On a home computer, web browsers are a personal preference. (Some people like Coke, and some like Pepsi. And so on.)

But at work, employee browser software is a business tool and an extension of your company. And depending on the product and how it’s used, that software has unique benefits and risks.

A few household names in this category dominate the conversation, and the market itself. With more than 4 billion internet users around the world, browser technology is perhaps the most widely used software in history, aside from operating systems.

Another way to look at it is, these “household name” products are at Elvis Presley-level name recognition. Pretty spiffy for little pieces of software.

If you manage an office, or if you just have workers who use smartphones, employee browser software will ultimately affect your business’ performance. It is also your best cyberdefense in the minefield that awaits your employees on the internet. We’ve compiled recent browser statistics to provide a snapshot of this software space. As the Browser Wars continue across desktop and mobile platforms, your company’s choice of browser will be a consequential one. These stats should offer insight into the software landscape and the role these tools play in our lives.

General browser statistics

• Google Chrome accounts for 60 percent of overall browser usage. (CNET, 2018)
• 99 percent of enterprise organizations allow their employees to access the internet. (Technical.ly Baltimore, 2019)
• Enterprise employees spend at least three hours a day using the web. (Technical.ly Baltimore, 2019)
• 26 percent of people have 6–15 browser tabs open at any given time. (Digital Trends, 2019)
• 53 percent of people have 1–5 browser tabs open at any given time. (Digital Trends, 2019)
• 8 percent of people have 16–25 browser tabs open at any given time. (Digital Trends, 2019)
• 13 percent of people say they have too many open browser tabs to count at any given time. (Digital Trends, 2019)

• Microsoft Edge accounts for 8.44 percent of web traffic from Macs and Windows PCs. (ZDNet, 2018)
• Firefox accounts for 8 percent of web traffic from Macs and Windows PCs. (ZDNet, 2018)
• Apple Safari accounts for 7.9 percent of web traffic from Macs and Windows PCs. (ZDNet, 2018)
• Internet Explorer usage saw the most significant growth among Windows 10 users between 2017 and 2018, rising from 11.8 to 14.8 percent of users. (ZDNet, 2018)
• There are 2 billion copies of Chrome installed worldwide, with 1 billion monthly users. (CNET, 2018)

Mobile browser statistics

• Google Chrome claims 62 percent of the global mobile browser user share. (Computerworld, 2018)
• Apple Safari claims 29 percent of the global mobile browser user share. (Computerworld, 2018)
• Firefox claims less than 2 percent of the global mobile browser user share. (Computerworld, 2018)
• Across the U.S., Apple Safari claims around 58 percent of mobile browser market share. (TechCrunch, 2018)
• Across the U.S., Google Chrome claims around 32 percent of mobile browser market share. (TechCrunch, 2018)

• Across the U.S., Facebook claims around 9 percent of mobile browser market share. (TechCrunch, 2018)
• Wyoming is the only U.S. state where Chrome has the highest mobile browser market share: around 66 percent of residents. (TechCrunch, 2018)

Threat and security statistics

• 60 percent of enterprise organizations have had systems infected with malware through a web browser. (Technical.ly Baltimore, 2019)
• 30 percent of enterprise organizations have suffered data loss due to web browsing. (Technical.ly Baltimore, 2019)
• Enterprise internet usage exposes a company to 18.5 million infected websites at any given time. (Technical.ly Baltimore, 2019)

• Microsoft Edge was found to identify and block 98 percent of phishing websites (The Register, 2018)
• Chrome and Firefox were found to identify and block 96 percent of phishing websites. (The Register, 2018)
• Microsoft Edge was found to immediately stop 89 percent of phishing websites. (The Register, 2018)
• Chrome was found to immediately stop 79 percent of phishing websites. (The Register, 2018)
• Firefox was found to immediately stop 77 percent of phishing websites. (The Register, 2018)
  

Other browser statistics

• Employees who use non-default web browsers stay at their jobs 15 percent longer. (The Atlantic, 2015)
• Facebook is being used as a mobile browser by nearly 14 percent of Washington residents. (TechCrunch, 2018)
• Over 50% of users utilize Safari as their primary browser on tablets.  (LambdaTest, 2019)
• Facebook is being used as a mobile browser by around 10 percent or more of the residents in 15 U.S. states. (TechCrunch, 2018)
• The Samsung Internet Browser has been downloaded more than 1 billion times from the Google Play Store, more than Firefox and Opera. (Trusted Reviews, 2019)
• As of November 2018, only 11 percent of Windows 10 users had Microsoft Edge as their default browser. (Computerworld, 2018)
• More than 80 percent of Windows 10 users change their default browser at the first opportunity. (ZDNet, 2018)
• Microsoft Edge accounts for 8 percent of visits to government websites. (ZDNet, 2018)

In our frenzied lives — both at work and away — browsers should not be an afterthought. Each is its own beast, with features and performance aspects that appeal to different groups. You may choose to enforce a certain browser across your organization, enforce certain browsing rules, or recommend a browser to new hires and offer basic guidelines.

Small business security is closely tied to the software your team uses. To keep operating at the highest level, your team’s choice of hardware and web browsers is as important as anything. Consider these statistics and test drive some browsers for yourself to best understand their differences and make an informed choice.

And hey! You can also write a review of your experience after using a browser tool to help others on their browser search.