I Switched to Firefox and Never Looked Back

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Firefox’s appeal as the last major non-Chromium browser centers on privacy, independence from Big Tech, powerful extensions (like uBlock Origin) and unique features such as multi-account containers and strong Android add-on support. Commenters broadly see it as technically competitive with Chrome and Safari for everyday use and development, but note persistent pain points: poorer battery life on macOS, occasional crashes or performance issues (especially with YouTube), weaker support for some newer web APIs, and Mozilla’s controversial shift toward ad-related revenue and telemetry. Many still use Firefox as their primary browser on principle despite these flaws, while others bounce between Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Brave, or forks like Zen depending on performance, ecosystem lock‑in, and specific workflows.

Firefox as Privacy-Focused Alternative

  • Many switch from Chrome/Chromium for privacy, independence from big vendors, and support for Manifest V2 adblockers (uBlock Origin).
  • Firefox is seen as the only major non‑Chromium engine; some use it out of principle even if UX isn’t always best.
  • Others argue most users still choose Chrome/Edge despite claiming to care about openness.

Performance, Battery, and Stability

  • Experiences vary widely: some report Firefox as fast and stable for years; others see frequent crashes, CPU spikes, laggy YouTube, or poor battery on macOS vs Safari.
  • A recent YouTube memory leak in Firefox was acknowledged and fixed quickly, but some still see long‑standing video issues.
  • Snap packaging on Ubuntu is blamed for slow startup; non‑snap builds fix this.

Developer Tools and Web Compatibility

  • Dev tools are generally seen as near‑par with Chrome, with some UX quirks (breakpoint toggling, keyboard shortcuts).
  • A minority still find Chrome tools superior or hit Firefox‑only bugs that force them back to Chromium.
  • Some sites and corporate portals simply don’t work in Firefox; this is attributed to “Chrome‑only” development practices echoing the IE6 era.

Extensions, Containers, and Customization

  • Firefox’s extension ecosystem and about:config flexibility are heavily praised.
  • Multi‑Account Containers are considered a killer feature (isolated logins for AWS, O365, social, etc.), often combined with tab‑grouping add‑ons.
  • Some worry Manifest V2 support plus powerful extensions increase the attack surface.

YouTube, Google, and Browser Monoculture

  • Many claim YouTube performs worse in Firefox (especially with adblockers): lower default resolution, lag, delays, warning interstitials.
  • Some believe Google deliberately degrades non‑Chromium browsers; others say it’s just tech debt or polyfill issues.
  • De facto “Chrome‑first” testing is seen as re‑creating an IE6‑style monoculture.

Mozilla Business Model and Trust Concerns

  • Critics note Mozilla’s ad products, telemetry for advertisers, sponsored new‑tab content, past data‑sharing experiments, and heavy funding from Google; they see little moral daylight vs Chromium vendors.
  • Supporters counter that most of this is opt‑out, configurable, and still preferable to Chrome’s locked‑down ad ecosystem.

Mobile and Sync

  • Firefox for Android is widely liked for full extension support (uBlock Origin, background video play).
  • Others report broken sync (especially open tabs and extension settings) and favor Chrome/Edge’s more reliable sync.