This summer marked the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web. While there have been enormous strides forward in Web technology, one advantage of the infant Web was its simplicity. Back then, there was one Web browser; today, there are many choices, mostly thanks to a 2008 lawsuit brought against Microsoft, forcing it to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows, which opened the door to competition.

Browsers today do much more, like offer software apps and personalization tailored to our wishes. Choosing the right browser is not an easy decision. Here’s an overview of the four most popular Web browsers so you can examine the pros and cons for yourself.

Firefox was one of the first alternative browsers, and it’s still widely respected and used. PC Magazine recommended Firefox as the best browser in 2014. Many Mac users also love Firefox for its stability and superior features. Firefox ranks highest for personalization: you can change the way the browser looks to suit your needs and personality. Firefox also has the greatest number of add-ons: apps that add features to your browser, like blocking pop-ups or organizing bookmarks. Its built-in PDF viewer is also useful. Moreover, Firefox is considered to be a leader in browser security and privacy, offering a “do not track” option, which protects browsing data. So what’s not to love? It’s not as fast to load pages as Chrome and it does use more memory, though the 2014 version has improved this shortcoming.

Google Chrome consistently ranks high with both PC and Mac users, including me. It’s known for being the fastest browser, meaning it starts up and loads Web pages quickly and accurately. Its design is clean and intuitive. If you spend more time on the Web than software, Chrome may be the browser for you — it’s designed to work well with Web applications and media. If you use Gmail or Google Drive, you can sync data on any device, including mobile. Chrome is also known as an innovator in Web security. However, there is one major downside to Chrome: privacy. It’s very easy for Google to track your online movements, and you have to be proactive and persistent to disable it. As the leading online ad company, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Google makes it hard to opt out when you’re using its software.

Internet Explorer has come a long way in 2014, issuing major performance updates. However, those new features are not available unless you (pay to) upgrade to the Windows 7 operating system. If you’re still using Windows XP or Vista, you’re using a browser with a lot of flaws. The No. 1 disadvantage is security. Because it has been the top Web browser for years, it’s also the browser most attractive to hackers and spyware. The new version combats many of these bugs, but users using older operating systems won’t benefit. IE is the default browser for Windows, but just because it’s there doesn’t mean you should continue to use it.

Safari ranks high only among iCloud and iPhone/iPad users. Even on a Mac, it’s slow-performing and not compatible with all sites. It’s the only one of the four main browsers to lack a single-click bookmarking tool. If you are a devoted Apple user, the ability to synchronize media and data via iCloud is a nice option, but that’s about the best I can say as an Apple user myself.

In choosing a browser, much depends on how you are getting online, on what device, and using what equipment.

You can install the browser of your choice by downloading it from its website if it isn’t already built into your operating system. Most browsers have a “check for updates” option, and Firefox and Chrome automatically and frequently update for you. It’s not a good idea to turn off automatic updates since browsers are regularly adding security fixes.

By keeping your browser up to date, you can take advantage of the latest innovations and have a safe and fast Web experience, which is something we all want and need in 2014.