How does your favorite browser’s Javascript engine speed compare to other popular browsers? The speed of your browser’s Javascript is becoming more and more important because of Web 2.0′s reliance on Ajax and complex Javascript libraries. I have written a benchmark test, which you can run on your machine at home, to compare the newest versions of Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, and Firefox. How does your favorite browser stand up to the competition?
Preface
In 2006, I originally wrote a Javascript speed test that is a derivation of the test that I use today. The test gained quite a bit of attention, so I created a subsequent test to compare browsers that had been released after the first test (i.e. Safari for Windows). Due to popular demand in the form of a flurry of e-mails, I have decided to continue posting my test results with the newest versions of popular web browsers. All of my tests will be using the Javascript test script, which is available by scrolling down to the bottom of this page.
Test Results
2009 July 10
| Web Browser | Average Runtime | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Safari 4.0.2 (530.19.1) | 169 | 1x (fastest) |
| Chrome 2.0.172.33 | 349 | 2.1x slower |
| Firefox 3.5 | 377 | 2.2x slower |
| Opera 9.64 (10487) | 442 | 2.6x slower |
| IE 8.0 | 771 | 4.6x slower |
| *Firefox add-ons include Download Statusbar, X-Marks, and Firebug. Note that runtimes were equivalent with and without add-ons. | ||
| Commentary: Safari has taken the lead by performing about twice the speed of its nearest competitors, Chrome and Firefox. Opera, the once champion of the speed test, has fallen from its throne to the second-to-last position. Perhaps the most surprising is how much worse IE8 fared relative to its competitors — it was 2-3 times slower, but now is performing almost five times slower. | ||
2008 September 2
| Web Browser | Average Runtime | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Safari 3.1.2 | 344 | 1x (fastest) |
| Opera 9.5.2 | 420 | 1.2x slower |
| Firefox 3.0.1 (with add-ons*) | 506 | 1.47x slower |
| Firefox 3.0.1 (no add-ons) | 538 | 1.56x slower |
| Google Chrome 0.2.149.27 | 557 | 1.62x slower |
| IE8 Beta 2 | 806 | 2.35x slower |
| *Firefox add-ons include Download Statusbar, Fission, Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer, Hide Menbar, and Tab Scope. | ||
| Commentary: I really expected Google Chrome, which was released today, to do much better than it fared in the test results. Then again, a lot of Google Chrome’s claim to fame isn’t really geared to a benchmark test like this — it’s more intended for security and live applications that require extensive garbage collection and utilizing non-linear loading of page elements. Regardless, Safari still holds the crown for the fastest Javascript engine, but almost all other browsers (with the exception of IE8 Beta 2) are very, very close behind — almost so close that it’s not really a practical difference (except for bragging rights). It’s going to be very interesting to see how the future versions of Google Chrome are able to compete with the more seasoned browsers. | ||
2008 March 28
| Web Browser | Average Runtime | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Safari 3.1 (525.13) | 339 | 1x (fastest) |
| Firefox 3.0.pre beta (safe mode) | 501 | 1.5x slower |
| Opera 9.50 beta (9841) | 517 | 1.5x slower |
| Firefox 3.0.pre beta (extensions disabled) | 538 | 1.6x slower |
| Opera 9.26 (8835) | 657 | 1.9x slower |
| IE8 Beta 1 | 933 | 2.8x slower |
| IE7 | 1099 | 3.2x slower |
| Firefox 2.0.0.13 (no extensions) | 1256 | 3.7x slower |
| Firefox 2.0.0.13 (safe mode) | 1373 | 4.1x slower |
| Firefox 2.0.0.13 (with extensions*) | 2416 | 7.1x slower |
| *Because most Firefox users install extensions, I thought that it was only fair to include a test with my own typical extensions. The extensions I had installed for the test include: Adblock Plus 0.7.5.3, ColorZilla 1.0, Download Statusbar 0.9.6.1, Firebug 1.05, Fission 0.9.5, Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer 2.0.45, and Hide Menubar 1.0.20080310. I did not include a test with the Firefox beta using extensions because the extensions are not considered compatible with the beta yet.Beta versions of Firefox and Opera were downloaded from nightly builds that were available on 3/27/2008 | ||
| Commentary: In contrast to previous tests, Safari championed the fastest Javascript benchmark, overtaking Opera from its throne. Even more promising, the Firefox beta was considerably faster than its currently released version (2.0.0.13). This is the first test that has shown Firefox’s Javascript engine to be superior to the engines of Opera and Internet Explorer. | ||
2007 September 10
| Web Browser | Average Runtime | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Opera 9.50a | 615 | 1x (fastest) |
| Opera 9.23 | 695 | 1.1x slower |
| Safari 3.0.3 | 790 | 1.3x slower |
| IE7 | 1077 | 1.8x slower |
| IE7 (no add-ons) | 1090 | 1.8x slower |
| Firefox 2.0.0.6 (safe mode) | 1385 | 2.3x slower |
| Firefox 2.0.0.6 | 2285 | 3.7x slower |
| Firefox 3.0.0.7a (safe mode) | 2465 | 4.0x slower |
| Firefox 3.0.0.7a | 2722 | 4.4x slower |
| For more information, see the 2007 benchmark test page. | ||
| Commentary: This test was done in response to Apple’s release of Safari for Windows. Similarly to the 2006 test, Firefox was considerably slower than Opera, Safari, and Internet Explorer. Note that the Firefox alpha version was slower than the stable version. | ||
2006 August 2
| Web Browser | Average Runtime | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Opera 9.0 | 422 | 1x (fastest) |
| IE6 (SP2) | 1622 | 3.8x slower |
| Firefox 1.5 (safe mode) | 1752 | 4.2x slower |
| Firefox 1.5 | 1974 | 4.7x slower |
| For more information, see the 2006 benchmark test page. | ||
| Commentary: This test was one of the first, documented Javascript benchmarks to show the superiority of Opera over the more popular Firefox. | ||
Technical Notes
- The numerical score generated by this test is relative — that separate test results, run at different times or on different machines, cannot be directly compared to each other. You may only compare multiple browsers within the same test session with the same test environment.
