Most Popular Desktop Web Browsers | 1993 - 2022
In this data visualization I only include desktop web browsers, so no mobile web browsers. So the numbers will be different after 2008, when smartphones took off. Like the previous visualization this one goes back to the first graphical web browser, Mosaic. Before Mosaic most users browsed the web either with a text based web browser such as Lynx or using Nexus which had a graphical interface, which was easier to use.
2022-02-09 19:00:00 - Captain Gizmo
1993 | Mosaic
First graphical web browser, Mosaic brought the web to life with inline images and links.
1994 | Netscape Navigator
Launched at $49 with a 90 day trial
1995 | Opera
Launched to the public as trialware
1995 | Internet Explorer
That same year IE launched as free add-on to Windows 95
1996
Marc Andreessen co-founded both, Mosaic and Netscape
1997
Netscape held 70% of the market but IE being free and part of Windows was gaining fast. This forced Netscape to became freeware.
1998
Microsoft was taken to court for violating antitrust laws
1999
America Online acquired Netscape for $4.2 billion dollars
2000
Microsoft was found guilty and decided to split IE from Windows
2001
IE was the official winner of the first browser war
2002
Firefox Beta launched, originally called Phoenix, then Firebird
2003. | Safari 1.0
released by Apple
2004 | Firefox 1.0
finally released to the public
2005 | Free Opera
Opera browser becomes freeware
2006 | IE 7.0
Microsoft reintegrated IE into Windows
2008
Netscape Navigator is discontinued after version 9
2008 | Chrome 1.0
Google releases Chrome
2009 | Mobile Web
Mobile browsers and apps start reducing desktop use
2010 | Firefox 3.6
Firefox introduces Personas theme engine with version 3.6
2011 | IE 9
Introduced new interface
2012 | Chrome overtakes IE
2013 | IE 11
Final version of IE
2014 | Opera 19
Introduced Workspaces feature to organize tabs
2015 | Edge
Microsoft launches Edge to replace IE
2016 | Opera 40
Launches with free VPN & battery saver mode
2017 | Firefox 55
Included VR capability
2018 | Opera 50
Included an anti-Bitcoin mining tool
2019 | Firefox 70
Featured Dark Mode & Tracker Blocker
2020 | Edge
Microsoft introduced Chromium-based Edge and a new logo.
2021 | Chrome
Google begins development of an alternative to cookies to protect user privacy.