There is no browser that uses the least RAM in every situation. In one September 2026 test that kept 20 sites open on a Mac, Sigma had the lowest median memory footprint, followed closely by Brave and Firefox. In a separate vendor-published test that loaded 50 sites one at a time, Brave reported lower average memory use than Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. The tests used different workloads and memory measures, so neither establishes a universal winner.
Which browser used the least RAM in recent tests?
The closest match for someone keeping many tabs open is Sigma Browser’s 20-tab test. For a page-by-page loading workload, Brave’s separate test is more relevant. Both were run on Macs and published by browser vendors, not as independent cross-platform trials.
20 tabs open at once: Sigma Browser’s test
Sigma Browser says it tested the same 20 websites in six browsers on an Apple M3 Mac with 16 GB of unified memory, running macOS Tahoe 26.6.2. The test used clean profiles without extensions or signed-in accounts, and the browsers’ latest stable releases available on September 11, 2026. Sigma repeated the test five times, restarting between runs, and reported the median physical footprint summed across browser-related processes. Read Sigma’s test and methodology.
| Browser | Median memory use |
|---|---|
| Sigma | 6.50 GB |
| Brave | 6.76 GB |
| Firefox | 7.00 GB |
| Opera | 7.08 GB |
| Chrome | 8.25 GB |
| Safari | 8.30 GB |
The sites covered search, news, social media, video, maps, design, productivity, and streaming. YouTube and Twitch were left paused; the pages were not played, scrolled, or otherwise interacted with. Sigma’s median was 1.75 GB below Chrome’s in this particular test. That is a result for this Mac, these pages, and this setup—not a forecast for every tab mix.
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Loading 50 sites one at a time: Brave’s test
Brave’s Machine Learning Research Team reported a desktop test published September 2, 2026. It used a Mac Mini with an Apple M2 chip and 8 GB of unified memory, running macOS 26.5.1. The team loaded the landing pages of 50 popular sites according to Brave Search statistics, using fresh isolated profiles, randomized browser order, ten repetitions, and a 60-second stabilization period. Each page remained open for 30 seconds. Memory was resident set size (RSS) aggregated across browser processes. Read Brave’s benchmark and methodology.
| Browser | Average process RSS reported |
|---|---|
| Brave | Approximately 1,200 MB |
| Edge | Approximately 1,620 MB |
| Firefox | Approximately 1,650 MB |
| Chrome | Approximately 1,750 MB |
Brave summarized its average memory use as 28% below the competing browsers on average. These figures describe a page-by-page loading test, not 50 tabs kept open together, and the comparison was published by Brave.
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What about older Firefox-versus-Chrome claims?
Mozilla has previously described Firefox as using less memory than Chrome, attributing its approach in part to limiting content processes. That older Mozilla-authored explanation is not current independent comparative evidence, so it should not be treated as a present-day ranking. Read Mozilla’s explanation.
Why RAM rankings change from one test to another
- Websites do different things. A text page, video player, map, and script-heavy web app have different memory demands. The Sigma test left streaming pages paused; Brave loaded one page at a time.
- The workload matters. Keeping many pages open together answers a different question from measuring pages individually as they load.
- Count all browser processes. Browsers use separate processes for work such as rendering pages and handling graphics. Chromium’s guidance says the Private figure in
about:memoryaggregates memory used by Chromium processes; looking only at the main process can miss part of the browser’s footprint. See Chromium’s memory measurement guidance. - Metrics are not interchangeable. Sigma measured macOS physical footprint; Brave measured RSS. Their numbers should not be compared directly as if they came from one shared test.
- Settings and tab state affect results. Extensions, signed-in profiles, page activity, memory-saving settings, and whether tabs are sleeping or discarded can all change what a test measures.
- System memory pressure is broader than browser memory. Other apps and background services also use memory. Chromium notes that system-wide commit charge can be affected by unrelated services; whether the computer is paging to disk or squeezing other apps matters in practice.
How to compare browsers fairly for your own use
A useful comparison holds the conditions steady and measures the whole browser rather than one process. For a multi-tab question, keep the pages open together; for page-loading efficiency, test pages individually and report that workload separately.
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- Use the same computer, operating system, browser versions, and set of websites.
- Match page activity: for example, decide whether video plays, pages are scrolled, or web apps remain active.
- Use equivalent profiles and extensions, and record relevant settings such as memory-saving features.
- Wait the same amount of time after loading pages, then measure all browser-related processes with a named metric.
- Repeat runs, restarting between runs where appropriate, and report a median or range rather than relying on one reading.
- Interpret browser memory alongside overall system pressure, including whether other applications slow down or the computer begins paging to disk.
For many open tabs, the Sigma test is the more relevant of the two recent comparisons, but it covers only one Mac, one group of 20 pages, and clean profiles. For individual page loads, Brave’s test is the closer match. Neither establishes which browser will use less memory on a Windows or Linux PC, or with your own extensions and active web apps.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reduce memory use without switching browsers
Chrome Memory Saver
Google says Memory Saver frees memory from tabs that are not currently in use so active sites and other demanding applications have more resources. Inactive tabs reload when reopened. Google’s December 8, 2022 launch announcement claimed the feature could allow Chrome to use “up to 40% and 10GB less memory.” That was a maximum claim at launch, not a guaranteed saving or a current independent measurement. Read Google’s Memory Saver announcement.
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Microsoft Edge sleeping tabs and discarding
Microsoft says sleeping tabs pause background activity and release some memory while making a quick return to the page possible. Discarding releases the page content from memory, but the tab must reload when selected. Some activity, such as audio playback or screen capture, can prevent a tab from sleeping. See Microsoft’s Edge performance-features documentation.
Edge Energy Saver and performance detector
Energy Saver reduces resource use by changing background activity and some foreground activity; Microsoft cautions that visible slowdowns may occur. The performance detector identifies background tabs using high memory or CPU and offers controls to sleep or close them. These tools can help manage resource use, but their effects should be accounted for when comparing browsers.
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