- My results for each browser are averages — to get a browser’s score, I have run each test ten times, and taken the average score from all ten tests.
- Your raw numbers are not comparable to mine — because the raw numbers are relative, you can only compare one browser to another browser on your own machine. I have included the Javascript benchmark test below so that you can perform your own test. I encourage you to use it to generate your own comparative test, and even examine the Javascript code to examine the test itself.
- I have included alpha, beta, and released versions — I have included browser versions that are still in testing just for comparative purposes. Please realize that a browser’s beta performance does not necessarily reflect its future, release performance.
- Do your own testing – your results may vary! — I may have a different operating system, hardware configuration, and development environment than you, so your results may be different! I highly encourage you to do your own testing and see which browser is the best performer on within your own environment.
The Test
| Test Type | Runtime (ms) |
|---|---|
| Array object |
0
|
| Date object |
0
|
| Error handling |
0
|
| Math object |
0
|
| RegEx object |
0
|
| String object |
0
|
| DOM |
0
|
| Ajax declarations |
0
|
| Total Duration |
0
|
*** ALERT ***
This javascript benchmark is obsolete and has been replaced by a new product. For the updated benchmark, please visit: http://jsbenchmark.celtickane.com
Windows XP SP3 2.2Ghz single core P4 – GenuineIntel family 15 model 2 stepping 4
250 – Safari 4 (1x)
351 – Chromium 4 (1.4x)
603 – Firefox 3.6a1 (2.4x)
641 – Opera 10 (2.5x)
678 – Firefox 3.5 (2.7x)
1813-IE8 (7.3x)
OS X 10.4.11
G4 400MHZ
1GB SDRAM
Opera 9.64
3598ms
I win!
Powerbook 12¨
OS X 10.5.8
G4 1.33 GHz
1.25 GB DDR
Safari 4.0.3
2690ms
Firefox 3.5.2
1425ms
Wonder if it’s faster with two G4 Cores?
OS X 10.4.11
G5 dual 2.0
1.5GB SDRAM
Omniweb 5.10 478.4
Firefox 3.5 749.7
Opera 10 802.3
Safari 3 1002.8
Ubuntu 4.2.3 (Linux)
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Chrome (4.0.203.2): 482
Firefox Shiroko 3.5.1 (pre): 813
Opera 10: 1249
Konqueror 3.5.9: 3896
Test Type Runtime (ms)
Array object 46
Date object 8
Error handling 16
Math object 23
RegEx object 50
String object 43
DOM 14
Ajax declarations 38
Total Duration 238
Opera 10 final, Windows 7 build 7127.
Intel Celeron 430@2.88GHz, 2Gb RAM
Win XP Pro SP3, 512 Mb RAM, iCel 2.00 Ghz, Opera 10.00 Release:
Array object 203
Date object 47
Error handling 62
Math object 94
RegEx object 328
String object 219
DOM 78
Ajax declarations 219
Total Duration 1250
Opera 10.00 (Build 6652), Mac OS X 10.5.8
Array object 70
Date object 8
Error handling 27
Math object 31
RegEx object 65
String object 53
DOM 21
Ajax declarations 35
Total Duration 310
Firefox 3.5.3 270
IE8 32bit 438
Vista Ultimate 64bit, 4gb ram, 2.9ghz
Firefox 3.5.3 240
Windows Server 2008 R2 Web Edition [ Lited ]
2.4GHZ 2GB ram
mozilla minefied 3.7a1pre current build——-204
windows vista 32bit with sp2
dual core 2.9ghz with 4gig ram ddr2