Absolutely-Essential Browser Extensions - Nov 2024

GruvPuddles6 appsUpdated Nov 25, 2024

These are the browser extensions I install on every browser I use or try, beit Chromium-based or Gecko/Firefox-based.

Mostly Privacy & Adblocking, and all pretty surface level. While simple, theyre as important as they are basic

(Last updated on 24/11/2024)

1
Bitwarden
Like
Open-source password manager with AES-256 encryption and device sync. Store and access encrypted logins across platforms like iOS and Android.
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Password Manager
Authenticator
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Apple Watch
Snapcraft
Microsoft Edge
Vivaldi
Google Chrome
Flathub
Microsoft SQL Server
Tor Browser
Safari
F-Droid
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Flatpak
Cloudron
Docker
Opera
Chocolatey
Mono
Brave
AppImage
Mozilla Firefox
OpenAPK
+11
GruvPuddles’s note
BY FAR the best password manager on the market. Outragously generous free-plan, unlimited passwords, more-than-adequate password generator, support for passkeys.. I could go on.

If you aren't using a password manager, please, give bitwarden a try. It's the easiest way to have an extra layer of security when surfing the web.
2
AdGuard
Like
AdGuard is the best way to get rid of intrusive ads and online tracking, and to protect your computer from malware. Make your web surfing faster, safer and more comfortable with AdGuard!.
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Ad Blocker
Privacy Tool
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
HUAWEI AppGallery
iPad
Microsoft Edge
Vivaldi
Google Chrome
Samsung Galaxy Store
Safari
F-Droid
Android TV
Yandex Browser
Opera
Mozilla Firefox
+4
GruvPuddles’s note
Ublock Origin was my go-to for a very long time, but since deploying AdGuard on my router, the AG extension is my primary adblocker. I use it less for literal adblocking, and more to ensure the network-level adblock is working as intended.

If you aren't using a similar setup, uBlock, uBlock Origin or uBlock Lite are also excellent options.
3
SponsorBlock
Like
SponsorBlock is an open-source crowdsourced browser extension to skip sponsor segments in YouTube videos. Users submit when a sponsor happens from the extension, and the extension automatically skips sponsors it knows about.
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Ad Blocker
Privacy Tool
Platforms
Mac
iPhone
iPad
Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Safari
GruvPuddles’s note
An absolute godsend for youtube; auto-skipping of sponsored segments, intro/outros, and other annoyances - generated via user-submitted timestamps. As of writing (25/11/2024) it estimates to have saved me 52minutes of playtime in the ~6 months of use.
4
Violentmonkey
Like
Violentmonkey provides userscript support for Chrome, Opera, Maxthon and Firefox supporting most scripts for Greasemonkey and Tampermonkey.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Userscript Manager
Platforms
Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
GruvPuddles’s note
Opensource User-Script manager, with handy search functions for the website you're currently visiting. Being able to import from a zip file makes backup super simple as well. If not for any other reason, the lil monkey icon is damn cute ??
5
Tos;DR (Terms of Service; Didn't Read)
Like
"Terms of Service; Didn't Read" (short: ToS;DR) is a project started in June 2012 to help fix the "biggest lie on the web": almost no one really reads the terms of service we agree to all the time.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Privacy Tool
Platforms
Mac
Online
Android
iPhone
Microsoft Edge
Vivaldi
Google Chrome
Safari
F-Droid
Tor
Opera
Brave
Mozilla Firefox
iPad
+16
GruvPuddles’s note
Super-simple way to get a rundown of a websites Terms of Use, making it easy to decide which websites/companies to avoid. At this point, it's no secret that 99.9% of us don't read lengthy T's&C's, so this is the next-best thing.
6
Raindrop.io
Like
Store bookmarks with related content, organize thematically with real-time collaboration and privacy focus, offering web clipper and cloud sync.
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Bookmark Manager
Read It Later Tool
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Microsoft Edge
Vivaldi
Google Chrome
Safari
Yandex Browser
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Opera
Mozilla Firefox
+5
GruvPuddles’s note
Though I'm certainly notr "married" to using Raindrop - it's been the most cohesive and feature-packed bookmark managers I've found.. it's good (great, even) but I still can't help but use the browsers in-built bookmark function for some reason ??