Best Google Chrome Productivity Extensions
The Chrome Web Store has close to 200,000 extensions on offer — do you have the best ones (as of Q4 2022) installed? In this post, we share an up-to-date list of the best Google Chrome productivity extensions, including:
Make 2023 your most productive year yet by exploring the free and paid Google Chrome productivity extensions below.
Best free Google Chrome productivity extensions
1. Adblock Plus
What it’s for: Blocking pop-ups and ads
If you don’t have AdblockPlus installed, go download it. AdblockPlus isn’t a nice to have; as far as Google Chrome productivity extensions go, it’s the one you can’t do without.
AdblockPlus prevents invasive ads, pop-ups, and banners from showing up on your screen, freeing you from distractions while improving your browser speed and protecting your privacy (because, as you can tell, advertisers track you across the internet). Adblock Plus also blocks ads on YouTube so you can watch videos in peace.
Of course, there will be times when you’ll actually want to see the ads or pop-ups on a website you trust — in which case, all you have to disable ad-blocking for that specific page or website. AdblockPlus puts you in control so you can decide when and where you’re okay with seeing offers and alerts.
With tens of millions of users worldwide, AdblockPlus is one of the most popular browser extensions ever. It has a 4.5-star rating on the Google Chrome Web Store based on nearly 300,000 reviews.
Find out more about AdblockPlus
2. StayFocusd
What it’s for: Limiting the time you waste online
Ever waste your time on social media when you should be working? Just kidding. We know you have. The internet has turned us all into addicts. The solution? NOT self-control. As James Clear explains in Atomic Habits, self-control isn’t an effective strategy, at least not long-term.
If you want to spend less time on Facebook, the easiest way to do that is to block your access to it. To quote Clear: “The most practical way to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.”
StayFocusd helps you do just that. Here’s how it works: You make a list of sites you need to stay away from; you set an amount of time (per day) for spending on them. Once you choose your settings, you can’t change them. FREEDOM!
StayFocusd is free and rated 4.5 on the Google Chrome Web Store based on over 7,500 reviews.
Find out more about StayFocusd
3. Bitwarden
What it’s for: Managing passwords
Password managers are essential productivity tools — they help you stay safe, save time, and free up mental space for meaningful work. But can you trust a password manager that’s free to use?
The answer is yes. Bitwarden is open-source software, which means that the source code is available for anyone to review. Third-party security firms and independent security researchers routinely audit the software.
Also, Bitwarden doesn’t store your actual passwords, but encrypted versions that only you can unlock. In other words: it enables password management with zero-knowledge encryption.
Millions of businesses and individuals use the extension, which is rated 4.8 on the Google Chrome Web Store based on over 4,500 reviews.
Like other password managers, Bitwarden has a premium plan, but the free version stands out for offering all of the essentials, including the ability to sync passwords across multiple devices, generate secure passwords, and autofill.
4. Grammarly
What it’s for: Grammar checking and writing
Grammarly is an AI-powered editor that checks your spelling, grammar, and punctuation as you write.
Although there’s a desktop app, the extension for Chrome is way handier — it means you don’t have to copy your content and paste it elsewhere.
With Grammarly for Chrome, you can have your personal editor running in the background and pointing out what needs to improve wherever you’re writing, whether that’s Gmail, Google Docs, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Zendesk. (Grammarly works everywhere you type.)
Rated 4.5 on the Google Chrome Web Store (based on over 40,000 reviews), Grammarly’s free version offers all of the essential features and is hugely helpful for anyone who writes (pretty much everyone).
5. Momentum
What it’s for: Setting a priority for the day
Momentum goes hand in hand with the idea that focusing on one thing at a time is the key to productivity.
This free extension turns every new tab page on your browser into a dashboard that gently reminds you of your day’s priority while helping you stay organized with features such as a to-do list and a list of shortcuts to handy websites. (It also gives you the local weather, which is nice.)
Momentum is rated 4.5 based on approximately 14,000 reviews on the Google Chrome Web Store.
Bonus: TextExpander
What it’s for: Automating repetitive writing
TextExpander (available as a Chrome extension and as a Windows/Mac/iOS app that works anywhere you type) enables you to store text you frequently type as abbreviations that you can “expand” with just a couple of keystrokes. You can use TextExpander for free for 30 days.
Best paid Google Chrome productivity extensions
Although the Chrome Web Store only features free extensions, you can pay to unlock premium features from your favorite apps.
1. 1Password
What it’s for: Managing passwords
Although Bitwarden offers the essentials — access to a secure password vault, autofill, and a password generator — the free password manager doesn’t let you share your passwords with more than one person.
If you need that, you’ll have to pay for a subscription. With over 100,000 business clients including TextExpander, 1Password is the leading enterprise password manager. Their Starter Pack (up to 10 users) costs $19.95 per month, billed annually.
2. Momentum Plus
What it’s for: Improving your focus
If Momentum turns new browser tabs into reminders of what you want to accomplish, Momentum Plus gives you the tools to get there.
These include soundscapes (like “crackling fire” and “peaceful rain”), a Pomodoro timer, integrations with various task management apps (Asana, Trello, Todoist, etc.), metrics (for tracking your progress), countdowns (for counting the days till deadlines or events), world clocks (for converting time zones), and more. Momentum Plus starts at $39.96/year.
Find out more about Momentum Plus
Bonus: TextExpander
What it’s for: Automating repetitive writing
TextExpander helps you write with less typing — a productivity hack that can save you over 30 hours a month. At $39.96/year (for one person), a subscription to TextExpander pays for itself.
Sign up for a 30-day free trial
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Very nice list! Anyone will really find the extensions to the best needs. I use TMetric for time tracking and productivity and am pleased with the results.