When comparing Microsoft Edge (Chromium) vs Pale Moon, the Slant community recommends Pale Moon for most people. In the question“What are the best desktop web browsers?” Pale Moon is ranked 5th while Microsoft Edge (Chromium) is ranked 24th. The most important reason people chose Pale Moon is:
"Classic" Firefox add-ons can work, but they are not supported and should be updated or forked to become a Pale Moon add-on.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Fast
Pro Supports Chrome extensions
As it is built on Chromium.
Pro Better web compatibility
Uses the same engine as Chromium so web pages render better.
Pro More private
During the launch of Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, the company claimed to have removed more than 50 services intended to collect user data. The improvement in this aspect does not come only from the hand of privacy, but also from optimization. The privacy settings are also a lot simpler to understand, more robust, and better than Chrome. There are three modes, basic, balanced and strict.
Pro Faster than Chrome and other browsers
It uses less RAM, has tracking prevention and accelerates the hardware when possible.
Pro Built on Chromium
Microsoft are contributing to Chromium.
Pro Great UI
It will soon get a new UI codenamed Phoenix. Very cool.
Pro Consumes much less battery than Chrome and other alternatives
Pro Preinstalled in most Windows 10 devices
Most Windows 10 devices have Microsoft Edge preinstalled.
Pro Has built-in ad blocking features
If you select the "strict" option in the Microsoft Edge settings, it practically becomes an ad blocker.
Pro Fast enough, fair privacy protection and compatible with chrome extensions
Pro Has its own built-in plugin web store
Microsoft edge support both, microsoft edge add-ons and chrome web store
Pro Replaces the old pre-installed Edge
Since the old Edge isn't removable on most PCs.
Pro You can earn money with this Browser
with microsoft rewards and Edge you can earn money
Pro Free integrated VPN
Pro Good features for teams to work together, like workspaces
free Office integrated
Pro Lots of features
Pro Sidebar with AI features and new Edge Drop
Edge drop is a good way to integrate your phone into windows
Pro Useful features like the reader mode
Pro Has its own add-on ecosystem, built on time-tested technologies such as XUL (plus JS and CSS) and XPCOM
"Classic" Firefox add-ons can work, but they are not supported and should be updated or forked to become a Pale Moon add-on.
Pro Designed for usability, not the shiny new things
Pro Light on resources, although it's not its main focus
Pro Independent from Google and Mozilla
Pale Moon is an independent fork of an older version of Firefox. Therefore, it is independent from Mozilla and are not affected by their terrible decisions such as removing XUL, adding telemetry, pocket, etc.
Pro Customizable
Pro Stable
Pro Support for existing web standards
Pro Respects your privacy
Contains much less spyware than Chrome and Firefox and all of it can easily be disabled.
Pro Open source
So we can verify that the browser is not spyware.
Pro Supports complete themes
Pale Moon supports complete themes, something which Firefox used to have before version 57.
Pro Support for GTK themes
Pale Moon supports your GTK theme while Firefox does not.
Pro Uses Goanna layout engine
Unlike most other browsers, Pale Moon uses its custom engine.
Pro Has its own library of legacy extensions
Pro Very Independent
It isn't controlled by Google nor Mozilla, has its own engine.
Pro Good community support
Pro Optimized for modern processors
Pro Legacy Firefox
Cons
Con Microsoft sends all your browsing history to Microsoft and tracks you by default
Microsoft Edge collects less information than Chrome, but still is collecting data about you and your interests.
Con Synchronization between PC and phone is weak
Although synchronization between computers is similar to Chrome, synchronization between PCs - phone is weak.
Con Unlike the legacy version, it doesn't have the option to set aside tabs which was a very useful feature
It does give you the option to give feedback for people who want setting tabs aside back, but it's not likely they're going to add it.
Con (Integration with) Windows designed by Microsoft so that deinstall/ install of browser of user choice is extremely elaborate
Let's just wait to see history repeat itself, and Micorsoft being fined for it. (Again!)
Con Design similar to Google Chrome
Con Unsecure
Pale Moon lacks the sandboxing and other privacy protecting features included in latest Firefox releases.
Con Still contains some spyware
Default homepage is spyware and search suggestions and automatic updates are enabled by default.
Con Outdated rendering engine
It is an really old fork of Gecko that misses many of the newer web features.
Con Pale Moon is based on very outdated Firefox code
Con Uses Goanna
It an old Gecko-fork that is developed mainly by one man.
Con Lacks popular extensions and adblockers
It doesn't have ublock origin and umatrix.
Con Does not contain multi-process sandboxing
Con Android version has odd behavior
Clicking does not work.
Con Pale Moon's website is cloudflared
Con WebAssembly enabled by default
Con Lead developer loves Cloudflare and hates Tor
Website is cloudflared and he thinks most sites should be hostile towards tor.