Chrome to Surpass IE Market Share by End of March

News
By Douglas Perry
published

Predicting browser market shares like a careless stroll on thin ice, but the current trend in market share gains and losses of the big three invite predictions. A prediction I am rather confident to make.

According to StatCounter, IE is losing market share at an accelerated pace, while Firefox has stabilized and Chrome is still climbing. If the current trend holds up, Chrome will be exceeding IE global market share for the first time within the next three weekends.

Chrome is much more a weekend browser than any other browser with market shares substantially climbing on Saturdays and Sundays. Last weekend, Chrome climbed to 31.22 percent, which is in close proximity to IE's 33.28 percent. Last week, Chrome reached 30.96 percent and IE fell to 34.64 percent. On month ago, Chrome was at 29.83 percent and IE 35.35 percent. There is some fluctuation, but the trend is amazingly consistent with Microsoft having not found a recipe to halt IE's decline. When Chrome passes IE, it will be the first time since 1997 that a browser other than IE holds the crown of being the most popular browser. Firefox, by the way, has stabilized in the 24 to 25 percent range.

StatCounter data also indicates that Chrome currently needs about six to eight weeks to reach its peak market on an average basis. Again, if this trend holds up, then IE will have lost its market share leadership on by the end of May (according to StatCounter).

Douglas Perry

Douglas Perry is an author and journalist from Portland, Oregon. His many articles have appeared in the likes of Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, The Oregonian, and several newspapers. He has covered topics including security, hardware, and cars, and has written five books. In his spare time, he enjoys watching The Sopranos.