Microsoft Edge will always be second to Chrome if it continues to copy Google's homework

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Key insights

  • Microsoft Edge has unique features not found in Chrome, such as vertical tabs and a screenshot tool.
  • Microsoft is making Edge more and more similar to Chrome to attract Chrome users, which is damaging its identity.
  • To compete successfully, Edge should establish its own identity and not completely imitate Chrome.



For years, Google has held the lion's share of the browser market with Chrome. Many other browsers have tried to kill it, but it hasn't fallen from its top spot yet. However, that hasn't stopped Microsoft from trying, and the company seems to be doing a good job of keeping up with everyone else. At the time of writing, Microsoft Edge has 5% of the market share, behind Safari at 18% and Chrome at 65%.

Microsoft has done a lot with Edge to make it better than Chrome, but lately we've seen the Redmond giant get cold feet as it tries to stand out from the crowd. Now the company seems more focused on making Edge as Chrome-like as possible and stripping it of any identity. If Microsoft continues to copy Chrome's homework, Edge may never really take off.



Microsoft Edge is trying its best to stand on its own two feet…

The browser does not have any unique features

Microsoft Edge is by no means just a Chrome clone. The browser has a variety of features that other browsers, not even Chrome, do not offer. As we laid out in our reasons why Microsoft Edge is better than Chrome, the Redmond giant's browser has vertical tabs, collections, and its own screenshot tool, to name a few.


In fact, Microsoft is still paying a lot of attention to Edge to make it the perfect competitor to Chrome. A while ago we saw hints that Microsoft Edge would add a full designer image editor, which would be a great way to edit images before saving them to the desktop. Plus, it has some AI tools for those who want additional editing.

…but Microsoft wants it to be Chrome-like again

Maybe a little too familiar with home

Top reasons why Microsoft Edge offers the best tab management

Source: Mockup.photos

So what's holding Edge back? Well, Microsoft seems to really want Edge to look and feel just like Chrome. The problem is that this removes any identity from Edge – it just feels like another Chromium browser.


While there were plans to make Edge look and feel like its own thing, Microsoft recently backtracked on those. For example, the major UI overhaul for Edge has been scrapped, so anyone who wants to see sleek, unique AI with Edge will instead stick with something that looks exactly like Chrome. Also, as discovered by Windows LatestMicrosoft is working on making the Edge settings page more Chrome-like, although the current Edge settings page needs some cleaning up.

Microsoft really wants Chrome users to take the plunge…

The company specifically targets Chrome users

The edge disruptor in the banner


So why does Microsoft go to great lengths to make its browser look like a clone of its competitor? Simply; It really wants Chrome users to make the switch to Edge. The more familiar Chrome users are with Edge, the more likely they are to become comfortable with it, Microsoft hopes.

We've seen Microsoft's attempts to convert Chrome users in the past. If you've ever used Edge to download Chrome, you've already seen all the begging pop-ups Microsoft provides to convince you to stick with Edge. We've also seen Microsoft Edge add variables that specifically detect Chrome usage. And there was this one time when Edge just stole people's Chrome tabs and hoped they wouldn't notice.


…but the world doesn't want “just another Chromium browser”

Don't try to outdo Chrome

The Chromium logo

If Microsoft Edge were the only non-Google browser to use Chromium, perhaps it would stand out a lot more. The problem is that there are tons of them, from Brave to Vivaldi, and they all do their own thing and support users in unique ways.

If Microsoft wants Edge to stand out and attract Chrome users, it needs to build an identity for it. By making it as Chrome-like as possible, it will only encourage people to use Chrome instead of Edge. After all, we have all of our passwords, extensions, bookmarks, and history set up in Chrome – why should we bother migrating all of that for a browser that is essentially Chrome with a few extra features?


Let Edge be its own thing

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Edge itself – it works well, has some nice new features, and is a good default browser for new Windows users. But if Microsoft really wants Chrome's user base to make the leap, it should stop trying to copy Google's homework. As long as Microsoft continues to strip Edge's identity to make it a facsimile of Chrome, people will always prefer the original to the cheap copy.

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