Introduction
Your choice of browser affects your online meeting experience more than you might think. While most modern browsers can join a video call, they differ significantly in their support for advanced features: tab audio sharing, system audio capture, screen sharing quality, and compatibility with AI meeting tools.
This guide compares the major browsers in 2026 for online meeting use, with a focus on WebRTC capabilities that matter for real-time communication.
The Browsers Compared
Google Chrome
Chrome remains the gold standard for WebRTC and online meetings:
- Tab audio sharing: Full support. Chrome can share audio from a specific browser tab, which is essential for AI tools that need to hear your meeting audio without a microphone.
- System audio: Supported on Windows and ChromeOS via screen sharing with audio. Limited on macOS (tab audio only).
- Screen sharing: Excellent. Supports sharing entire screen, specific windows, or individual tabs.
- Performance: Strong, though memory usage can be high with many tabs open.
- AI tool compatibility: Best-in-class. Most AI meeting tools are optimized for Chrome first.
Best for: Users who want maximum compatibility with AI meeting tools and tab audio sharing.
Microsoft Edge
Edge shares Chrome’s engine (Chromium) and inherits most of its capabilities:
- Tab audio sharing: Full support (same as Chrome).
- System audio: Same capabilities as Chrome.
- Screen sharing: Excellent, with additional integration with Microsoft Teams.
- Performance: Generally comparable to Chrome, sometimes better on Windows due to OS-level optimizations.
- AI tool compatibility: Very good. Most Chrome-compatible tools work identically in Edge.
Best for: Windows users, especially those already in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox takes a different approach with its own rendering engine:
- Tab audio sharing: Not supported. Firefox cannot share audio from a browser tab, which limits compatibility with some AI meeting tools.
- System audio: Not supported natively. Users need workarounds (virtual audio devices) for system audio capture.
- Screen sharing: Good, but without audio. You can share screens and windows, but audio sharing options are limited.
- Performance: Good, with lower memory usage than Chrome.
- AI tool compatibility: Limited for tools that require tab audio. Microphone-based tools work fine.
Best for: Privacy-focused users who primarily use microphone-based tools.
Apple Safari
Safari has improved its WebRTC support but still has limitations:
- Tab audio sharing: Not supported.
- System audio: Not supported.
- Screen sharing: Basic support. Works for sharing screens but with fewer options than Chromium browsers.
- Performance: Excellent on macOS, with strong battery efficiency.
- AI tool compatibility: Limited. Many AI meeting tools don’t fully support Safari.
Best for: Mac users who prioritize battery life and don’t need advanced audio sharing features.
Arc Browser
Arc, built on Chromium, inherits Chrome’s capabilities:
- Tab audio sharing: Full support (same as Chrome).
- System audio: Same capabilities as Chrome.
- Screen sharing: Full Chrome-level support.
- Performance: Good, with unique workspace and tab management features.
- AI tool compatibility: Excellent — functionally identical to Chrome for WebRTC.
Best for: Users who want Chrome’s compatibility with a more modern interface.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Safari | Arc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tab audio sharing | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| System audio | Partial | Partial | No | No | Partial |
| Screen sharing | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Basic | Excellent |
| WebRTC support | Full | Full | Full | Good | Full |
| AI tool compatibility | Best | Very good | Limited | Limited | Excellent |
Why Tab Audio Sharing Matters
Tab audio sharing is a relatively recent browser capability that’s becoming increasingly important. Here’s why:
When you join a meeting in a browser tab (Zoom web client, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams web), the meeting audio plays in that tab. With tab audio sharing, another tool can capture that audio directly — without needing your microphone and without any echo or background noise.
This is particularly useful for:
- AI transcription tools that need clean audio
- Real-time suggestion tools like LiveSuggest that process meeting audio to provide contextual help
- Accessibility tools that provide live captions
Without tab audio sharing (Firefox, Safari), you’re limited to using your microphone, which captures room noise, your own voice echoing back, and may not pick up remote participants clearly. For a deep dive into how tab audio sharing works technically and its limitations, see our dedicated article on tab audio sharing explained.
Recommendations
For the best AI meeting tool experience: Use Chrome, Edge, or Arc. These Chromium-based browsers offer full WebRTC support including tab audio sharing.
If you’re on macOS: Chrome or Arc are your best options. Safari lacks tab audio sharing, which limits AI tool compatibility.
If privacy is your top concern: Firefox is excellent for general browsing, but consider using a Chromium browser specifically for meetings where you want to use AI tools.
For mobile meetings: Both Chrome (Android) and Safari (iOS) support basic meeting participation, but advanced features like tab audio sharing are desktop-only.
Conclusion
Your browser choice directly impacts what AI meeting tools can do for you. If you regularly use or plan to use AI-powered meeting assistance, a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, or Arc) is the safest choice in 2026. Firefox and Safari work well for standard meetings but fall short when advanced audio sharing is needed.