which firefox edition is best?
I am currently using Edge chromium.but want to switch into firefox but i saw there is a lot more variety like firefox quantum,esr,developer etc. I want to know which edition is best
All Replies (4)
Hi dehayev,
As you mentioned, there are a few options to choose from.
- Firefox Quantum
- Firefox Nightly
- Firefox Beta
- Firefox Developer Edition
- Firefox Extended Support Release
Each version is designed specifically for a certain need and they are all available for you to use.
Firefox Quantum is the standard version that is most commonly used. It was renamed in 2017 to Quantum after completely overhauling the engine with many performance improvements while introducing Pocket integration. Firefox Quantum
Firefox Nightly is an alternative if you would like to participate and test bugs. This version features the latest features in development, allowing you to get a sneak peak before they are available to Firefox Quantum. You will commonly see updates to this browser daily and this will require frequent restarts. Firefox Nightly
Firefox Beta was designed to be a browser that has already been tested yet still prone to bugs so it is still meant for testing, with the difference being with the general public. Beta
Firefox Developer Edition is designed for people who are interested in web development and offer the tools that you need to build for the open web. Firefox Browser Developer Edition
Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) was designed for workplace environments that need to set up and maintain Firefox on a larger scale. This version is intended for system administration for these purposes.
I personally use Firefox Quantum and Nightly. What's great about Nightly is that it offers some features that are not released to Firefox Quantum. The only drawback I have is that it updates frequently, however that is also how the web-browser was specifically designed. But it all depends on what you want to do to decide which version works best for your needs.
Getting started with Firefox: Get started with Firefox
The current release is normally the best choice for regular users.
- https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/
- https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/69.0.3/releasenotes/
A Beta release can be helpful in cases where you run into issues that already have been fixed on the Beta update channel.
Note that Beta and Developer Edition update twice a week and that Nightly updates twice each day (i.e. fourteen updates per week) and that beta and alpha release can be unstable at times. When you use developer version then best is to always have the current release as a fallback installed and you need to know how to deal with minor issues.
WMagicModel said
Hi dehayev, As you mentioned, there are a few options to choose from.Each version is designed specifically for a certain need and they are all available for you to use. Firefox Quantum is the standard version that is most commonly used.
- Firefox Quantum
- Firefox Nightly
- Firefox Beta
- Firefox Developer Edition
- Firefox Extended Support Release
To make it less confusing in order.
- Firefox Quantum
- Firefox Beta
- Firefox Developer Edition
- Firefox Nightly
- Firefox Extended Support Release or ESR
Release < Beta (b#) < Nightly (a1)
Quantum just refers to Firefox since 57.0 and later.
Beta, a version on this channel can get say nine to twenty builds though fourteen is about norm. The current Beta build on Beta channel is Fx 70.0b14
Developer Edition now days is basically same as Beta but with additional developer features.
The Nightly channel is the most unstable as it gets two checkins so two updates each day. This can lead to issues until they fixed, finished or reverted. This development channel is meant more for Devs and Testers and not regular Firefox users in mind. Do keep the Firefox (Nightly builds) install and Profiles separate form the Firefox Release and Profile used if you were to try.
ESR is more for enterprise users in mind so they do not have to test new major versions every so often on many systems. The current is Fx 60.9.0esr and Fx 68.1.0esr. However once Fx 70.0 and Fx 68.2.0esr are Released the old 60.0 ESR branch will be EOL. ESR only gets security and allowed stability fixes and not new features to keep things stable.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-esr-release-cycle https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/choosing-firefox-update-channel
As you are new to Firefox the best option is to use Firefox Release channel builds from www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/
Quote: The current Beta build on Beta channel is Fx 70.0b14
That is not really true. The Beta update channel is currently in RC (release candidate) build 2 state to prepare for the actual Firefox 70.0 release.
Developer Edition is currently 71.0b1