Microsoft Edge is gaining users and outpacing other browsers

New Microsoft Edge logo
New Microsoft Edge logo (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • According to Statcounter, over 8% of desktop users utilize Microsoft Edge as of March 2021.
  • Edge has been steadily growing its userbase over the course of 2020 and 2021.
  • Edge is on track to beat out Safari.

The latest numbers from Statcounter (via TechRadar) paint an encouraging picture for Microsoft Edge. It's up to 8.03% in the global desktop browser market share department as of March 2021.

That sort of percentage can't be ignored, especially because the latest figures from March 2021 put Microsoft Edge above Firefox in terms of overall users. Edge now has more market share than Firefox and the continually dwindling Internet Explorer. But what's more impressive is that if Edge keeps growing at its current pace, it might overtake Safari and solidify its position as the number two browser for desktop users.

Statcounter mentions laptops are included in all desktop-related figures, which should signal just how far-reaching Edge has become. Safari is at a little over 10% of total market share control as of March 2021, so Edge is within 2% and could overtake the former within the next few months at its current growth rate. It's a long way off from reaching Google Chrome's 67% market share, but it's speedily climbing the rungs of the runner-up ladder.

It's not surprising Edge is doing as well as it's doing, given how routinely it adds useful features and considers the user experience. For example: you won't need the best ad blockers for Microsoft Edge soon if Edge Canary has anything to say about it.

Robert Carnevale

Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He's a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author of Cold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.