Firefox vs. Safari: Who Wins on Privacy and Security?

The battle of the browsers continues. This time, Safari takes on Firefox, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. When your browser can track your every click and keystroke and use that information to monetize and manipulate you, you want one that limits the data it collects, and that stops third parties from doing the same. 

This explains why many Mac and iOS fans abandoned Apple’s native Safari for the stronger privacy and security of not-for-profit and privacy-focused Firefox. But has Safari corrected its errors and caught up? Read on as we put the two browsers’ privacy and security features head to head. 

Firefox vs. Safari: Privacy and Security Feature Comparison

Both Safari and Firefox claim to prioritize privacy, but which truly delivers? We’ve stacked up the two browsers’ privacy and security features to give you a quick run-down.

	Firefox	Safari
HTTPs mode	Enabled by default	Available as an extension from the App Store
DNS over HTTPs	Enabled by default, with the option to customize your chosen DNS	Not built-in
Malware and phishing protection	Blocks dangerous websites and monitors sites you visit for malware	Fraudulent Website Warning alerts you of suspicious websites
Third-party tracking blocker	Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks trackers and cookies, with an option to increase protection	Intelligent Tracking Prevention blocks trackers and cookies
Social media tracking blocker	Available as the Facebook Container extension	Blocks on-site social widget trackers in comment fields and like and share buttons
Digital fingerprint minimizer	Custom Tracking Protection blocks fingerprinting to stop sites from identifying your device and linking all your activity back to you	Uses digital fingerprint minimization to stop sites from identifying your device and tracking your activity
Private browsing	Firefox private browser limits data collection, including history and search queries	Private Browsing Mode and Smart Search limit data logging, while iCloud Private Relay disguises traffic and IP address (subscription only)
Password manager	Firefox Password Manager saves and syncs logins securely across devices	Built-in password manager with encrypted iCloud Keychain and Passkeys
Password monitor	Monitors passwords for potential leaks and websites for vulnerabilities to help prevent password breaches	Monitors passwords for potential leaks and recommends strong passwords
Security updates	Updates at least every 4 weeks	Yes, but unclear how often
Security extensions	Extensive list of browser add-ons to increase privacy and security	Limited number of security and privacy extensions

Firefox vs. Safari: Privacy and Security

HTTPS Mode

HTTPS-Only Mode forces secure connections, ensuring websites use HTTPS encryption. This stops others from spying on your information. It’s particularly useful when accessing sensitive accounts like online banking. Most websites already use HTTPS, but Firefox also offers it as an additional security feature.

Firefox has a customizable HTTPS-Only Mode feature. It’s not on by default, but you can enable it yourself, either for all windows or only in private windows. If you try to visit a site that doesn’t support HTTPS, Firefox will ask you if you want to proceed. You can also turn off HTTPS-Only Mode for certain websites, either permanently or temporarily, giving you more control. 

Firefox also has DNS over HTTPs by default, which encrypts your DNS requests when using Firefox’s public DNS. This stops third parties from seeing which websites you’re trying to visit. You can also customize DNS settings and select your own DNS provider, rather than using Firefox’s default option. It also warns you if secure DNS isn’t available. 

Safari doesn’t have HTTPS-Only Mode. However, it automatically switches sites from HTTP to HTTPS when available. You can also download the HTTPS-Only for Safari extension from the App Store, but it’s not available in the browser itself. DNS over HTTPS isn’t an option either. Again, you can set this up for Safari, but it requires some tech knowledge to configure it manually.

Malware and Phishing Protection

Anti-malware technology stops you from clicking on suspicious sites and links that could lead to data theft. The good news is, both browsers offer decent malware and phishing protection.

Safari’s built-in Fraudulent Website Warning alerts you if you try to visit a website hiding malware. It also automatically identifies scam or phishing attempts before you click on a link, protecting you from suspicious sites before they can steal your data. Disappointingly, this feature isn’t enabled by default, so you need to remember to turn it on.

Firefox also has built-in malware and phishing protection. It blocks dangerous downloads and warns you if you attempt to visit a malicious site. This feature is on by default, which is a huge advantage over Safari.

Firefox takes malware protection even further with personalized website monitoring. This continuously checks sites you frequent against up-to-date lists of known malicious websites. It warns you if a web page you’re about to connect to has been reported as a deceptive or phishing website, or is known to host suspicious downloads or malware. 

Online Tracking Prevention

So far Firefox is in the lead, but tracking prevention is where Safari really shines. Its Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature blocks third-party and cross-site trackers from monitoring your IP address and linking your activity to you. It’s turned on by default, too. It doesn’t stop cookie tracking completely, but at least it only stores first-party cookies from JavaScript for seven days. This reduces how much information sites can store about you online, reducing the risk of your data ending up in snoopers’ hands. 

Safari also has a Social Widget Blocker and Digital Fingerprint Minimizer, both enabled by default. 

The first feature stops widgets like share buttons and comment fields from logging your data without your consent. Safari asks for your consent for cookies via a pop-up on websites and via plugins on social platforms. 

The Digital Fingerprint Minimizer limits what websites can detect about your device. It shows only a simplified version of your device’s characteristics, so multiple devices appear similar. That way, it’s more difficult to identify you or link your activity to your digital profile. 

Safari stops custom tracking of information like your location, sign-in status, or account information, too. This reduces the amount of data available for cross-site tracking. You can even view a privacy report to see which trackers Safari has blocked.

Firefox’s tracking prevention is just as good, if not better. Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks various trackers and scripts by default, including social media trackers, cross-site tracking cookies, fingerprints, and crypto miners. This also extends to trackers hidden in ads, videos, and on-page content. 

