Microsoft Edge in 2025: Performance, Privacy, and Security Challenges

Microsoft Edge has positioned itself as a modern, Chromium-based browser with ambitions to rival Chrome and Firefox. Yet, as 2025 unfolds, a wave of research and user feedback reveals that Edge still faces significant challenges—especially in performance, privacy, and security.

Performance and Resource Management

Edge's new memory-limiting feature was designed to help users control RAM usage, but it often leads to increased tab reloads and discards when thresholds are exceeded, disrupting workflows. Users also report high CPU usage from excessive tabs, extensions, or even malware, sometimes forcing manual restarts or the use of third-party optimization tools. Performance bottlenecks in default configurations require users to disable features like Efficiency Mode and hardware acceleration to mitigate lag. Despite these tweaks, persistent memory leaks mean frequent cache clears and extension management are still necessary.

Privacy and Data Collection

Edge's closed-source code and telemetry data collection have eroded user trust, even as Microsoft offers settings to limit tracking. InPrivate mode fails to block diagnostic data collection, raising ethical concerns about default privacy practices. The Edge Privacy Whitepaper reveals complex privacy settings and opaque data-sharing policies, making it difficult for users to control their personal information.

Security Vulnerabilities

Security remains a moving target. In February 2025, critical vulnerabilities (like CVE-2025-21408) enabled remote code execution and data theft, requiring urgent updates. Edge's reliance on Chromium means that zero-day exploits in the V8 engine can leave users exposed until upstream patches are applied.

Compatibility and Developer Experience

For developers, Edge's inconsistent CSS support across versions complicates cross-browser testing. DevTools bugs—such as high CPU usage and unresponsive sessions when debugging React or Angular apps—remain unresolved, often due to WebView2 integration issues. Edge also underperforms Chrome in desktop WebAssembly execution, limiting compute-intensive app performance.

Extension and Ecosystem Challenges

Edge's extension ecosystem is growing, but high-memory extensions can degrade page load speeds, prompting Microsoft to trial automated performance alerts. Users continue to report lag and instability even with minimal tabs open, especially when running resource-heavy creative apps.

Enterprise and Institutional Limitations

In educational and enterprise environments, Edge's performance issues disrupt online exams and assessments, forcing institutions to find workarounds. Built-in diagnostic tools flag errors but lack automated fixes, increasing developer workload.

The Road Ahead

Microsoft Edge's evolution in 2025 is marked by both innovation and persistent gaps. Performance instability, privacy trade-offs, security reliance on Chromium, extension overhead, and enterprise integration gaps all remain pressing issues. For Edge to truly compete, Microsoft must address resource management, transparency, and developer tooling to align the browser's capabilities with user expectations.