What is Microsoft Edge?
Microsoft Edge is Microsoft's web browser, built on the same Chromium engine as Chrome but wrapped in Microsoft's own services. It is free with no paid tier. On a Mac it adds integrations the Windows version does not have: signing in with Touch ID, and Spotlight search reaching into your browsing history. The feature set goes well beyond a browser — vertical tabs, workspaces, split screen, sleeping tabs and an energy saver aimed at laptop battery life, plus a password manager with a generator, passkeys and a password-health report. Sync of passwords, favourites and settings runs through a Microsoft account, and Edge is also the browser that can run Internet Explorer mode for legacy intranet sites. Microsoft requires macOS 13 Ventura or later for Edge 151 and newer, so version 154 will not install on older Macs.
Verified product facts
- Type
- web browserEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- Yes
- Pricing
- FreeDeveloper-stated
- Developer
- MicrosoftDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- proprietary
- Current version
- 154.0.4258.53Developer-stated
- Official website
- www.microsoft.com/edge
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Microsoft Edge does at a glance.
Vertical tabs move the tab strip to a side panel so long tab lists can be scanned and navigated
Workspaces keep separate sets of tabs
For different tasks, each with its own colour
Split screen shows two pages side by side inside one tab for comparison
Sleeping tabs, startup boost and energy saver are aimed at memory use and laptop battery life
Password manager
With a password generator, passkeys support and a password-health report that flags weak or reused passwords
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, tracking prevention, enhanced security mode and a scareware blocker
Signs
In with Touch ID on a Mac and integrates with Spotlight search
Syncs passwords, favourites and settings
Across devices through a Microsoft account
Enterprise deployment adds Internet Explorer mode for legacy intranet sites and policy management
What you can use Microsoft Edge for
- Browsing on a Mac while staying inside the Microsoft account ecosystem
- Running a legacy intranet or line-of-business site that only works in Internet Explorer
- Keeping large numbers of tabs manageable with vertical tabs and workspaces
- Using one browser profile for work Microsoft 365 tabs and another for personal browsing
- Comparing two pages side by side without arranging two windows
Who is Microsoft Edge for?
- People who already use Microsoft 365, Outlook or a Microsoft account and want one place for favourites and passwords
- Anyone who needs Internet Explorer mode for an internal site
- Chrome users who want the same engine with different tab management and battery features
Who is Microsoft Edge not for?
- Anyone on macOS 12 or earlier, since Edge 151 and newer require macOS 13 Ventura
- People who want an open-source browser, where Firefox or Brave are the alternatives
- Users who do not want a Microsoft account involved in syncing their bookmarks and passwords
Limitations
- Edge 151 and newer require macOS 13 Ventura or later. Microsoft states that macOS 11 was supported only through Edge 138 and macOS 12 only through Edge 150
- Microsoft's own macOS installer is a .pkg rather than a disk image, so installing it needs an administrator password
- Syncing passwords, favourites and settings requires a Microsoft account; there is no self-hosted sync server
- The browser bundles Microsoft services such as Bing, Rewards and Microsoft 365 promotion, which cannot all be removed
Strengths and trade-offs
What Microsoft Edge does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Free with no paid tier, and the browser works without signing in.
- Ships as a universal build, so it runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs alike.
- Vertical tabs, workspaces and split screen are built in rather than added by extensions.
- Password management includes a generator, passkeys and a health report, so no separate password manager is required to start.
- Internet Explorer mode lets legacy intranet sites keep working inside a modern browser.
Trade-offs
- Requires macOS 13 Ventura or later; Edge 151 and newer will not run on macOS 12 or earlier.
- Cross-device sync depends on a Microsoft account, which some users will not want to create or sign into.
- The browser is proprietary and ships Microsoft services and promotions alongside the browsing features.
- The macOS installer is a package that needs an administrator password, unlike the drag-and-drop disk images most Mac apps use.
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Download the macOS package from microsoft.com/edge or the Edge for Business download page and run it; installing needs an administrator password because Microsoft ships a .pkg rather than a disk image.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Edge offers to import favourites, passwords and history from an existing browser on first run. Signing in with a Microsoft account enables sync; skipping the sign-in leaves the browser fully usable without it.
