Opera and Edge: Which browser saves more battery?

Microsoft and Opera software both claim that their browser (Edge or Opera) is the most energy-conserving. Both are of the opinion that notebooks can get along without a new electricity charge longer, if the owner surfs through their browser in the net. Both manufacturers have conducted tests with their own browser working at the most energy efficient.


With the latest browser version Opera 38 the manufacturer has introduced an energy-saving mode. Thanks to this, for example, tabs that are opened in the background consume less energy. To demonstrate this, Opera published a comparison with the Google Chrome browser. This consumes clearly more energy than Opera with activated power saving mode.


Microsoft announced this week that its Edge browser is more energy efficient than other browser sizes. In a test performed by Microsoft, the Internet Explorer successor hit the browsers Chrome, Opera and Firefox. In the test, the same film was played on four identical notebooks in the various browsers. The Opera powered notebook had no battery before the Edge notebook.


Lesetipp: Edge, according to Microsoft particularly akkuschonend


In response, Opera has carried out a new battery test. The Edge browser was also included in the comparison. According to Opera, their own browser was more streamlined than the competition.


The tests of the two browser sizes differ in the way in which work steps were carried out in the network. While the Edge test tested the battery life in a monotonous process such as playing a movie, Opera performed its tests under more realistic conditions. Here, various work steps were carried out on identical notebooks. Thus, Opera's test performers opened various websites and moved to them.


Microsoft responded to the test of Opera that this was not done under fair conditions. Opera would have chosen its current development version. Edge and Opera were used in the test in the standard version. In addition, both the power saving mode and the included ad blocker were activated in the Opera browser. Microsoft, on the other hand, used the latest versions of all browsers for his tests. In addition, the power-saving mode would adversely affect the use of the browser.


There is therefore disagreement. Microsoft and Opera Software agree that Chrome is the worst performer in terms of battery life.