The 10 best Chrome extensions of 2023

The Google Chrome browser has literally thousands of extensions available, and they can do everything from blocking ads to improving your productivity. These are software programs that add new features or functionality to your Chrome browser. They’re usually free to use and readily available in the Chrome Web Store. Whether you’re a seasoned Chrome user or you’re just getting started, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best Chrome extensions currently available.

Best, in this context, is very subjective. The vast majority of extensions are specific to certain tasks, and most users would have no need for them, but some people would use that extension almost exclusively. It’s all about personal preference and need. For example, I have half a dozen extensions that relate specifically to my role at Android Authority, but they’re unlikely to enhance your life much. Similarly, the Google Translate extension is one of the most used ones, but mainly by people who need to translate between languages on a frequent basis.

We’ve stuck with some of the most popular Chrome extensions that have broad appeal, so it’s unlikely that you won’t find something on this list that won’t complement your internet activity in some way. You’ll also note that there are no AI extensions on the list, at least for now. There’s already an AI extension for almost anything, so if we included one, we’d have to add them all. If you’re inclined to seek AI assistance, you’ll have no trouble finding them.

Editors note: These were our pick of the Chrome extensions at the time of publication. We’ll be sure to keep this list updated as and when other extensions are deemed worthy of mention.

LastPass is one of the most popular password managers on the market, and it has a very useful Chrome extension to boot. Chrome comes with its own password-storage features, but LassPass has a slew of advanced functionality. For example, LastPass offers two-factor authentication, password sharing, and a wider range of supported devices.

Adding the Chrome extension is one of the quickest ways to access LastPass when one of your passwords is needed. The free tier of LastPass is limited to one device, but if you do all of your browsing from your PC or laptop anyway, it’s a must-have security option.

There are a ton of top ad-blockers available as Chrome extensions, but our pick from personal experience is Ghostery. I’ve been using it for years and love how much cleaner it makes my browsing experience while making it easy to allow certain elements to display via the intrusive interface of the extension. It blocks ads, trackers, and other privacy-invading elements from third-party domains on websites as well as providing information about the trackers that it blocks so you can see what data is being collected about you and make informed decisions about your privacy.

Trust me on this one — once you’ve got used to having the Grammarly Chrome extension installed, you won’t believe there was a time when you were browsing without it. The spelling and grammar checker gently highlights any mistakes you’ve made or ways your text can be improved. From professional writing like this article to firing off emails in your non-writing job, it keeps your prose accurate and orderly. That’s on the free version, but a Grammarly Premium subscription also offers generative AI technology, as well as advanced recommendations for things like tone, clarity, and vocabulary. It’s actually highlighting how I could have phrased that last sentence better as I write this one, but it’s my servant, not my master.

All the coolest websites have a dark mode, as our toggle in the top right of your screen on our site will attest. But not all sites have that option yet, and Dark Reader fixes this. The popular Chrome extension transforms bright webpages into dark themes, providing the reader with a comfortable and visually pleasing alternative while browsing. This extension also allows users to adjust brightness, contrast, grayscale, and other settings according to their preferences, and there are options to ignore specific websites or apply dark mode only to certain web pages.

Ever feel like you have to bookmark a load of sources or make lists of URLs containing interesting info that you didn’t have time to absorb? The Pocket Chrome extension is an easy and convenient way of capturing articles, videos, or other content you come across on the web. By hitting one of the three quick shortcuts when you find a page of interest, Pocket will collect the source and store it for you, ready to be accessed from any of your devices when you have a bit more time later. You can easily tag, organize and search your curated content, and Pocket can even help you discover new stories that might interest you based on what you’ve saved.

I used Loom for the first time this year, and it’s a game-changer. It allows you to capture your screen, webcam, or both simultaneously, along with audio narration, to create videos. Mine was for a rather dry purpose, but I could record myself performing a technical process on my desktop and explaining what I was doing at the same time. 

The extension means you can start recording in a few clicks, and Loom provides various options to customize your videos, including adjustable camera sizes, microphone settings, and video quality. Once you’ve recorded your video, Loom offers a range of sharing options, such as generating a unique link or directly embedding it in emails, documents, or websites. Loom also allows you to download your videos and store them locally. If you need to record a presentation, tutorial, or customer support issue, it’s a really handy extension to add to your browser.

Momentum transforms every new tab into a personalized dashboard with inspiring quotes and backgrounds as well as task reminders and other productivity tools to help you stay focused. You can create a to-do list, set daily goals, and track your progress right from your new tab page. It also provides a built-in weather widget, which displays the current weather conditions and forecasts for your location. You can personalize the background images with your own photos or choose from a curated collection, and you can also customize the dashboard’s layout, font, and colors to create a visually appealing and personalized experience.

I’m an obsessively organized person, so seeing someone with 40 tabs open on Chrome is enough to induce mild anxiety in me. I’d advise them about the OneTab Chrome extension, which lets you reduce all of your open tabs into a clean list in just one click. You can then either restore them all at once or one by one as you need them. Not only does this massively reduce the clutter on your browser, but it can also free up a huge amount of memory in your laptop or PC.  Some people assume that browsing the web doesn’t take much memory but find it can become a sluggish experience. You probably just have too many tabs open, and OneTab addresses this. The privacy of your tabs list is also assured, although you can choose to share them if you wish.

We’re all guilty of a bit of procrastination when we’re meant to be doing something productive. StayFocusd is designed to keep us on track by setting specific limits and restrictions on your browsing activities. You can create personalized blocks and time limits for websites that tend to consume your time and attention. Once the time limit is reached, StayFocusd will prevent you from accessing those websites, effectively curbing procrastination and promoting productivity. You can even schedule periods of the day when certain websites should be off-limits entirely, like preventing yourself from accessing Twitter during working hours. It also includes a Nuclear Option that allows you to block all websites, except those on your designated allowed list, for a specified period of time.

Our final extension is a gift to shoppers. The Honey extension actively scans the web for valid coupon codes and discounts as you shop on supported websites. With a simple click of the ‘Apply Coupons’ button during checkout, Honey automatically tests and applies the best coupon codes available for your purchase. This eliminates the hassle of manually searching for codes and ensures that you never miss out on potential savings. The list of supported sites is vast and includes many of the biggest retailers. The extension also offers a useful feature called Droplist, which allows you to track the price history of specific items. You can set price alerts and receive notifications when the price drops, helping you make informed purchase decisions and catch the best deals.