- System integration Developer-stated
- On a Mac, Edge signs in with Touch ID and surfaces browsing history through Spotlight search, and it follows macOS trackpad gestures and appearance settings.
- Apple Silicon
- Supported
What it is
Edge is Microsoft’s browser, built on Chromium — the same engine as Chrome — and maintained by Microsoft. Pages render the way they render in Chrome, extensions come from the same ecosystem, and the differences are mostly in what surrounds the page: tab management, account sync, security features and the Mac-specific integrations.
Microsoft is explicit that Edge for Mac is a first-class target rather than a port. The browser signs in with Touch ID, follows macOS trackpad gestures and appearance settings, and exposes browsing history to Spotlight search.
Tabs and windows
Three features carry most of the day-to-day difference from Chrome. Vertical tabs move the tab strip to a side panel, which makes a long list of tabs readable without scrolling horizontally. Workspaces split tabs into separate coloured groups for different tasks, so a work set and a personal set can stay open at once. Split screen puts two pages side by side inside one tab, which avoids arranging two windows.
Sleeping tabs, startup boost and energy saver are the resource-management side: Microsoft claims energy saver alone returns an average of 25 more minutes of battery life, while noting that the figure varies with settings and usage.
Accounts, passwords and security
Signing in with a Microsoft account syncs passwords, favourites and settings across devices. The password manager includes a generator, support for passkeys, and a password-health report that flags weak or reused credentials — enough to start with, though anyone already invested in a dedicated password manager has no reason to switch. Security features include Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, tracking prevention, enhanced security mode and a scareware blocker aimed at fake support pop-ups.
None of this requires an account. Edge works signed out; only sync stops.
Requirements and installing
Edge 151 and newer require macOS 13 Ventura or later. Microsoft’s support matrix states that macOS 11 Big Sur was supported from Edge 129 through 138 and macOS 12 Monterey from Edge 139 through 150, so anyone on an older Mac is limited to an older Edge.
The macOS download is a .pkg rather than a disk image, so installing it needs
an administrator password. Microsoft also publishes an Edge for Business page
for organisations that want a specific channel or version, along with policy
files and Internet Explorer mode for legacy intranet applications.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for Microsoft Edge, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
154.0.4258.53
Current Stable channel release for macOS, published as a universal package.
Source: Official website
Questions about Microsoft Edge
Is Microsoft Edge free?
Yes. Edge is free to download and use with no paid tier, and it works without a Microsoft account. Signing in is only needed for syncing.
Which macOS versions does Edge support?
Edge 151 and newer require macOS 13 Ventura or later. Microsoft states that macOS 11 Big Sur was supported from Edge 129 through 138, and macOS 12 Monterey from Edge 139 through 150.
Does Microsoft Edge run natively on Apple Silicon?
Yes. Microsoft publishes the macOS release as a universal build covering both arm64 and x86_64.
Is Microsoft Edge open source?
No. Edge is built on the open-source Chromium engine, but the browser itself is proprietary Microsoft software and is not distributed under an open-source licence.
Can Microsoft Edge run Internet Explorer only sites?
Yes, through Internet Explorer mode, which is aimed at organisations with legacy intranet applications. It is configured through Microsoft's enterprise deployment tooling rather than by default.Developer-stated
What is the difference between Edge and Chrome?
Both are built on Chromium and render pages the same way. Edge adds Microsoft account sync, vertical tabs, workspaces, split screen and Internet Explorer mode, and is maintained by Microsoft rather than Google.Editorially reviewed
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
Chrome
Google's proprietary Chromium-based browser.
Both are Chromium-based; Edge ships with Microsoft services and Windows, while Chrome is a separate download tied to a Google Account for sync.
Brave
Privacy-first Chromium browser with ad and tracker blocking built in.
Both are Chromium-based browsers, but Brave is open source with built-in ad and tracker blocking while Edge is proprietary and relies on Microsoft account sync.
Firefox
Mozilla's open-source browser with its own engine.
Both are cross-platform browsers with their own sync services, but Firefox runs on its own engine while Edge uses Chromium.
Safari
Apple's WebKit-based browser, included with macOS.
Both are browsers on macOS, but Safari is Apple's own and uses WebKit, while Edge is Chromium-based and syncs through a Microsoft account.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
