Mozilla Firefox 3 overtook Microsoft’s Internet 
Explorer 6 for the first time in February in the Internet Browser Wars according to monthly data from StatCounter Global Stats – our new free analysis tool.
Internet Explorer 7 continues to lead globally with 41% market share. However, Firefox 3 is now in second place with 24% replacing IE 6.
“Since its launch less than a year ago, Firefox 3 has attained nearly one quarter of the global market,” commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO and founder, StatCounter. “IE 7 is consistently holding about 40% of the global market but IE 6 has fallen from 28% in July last to 22% in February this year.”**
The growth in usage of Firefox 3 can be partly attributed to users upgrading to the new version – Firefox 2 market share has fallen from 16% to 3% in the period.
Microsoft’s combined IE 7 and IE 6 market share has fallen from 68% in July last year to 63% now. IE 8 has gained a toehold in the market of just over 1%. Firefox 3 and 2 has grown from 25% in July last to 27% in February 2009.
** Source: Figures based on monthly StatCounter Global Stats analysis.
I don’t know why people don’t use Opera? Opera is a browser that has everything that Firefox can think of in coming 2 years. It is one of the most advanced browsers. I consider Firefox to be over hyped and IE as overused. Still I can not change people so I have to think what people think as I am a webmaster.
Wow great tool, I like to see how many users are using, search engines, browsers, and operating systems, i think the most useful is the search engine global stats!
It would be nice if future versions of Windows gave users the option to have IE installed or not (which I think will be the case with Windows 7) as we all know this is one of the main reasons why they have dominated the browser market.
Yes, I too.
I think many more people, especially those who were not to web-minded and coming to realise that you dont have to stick with what Microsoft provide or what comes installed as standard on their new pre-built dell.
I personally do prefere IE to FF.
I’ve been happy with Firefox for quite a few years, but after hearing good things about IE7 I may give it a try, though I can’t see me sticking with it. I’ll miss the FF plug-ins too much I think!
Use Firefox for ages, but lately been trying IE7 and kinda like it.
I think this is a first victory for FireFox 🙂 even if it could be temporaly…
Folks, so many people don’t change anything after purchasing their computer so that was quite normal to see all IE on the top but now, that means that people start to realize that Microsoft is not alone and not offer necessary the best product.
Anyway, as always great stats! 🙂
Chris
Interesting to see the huge disparity in results between StatCounter and the more widely-touted Net Applications, especially for Opera; showing 7% market share in Europe for Opera.
Having said that, is your methodology better, given NetAppl’s process has been discredited as inaccurate…?
http://my.opera.com/haavard/blog/2009/03/04/statcounter
I tried out IE8 when the final version was released, and I was disappointed (although not surprised) to see that it is still slow and buggy. The UI reminds me of Google Chrome a little, but that’s as far as the similarity ends. I actually use Apple Safari as my main web browser, as I find Firefox too slow (but not as slow as IE).
It would be nice if future versions of Windows gave users the option to have IE installed or not (which I think will be the case with Windows 7) as we all know this is one of the main reasons why they have dominated the browser market.
/ rant over!
Psychologists should ask their patients if they use IE. Chances are they do, and chances are that is the source of all of their problems. Of course, there are also problems with using Firefox, like getting babes all the time while walking down the street.
Wow, I am surprised by IE, too many security hole in in IE.
But my visitor stats still use FF than IE..
Yeh more than 70% of my blog visitors use
FF3 , and hard 20 % Uses Internet.
So for sure FF3 will be crossing Explorer Soon.
Thanks
I think this statistic is wholly susceptible to the market it is collected in. You know you can make stats reveal almost anything you want. I have a site for instance that the demographic is 50+ in age, caucasian males predominant. FF3 barely edges out Safari in my stats and every browser is far surpassed by IE6 and IE7 is even further out there.
True users would be a head count and FF3 might very well be leading IE6 but considering that FF3 is pretty much a download and the IE’s come with the windows os pkg. they will never surpass. Most people just want to use what they get and most government does not change out.
At first glance I thought the entry was going to say
FF gaining ground on FG..
must be reading too many newspapers 🙂
Never liked Firefox. Very clunky in my view.
Don’t like tabs – I like everything clear and easy to see what’s been opened, in the way I am used to anyway, like at the bottom of the browser…
I like firefox 3 and I have been using it instead of IE 7 or IE 8.
Many people think alike.
FF3 Loads very fast as compared to IE. is this correct?
I have used Firefox for ages – I find it is a superior browser in many ways. I am glad it is overtaking IE!
firefox 3 is a fantastic browser i use it all the time