Guide
Chrome vs Edge profile syncing compared
Both browsers are Chromium-based, but their profile and sync models differ in account binding, tab group handling and favourites. A side-by-side comparison.
Last reviewed 4 September 2026
Same engine, different account model
Chrome and Edge are both Chromium browsers, so profiles work the same way underneath: a directory per profile, isolated cookies, its own bookmark tree. The differences are in which account a profile binds to and what that account's sync covers.
Side by side
| Chrome | Edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile binds to | Google account | Microsoft account, personal or work/school |
| Bookmarks are called | Bookmarks | Favourites |
| Syncs across your devices | Yes, per account | Yes, per account |
| Syncs between two of your profiles | No | No |
| Tab groups | Yes, saved per profile | Yes, plus Collections as a separate feature |
| Managed by an employer | Via Google Workspace policy | Very common via Entra/Intune policy |
Collections are not favourites
Edge's Collections feature looks like a bookmark alternative but is a separate store with its own sync path. Content you put in a Collection is not in your favourites tree, so a tool that syncs favourites will not see it. Decide which of the two is your system of record rather than half-using both.
Work accounts change the picture
Edge is far more likely than Chrome to be running under a managed work or school account, where extensions, sync categories and even profile creation can be governed by policy. If an install is blocked, that is the administrator's decision, and the answer is to ask them rather than to look for a workaround.
Running both browsers
A common real-world setup is Edge for a corporate environment because it is mandated, and Chrome for everything else. Neither browser's sync will ever bridge them. A cross-profile extension treats a Chrome profile and an Edge profile as equal participants, so one shared folder can exist in both — Edge profile sync and Chrome profile sync cover the setup on each side.
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Keep reading
Edge profile sync
Microsoft Edge ties each profile to one account. Braid Sync shares chosen favourites and tab groups across Edge profiles, and with Chrome.
Chrome profile sync
Chrome syncs each profile to its own Google account, never between them. Braid Sync adds shared bookmarks and tab groups across Chrome profiles.
How profile syncing works
What a browser profile stores, what native sync moves, how merge and conflict resolution behave, and why deletions are the hard part of any sync system.
Cross-profile sync
Native sync stops at the account boundary. Braid Sync shares selected bookmarks and tab groups between separate browser profiles on the same machine and beyond.