After a few weeks of official teasing (and months of leaks), Microsoft is finally releasing the Edge browser for macOS. This marks a first since the early 2000’s when Microsoft and Apple had a deal to include Internet Explorer as the default browser in OS X.

The new Microsoft Edge browser is now available to download for everyone using a Mac. As opposed t it’s old Windows 10 version, Microsoft decided to use Chromium as the base for the reboot of their controversial browser. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced a partnership with Google to work on the open-source Chromium project meaning there are not two technology giants backing the project, something Mozilla has shown “deep concern” over.

The new browser was released for Windows 10, 8 and 7 a few weeks ago as a preview, with a macOS version promised “Soon™” as is common with Microsoft. Now it’s finally here and ready for everyone to try.

If you’re put off by the browser, thinking it’s just Internet Explorer with a facelift, don’t be. The new browser has received fantastic reception from multiple technology-focused websites and communities and as it is based on Chromium, it should function just as fast and stable as Google’s Chrome does.

The browser also supports installing extensions and add-ons directly from the Chrome Web Store, after flipping a switch in settings. This means that all your favourite extensions should be available without a hassle straight off.

Microsoft has been pushing hard lately for open-source software and has been making radical moves that have shaken the tech world over and over. Moving the Edge browser to Chromium and releasing it on older Windows versions as well as macOS came very unexpected earlier this year.

If you want to give Microsoft Edge for macOS a go, you can find it available for download at this link. Do note that the browser is still in the Canary channel meaning it may be a bit unstable for some users.

What do you think of Microsoft’s recent moves and the browser on macOS? Let us know in the comments below.