Chromium vs Chrome: What Google Adds - and Which One You Should Use

Chromium is the open-source code Chrome is built from - the browser Google hands you adds codecs, Netflix DRM, automatic updates and a direct line to your Google account.

Chrome and Chromium logos side by side, with a magnifying glass over code lines marking open-source and proprietary parts

Those additions are why Netflix plays in Chrome and not in Chromium.

They are also why Chrome reports more back to Google than Chromium does.

Short answer: most people are better off with Chrome, or Brave for privacy, while raw Chromium suits developers and anyone happy to update it by hand.

The Quick Comparison

Feature	Chromium	Chrome
Source code	Fully open	Open base plus closed Google parts
H.264 video and AAC audio	Not included	Included
Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify web player	Will not play (no Widevine DRM)	Play normally
Automatic updates	No, you update by hand	Yes, in the background
Google account sync	No	Yes
Crash reports and usage statistics	Not sent	Sent if you allow them
Extensions	Chrome Web Store	Chrome Web Store
Engine and speed	Same	Same

Chromium Is the Recipe, Chrome Is the Product

Google runs Chromium as an open-source project, so anyone can read its code, change it or build a browser from it. Edge, Brave, Vivaldi and Opera all start from it.

Chrome is what Google makes by adding closed, licensed and account-linked parts on top. Think of Chromium as the recipe and Chrome as the packaged cake - same base, extra ingredients, and a label you cannot fully read.

What Chrome Adds

H.264 and AAC decoders. Licensed codecs that still carry a large share of the video and audio on the web.
Widevine DRM. The copy protection that Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Spotify's web player require.
Automatic updates. Security fixes install in the background and apply when you restart.
Google account sync. Bookmarks, passwords and history follow you across devices.
Crash reports and usage statistics. Sent to Google if you leave that option ticked.
Google services wired in. Features such as sync rely on Google's servers and on keys that Chromium builds do not carry.

Widevine has its own privacy questions - see our look at whether Widevine is spying on you.

The Codec Gap Catches People Out

Official Chromium builds leave out H.264 video and AAC audio decoding for patent-licensing reasons. Royalty-free formats such as AV1, VP9, Opus and WebP work exactly as they do in Chrome, so YouTube mostly plays fine.

The usual symptom is a video with no sound. Windows can often decode the H.264 picture on your graphics card, but the AAC soundtrack has nothing to decode it.

A codec pack will not fix this.

Browsers use their own built-in decoders, so installing a Windows codec pack changes nothing inside Chromium. If you need H.264 and AAC, use Chrome, Edge or Brave.

Privacy: Chrome Sends More, Chromium Is Not Zero

Browser window sending tracking data, usage stats and crash reports to Google, beside a plain browser window marked private browsing

Chrome is built around your Google account. Sign in and it syncs your browsing data, and its crash and usage reports go to Google if you allow them.

Safe Browsing, which is on by default, checks the sites you visit for malware and phishing. Since 2024 the standard mode checks in real time through a privacy server that hides the address from Google, while Enhanced mode shares more.

Chromium sends far less, but it is not Google-free: Google is still the default search engine, and some background services still contact Google's servers. In Chrome, you can turn most reporting off under Settings, Privacy and security.

Updates: Chromium's Real Weakness

Chrome installs security fixes in the background. The official Chromium builds do not update themselves, so you download each new version by hand.

Those builds are snapshots of the code on the day they were made, not tested releases. On Linux, many distributions package Chromium and keep it updated for you, which removes the problem.

An old browser is the bigger risk.

An out-of-date Chromium is more dangerous than an up-to-date Chrome with its data collection. If you choose Chromium, update it at least once a week.

Ad Blockers: Same Rules in Both

Chromium and Chrome share the Chrome Web Store, and most extensions install the same way in both.

The full uBlock Origin no longer runs in either. Chrome dropped the older Manifest V2 extension format, and on 31 August 2026 Google removed the last of those extensions from the Web Store - uBlock Origin Lite is the replacement there, and Chromium shares Chrome's extension code.

Want the full uBlock Origin? Brave still supports it, and so does Firefox.

Speed: No Real Difference

Both browsers use the same Blink engine and V8 JavaScript engine, so pages load at the same speed. Any gap you notice comes from extensions and open tabs, not from the choice between them.

Winners podium with Brave in first place, Chrome second and Chromium third, surrounded by privacy and security icons

Which One Should You Use?

Chrome - for Netflix, sync and updates without thinking about it, then trim its reporting in the privacy settings.
Brave - for privacy without Chromium's gaps: it blocks ads and trackers, plays Netflix and updates itself.
Chromium - for developers, testers and anyone who wants a fully open-source build and will update it by hand.
Chrome Dev - if what you really want is new web features early, with automatic updates still switched on.

Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi are Chromium browsers too - Edge for tight Windows integration, Vivaldi for heavy customisation.

Whichever you pick, clear old cookies and cached data now and then. BleachBit does it across all your installed browsers at once.

Quick questions

Is Chromium the same as Chrome?

Almost. Chrome is Chromium plus Google's closed parts: the licensed H.264 and AAC codecs, Widevine DRM, automatic updates and Google account sync.

Why won't Netflix play in Chromium?

Chromium has no Widevine DRM, which Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Spotify's web player all require. Use Chrome, Edge or Brave for streaming.

Why do some videos play without sound in Chromium?

Official Chromium builds leave out the AAC audio decoder. The picture can still play through your graphics hardware, but the soundtrack has nothing to decode it.

Is Chromium more private than Chrome?

Yes, it sends much less to Google, with no sync and no crash or usage reports. It is not Google-free, though, and running an out-of-date Chromium is a bigger risk than Chrome's data collection.

Does Chromium update automatically?

Not the official builds - you download each new version by hand. Linux distributions that package Chromium do update it for you.

Can I use uBlock Origin in Chrome or Chromium?

Not the full version, which needs Manifest V2 support that Chrome has removed. Use uBlock Origin Lite, or switch to Brave or Firefox, which still run the full extension.

The bottom line

For most people Chrome or Brave is the practical choice, and raw Chromium rewards those who want open code and will keep it updated themselves. Already switched? Tell us which one you picked.