More reasons for switching to Firefox include the ability to easily set up a self-hosted sync server allowing you to share your browser settings across several clients. While Chrome for Android does not support extensions, the mobile Firefox version does allow you to install ad blockers while being able to sync your mobile and desktop clients. AFAIK, Chrome for Android does not support a custom sync server at all.
I recently switched from Chromium to Firefox and am running Firefox on my Linux system as a different user than my main account for increased security. The only thing that bothers me is the missing magnification bubble which is used by Chrome for Android if it cannot reliably determine which link I clicked on.
If Chrome allowed to block ads on mobile devices and implemented a feature for easily setting up custom sync servers, I would happily switch back for security reasons.
Number 6 (more customization, highlighting complete themes) and number 8 (unique extensions, highlighting Tree Style Tabs) are shortly going to be things of the past. Neither of those features are fully set to make it past version 57 since they will be removing the ability for legacy extensions (those using binaries, XUL, or things of that nature; i.e. non-WebExtension extensions) to function.
Edit: I would like to add that both of those things will have some level of support, but the full range of features is just not there and providing the same kind of experience is just not part of Mozilla's scope, which is now strongly favoring keeping the UI as uniform as possible.
We have been developing a SaaS app for two years now and the most serious issue is that Firefox Nightly shares the profile with the stable build. Sounds harmless, but it is not if you have installed Nightly and stable and the website uses indexeddb! The indexeddb, once modified in the Nightly, cannot be opened in stable build anymore. So you are trapped in Nightly forever if you access websites with indexeddb. The only way back is to completly erase your profile. That's why we actively warn users not to install Nightly on their system.
Aside from clickbaity title, I would have rather liked a list of reasons to switch from Chrome to any other browser (including Firefox).
I am genuinely curious why Chrome is the default for most technical people? The only reason I hear over and over is its developer tools. However, there are other Chromium-based browsers, like Opera or even Chromium itself, with exactly same dev tools. Why then keep using Chrome considering it being developed by such a controversial company?
Try neither: qutebrowser. It has built-in vim keybindings (configurable), a lot of opportunities for customization/hacking, and it's open source and maintained by a great developer who cares about the project and has run a number of successful kickstarters to support its development. It uses QtWebEngine, so it's hip with all the modern standards.
I've been using Chrome for years, but I'd love to switch to firefox. The last time I checked, 3 things were preventing me:
1) U2F support for Google. There was a U2F extension that worked for some other sites, but I could not get it to work for Gmail / drive /etc.
2) Support for Hangouts
3) All the random web passwords that are in google's password manager
Unfortunately, when certain (notably javascript-heavy) websites run so slow in Firefox, it's too frustrating to use given that Chrome runs them just fine. Even on a beast of a PC with more than enough RAM and a fast i7 processor, Firefox's Spidermonkey engine appears to just be far superior to Chrome's V8.
Chrome profiles are the killer feature for me that prevent me from moving to another browser. I wasn't surprised to see profiles in the short list of reasons to stick with Chrome. Privacy implications be damned, I liked having separate simultaneous profiles running for multiple work and personal accounts.
I've switched to Firefox as well. For me, Chrome is slower but still has a killer feature that makes me fire it up once in a while.
The killer feature? Ability to fill in credit card information when I am paying for something. Makes checking out a breeze.
Hoping that Firefox adds the feature soon.
Things I miss from Firefox:
1. The search/URL bar was much better at predicting the page I wanted
2. When downloading a file I can just click "Open" rather than having to navigate to a temp directory, save it, then open it, then delete it later.
3. Password manager was in the toolbar. In Chrome it involves several mouse clicks and scrolls, and doesn't stand out at all.
4. When saving a file Firefox remembers the last directory used on a per website basis.
5. Delayed loading of tabs until they're clicked (as an option), as well as "reload all tabs"
6. All those extensions, but it looks like even Firefox is making most of the existing ones incompatible now.
My main gripe with Chrome is it takes too much time to load for me even if it has to load no tabs on opening. Comparing this with firefox, FF always beats chrome (and note that firefox will always have around 60+ tabs to load, it probably doesn't matter). I have had 3-4 machines (without SSDs) and this difference is always there.
I didn't even used to keep Chrome installed a couple years back , it took an astonishing ~60 seconds or so to start.
I like Firefox and I would switch, if it had a "duplicate tab" feature like Chrome. For readers who haven't used this sublime feature, when you duplicate a tab in chrome you get everything - history, tab contents, etc. A straight fort() of the current tab. I use it constantly - google something, click on first link, read a little, duplicate tab, hit 'back' on the duplicate tab and find another result I like.
the sweet pool of extentions will dry up soon, when thy depricate the old api
I'd switch permanently if the Mac version was more adherent to the Mac platform w.r.t integration and HID. Last time I checked, I still can't highlight a word, CMD-CTRL-D to get a Dictionary definition.
People that like these benefits in Firefox should really check out Opera.
I'd really love to switch back to Firefox from Chrome but it's just so sluggish on my Android phone and I had the same issue with an iPhone a few years back. Why is this, really?
I really like Mozilla's work, however, it is difficult for me to recommend Firefox as long as it has a poor sandbox relative to Chrome. This is disappointing, especially as Firefox becomes better, but a casual user needs to be protected from malicious websites as much as possible. Until this situation changes, in good conscience I can only recommend Chrome with uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger.
It is my hope that adoption of Rust helps improve this, although more integration with OS sandboxing features would also be excellent in making the case for Firefox.
We've been working on a SaaS product for the last couple of years, and browser compatibility is very important to us. From a web development perspective, sometimes I wish I didn't have to deal with Firefox. I know mozilla and its FF helped shape and pioneer a lot of the tech and tools we use today for web development, but I find it to be the most finicky browser in terms of rendering.
But Vimperator didn't survive the switch to Electrolysis, right?
If vimium on firefox didn't totally suck I would.
I think it's pretty clear that Chrome won the battle and Firefox is going nowhere but down. Personally, I can't see it happen fast enough.
The security of Firefox is (and always has been) atrocious to say the least, and will get you owned. This is not just my personal assessment, but a widely held opinion amongst security experts.
On top of that the codebase is completely rotten (personal opinion). I can run Chrome for months, without crashes but Firefox can't stay running for more than a couple of days, not to mention leaking memory like no tomorrow.
One reason is missing. When Google has dominant market share, they use it to destroy the web and move to Google.
You may or may not like AMP (I don't) but they way it is implemented is to create a Google only parallel web, and as long as users are on Chrome they see that web only - and it becomes the standard.
They have suggested changes to what ads are acceptable and how they should be handled, and I don't trust them to set that standard either.
An example of this is the recent webassembly changes, where Google ceded to Mozilla's vision [1]. As they gain more of a monopoly with their platform, they will abuse that power more.
Keep FF around so that they can have a hand in what becomes standard on the web.
Also, as far as privacy, it is not stressed enough. Most people don't realize that all of your browsing on Chrome is sent to Google. What page, how long you visited, etc. I've read that Chrome has special handling of pages with Analytics installed. The privacy invasions of what should be called Google TrackingTool would make "browser toolbars" and viruses of past ages proud.
BTW, I have more than 600 tabs open now in FF [8GB ram] and it is browsing along fine. Now, I know that I am insane, but try just 60 tabs in Chrome and see all sorts of weird crashes.
[1] http://robert.ocallahan.org/2017/06/webassembly-mozilla-won....