Firefox gives you more options for tracking prevention, too. The most basic protection level is standard mode, but you can ramp up to strict or enhanced mode, which involve more enhanced cookie clearing, such as blocking trackers in private windows. The strict mode comes with SmartBlock, which blocks tracking scripts too.

In April 2023, Firefox announced it was rolling out Total Cookie Protection as a default option within Enhanced Tracking Prevention. This confines all cookies to the website they’re on, so they can’t be shared between sites.

Finally, Firefox’s Do Not Track feature lets you send a request to all the websites you visit, asking them not to track your browsing behavior. It also stops advertisers and content providers from tracking you. It isn’t switched on by default, though, unless you use private windows. Using this feature also means you may see fewer relevant ads, but it might make you less tempted to buy those shoes that keep popping up everywhere you go!

Password Management

Safari uses PassKeys rather than passwords to secure your accounts for a safer sign in. As these aren’t stored on your browser, it prevents others who share your device from accessing your accounts. You can access PassKeys on one Apple device to unlock an account on another device, too. For example, you can use the Face ID on your iPhone to unlock the PassKey for your Gmail account on your Mac. 

Safari still supports regular passwords. These are stored in your iCloud Keychain, and are protected by encryption and your device passcode. If any of your passwords have been compromised, Safari nudges you to change them. It also generates strong password suggestions when signing in to new accounts or changing passwords. These are then stored in the Keychain so you don’t need to remember them.

Firefox, on the other hand, uses the Firefox Password Manager to save and sync your passwords across devices. The password manager uses encryption to stop others from accessing your credentials. You can also set up two-step authentication on your Firefox account. If you attempt to sign in to an account with your username and password, it asks you for an authentication code. You’ll need to install an authentication app to validate this, such as Google Authenticator or Duo Mobile. 

Firefox Monitor also checks your saved passwords to see if they’ve been breached, and scans websites you visit to see if they’ve been involved in a data breach. If you visit a website that’s been breached, Firefox Monitor alerts you and encourages you to change your passwords. This helpful notification sets it apart from most other browsers, including Safari.

Private Browsing

You can enable private browsing in both Safari and Firefox. Safari’s features are slightly better though, and you’ll see why. Safari’s Private Browsing Mode is a privacy-friendly version of the browser, which doesn’t log your search history, queries, form data, and is free from trackers. The Smart Search feature also lets you use a single bar for website names, web addresses, and search queries to limit third-party search engines from grabbing your information. This includes cookies, location, and search history.

Safari Private Browsing locks any open tabs with your password. This means, if you leave your device unattended, no one can see what you’ve been up to. For more privacy, you can set DuckDuckGo as your search engine. This encrypts your traffic to further limit third parties from snooping on you. 

One of Apple’s newest features is the iCloud Private Relay, which is available with an iCloud+ subscription. It encrypts your browsing data and switches your IP address with a random one from the same region or country. This stops digital spies from seeing where you are or which websites you’re visiting in Safari. Since it only encrypts your Safari traffic, it doesn’t offer as much protection as a Mac or iOS VPN, though. 

A VPN encrypts all traffic leaving your device, rather than just your Safari activity. This stops cybercriminals and third parties from snooping on you in any browser or app, not just Safari. It also lets you change your IP address to anywhere in the world, whereas Apple Private Relay limits you to the same region or country.

Firefox also has a private browser that lets you surf the web more anonymously. This mode doesn’t store browsing information, cookies, or your history. It also shields you from third-party cookies and content trackers. Like Safari, you can set DuckDuckGo as your search engine for greater privacy, but you’ll need to install an extension. 

Security and Privacy Extensions

Extensions are where Apple falls short, being notoriously strict about what it permits on the App Store. Every app must pass Apple’s tough tests, which limits what’s available. But if it keeps you from using apps hiding malware, it’s for good reason. 

Apple does have a handful of useful security extensions, though, such as HTTPS-Only for Safari, which forces websites to use secure connections, and AdGuard and Lulu which protect you from ads and spyware. 

Firefox has far more extensions to choose from, many designed by Firefox itself. The Facebook Container is one of the best. It isolates your web activity from Facebook, stopping the social media site from tracking you around the web. You can also use the Firefox Relay to hide your real email from hackers and trackers on the web. It forwards emails to your inbox, so no one can identify your actual email account.

Security Updates

Apple is known for keeping its security updates a secret. You’ll only know about a security update when your device asks you to install it. There’s no knowing how often Apple runs security updates, but you can see a list of Apple’s latest security releases, including the number of Rapid Secure Responses to high-risk vulnerabilities. These reports are light on information though. We’d like to see more transparency from Apple.

Firefox issues major updates every four weeks to fix bugs and vulnerabilities. It also distributes minor updates in between major releases, as often as every week if necessary. It has a calendar of scheduled releases for every quarter, which you can view online.

Which Browser Wins on Privacy and Security?

It’s a tough decision. Safari is making some great strides in these areas, but Firefox’s built-in security and privacy measures, such as HTTPS-Only Mode pre-enabled, plus DNS over HTTPS, have kept it in the lead. Firefox also offers you more control, letting you increase cookie and tracking blocking measures for even more privacy when you need it. You don’t get that with Safari.

Safari is still one of the safest browsers, though, especially compared to Chrome. Safari’s password management and monitoring features, for example, are among the best. It also keeps you protected from fraudulent websites, blocks trackers, and minimizes digital fingerprinting. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Safari is a safe default browser, but when you need to tread lightly and leave no tracks, Firefox may be a better choice.

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