Chrome extensions are small pieces of software that can add features, or change the way you interact with your browser. Extensions can help make your browsing experience much better, more secure or easier. It also enables you to get better at productivity. However, with hundreds of thousands of extensions out there, it’s hard to find the most useful one. So, we made it simpler for you by creating a list of the 11 most useful Chrome extensions of 2023.
Related: 15+ Useful Google Chrome Tips and Tricks For PC
Google Chrome Extensions (Top Picks):
There are plenty of Chrome extensions that can improve your web browsing experience. Here’s a list of the best in various categories, to help you get more done, faster.
- Hover Zoom+
- Full Page Screen Capture
- LastPass
- Stylish
- CrxMouse Gestures
- Adblocker Plus
- Blur
- HTTPS Everywhere
- Fast Delete Facebook™ Messages
- TickTick
- Custom Cursor
1. Hover Zoom+
Price: Free
Hover Zoom+ is an excellent extension for Google Chrome that allows users to zoom in on any part of the web page by hovering the mouse cursor over it. This extension has been developed by a team of developers at D&L Company and was first released in 2014. It has gained popularity and is now used by more than 300,000 people worldwide. It can be used on any website that has HTML content, including YouTube and Facebook. The Hover Zoom+ chrome extension provides a simple way to zoom in on any part of the web page with just one click. However, it can be better with a few software tweaks here & there.
Highlights:
- Zoom Anywhere on a Web Page
- Lightweight
- Easy to Use
2. Awesome Screenshot
Price: Free, Premium
Awesome Screenshot is a free Google Chrome with the ability to capture screenshots and record device screen in many different designs with the most powerful tools. It can record videos at a very high-quality resolution up to 4K and save them directly into the cloud or local storage where you want. Moreover, it has features like 1-click screenshot, Annotate & share a Screenshot, Record both screen and camera at once, etc. It’s free, but only for a hundred screenshots only. Once you completed the quota, you will need to buy a professional or basic premium plan.
Highlights:
- Screenshot and Screen Recorder both in one.
- Highly Customizable
- Ads-free UI
3. LastPass
Price: Free, Premium
Have you remembered all your passwords? LastPass is an extension that allows you to store all your passwords in one place. You can store social media passwords, payment cards, addresses, notes, etc in an encrypted vault. It also offers a password generator and a security challenge to make sure that your passwords are as strong as possible.
The free version of the app does not allow you to share passwords with other people or import any existing data from other password managers like 1Password or Dashlane. The paid version costs $12 per year, but it has additional features like unlimited sharing of passwords, priority tech support, and access to the mobile app on iOS or Android devices. However, Lastpass offers 30-day access to all premium features.
Highlights:
- 30-day free trial access to premium
- Auto-fill passwords
- Highly-secured server
- Fingerprint login
- Two-factor authentication
4. Stylish
Price: Free
Stylish chrome extension is a free browser extension for Google Chrome that allows you to customize your browsing experience by adding themes, colors, and fonts. You can also choose from various pre-installed themes or create your own. Stylish chrome extension is created by the Stylish team which consists of designers, developers, and product managers who are passionate about creating beautiful user experiences. You can customize any website (Google, YouTube, Reddit, etc) in multiple styles within a single click. Moreover, it also allows you to create your own CSS styles and apply to the websites.
Highlights:
- Web tools for computer nerds
- Hundreds of thousands of styles
5. CrxMouse Gestures
Price: Free
If you want more out of your mouse instead of only scrolling up/down and clicking over the links, this Chrome extension is for you. CrxMouse Gestures enables tons of super useful gestures that you can perform with your mouse or touchpad. It increases your productivity with tons of useful features like gestures, super drag, wheel gestures, rocket gestures, and more. This extension allows you to do web tasks more quickly than ever before. It’s 100% free and also ad-free.
6. Adblock
Price: Free, Premium
Frustrated by annoying ads? Adblock is a really simple Chrome extension with the ability to block ads from any website. It works on many popular websites including Youtube, so you can watch videos without any ad interruptions. Along with that, Adblock prevents third-party trackers from tracking your browsing activities. But, there are some websites that won’t allow you to use adblocker, so in this case, you can filter those URLs or buy the pro version. The Adblocker plus version gives tons of more features such as distraction control, block site notifications, stop floating videos, hide newletters, hide survey requests and more.
Highlights:
- Ad-free Websites
- Distraction Control
- Premium plans
- Prevent online tracking
7. Blur
Price: Free, Premium
Like LastPass, Blur is a password manager extension for Chrome, but with more features & tools. Aside from storing your passwords in a safe encrypted place, it can also generate strong passwords for your social media or other platforms in a single click. It prevents websites from collecting data and block online tracking including cookies. Blur also works with iPhones, Android, and iPad flawlessly.
Highlights:
- A Strong Password Generator
- Encrypted Vault
- Cookies Blocker
8. HTTPS Everywhere
Price: Free
The HTTPS Everywhere extension encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure. The extension is a project of the non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Tor Project and is available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Android.
In September 2014 Google announced that it would start to mark HTTP sites as “not secure” in its Chrome browser. This warning aims to encourage users to change from HTTP to HTTPS sites so that the information they send isn’t intercepted by someone else who can view sensitive data like passwords or credit card numbers. HTTPS Everywhere is an extension that will automatically redirect you from an insecure site to a more secure site if one exists. It will also notify you when a website you’re visiting doesn’t have encryption
This extension can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store and is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android.
9. Fast Delete Messages
Price: Free
As a Facebook messenger user, I can certainly feel what it’s like to delete hundreds of chats and messages one by one. Here’s a Chrome extension called ‘Fast Delete Messages‘ that has the ability to delete chats and messages in just two clicks. Unfortunately, that’s all this extension can do.
10. TickTick: Chrome Extension
Price: Free, Premium
The TickTick Chrome extension is an automation tool that was created to help people manage their time more efficiently. It has a timer, a to-do list, and a task reminder system. The app can be used as an alarm clock, as well as a way to keep track of tasks for the day. Along with that, you can sync your tasks on multiple devices such as Android & iOS devices, which means you don’t have to worry about re-save the content again. The TickTick Chrome extension is available for free through the Chrome Web Store.
11. Custom Cursor
Price: Free
Custom Cursor Chrome extension is a browser extension that changes the default browser cursor to an animated one. It was developed to make browsing more fun and interactive. There are more than 100 cursor styles you can use inside the web browser. This Chrome extension can be used for various purposes, such as:
– Adding a personal touch to your browsing experience
– Celebrating a holiday or event with your cursor
– Fun and interactive way of browsing the internet
This extension weighs only about 2 MB.
Custom Cursor is a Chrome’s extension that allows you to change the cursor style and color
Bonus #1. Picture-in-Picture Extension (by Google)
Price: Free
Picture-in-Picture Extension (by Google) is a Chrome extension that allows users to watch videos on YouTube in a small window while browsing the internet. It is a great way to multitask and watch videos that are not as engaging as you would want them to be. You can access it using keyboard shortcuts or from the extension’s icon in the top right corner. In PiP mode, you can adjust the height and width of the window. This extension has helped millions of people with their video watching habits.
Bonus #2. ZenMate Free VPN
Price: Free, Premium
ZenMate VPN chrome extension is a free and simple-to-use VPN service that encrypts your internet connection. It also blocks ads, trackers, and malicious websites. ZenMate VPN chrome extension has a large number of users from all over the world. It is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera browsers and it’s available for Windows, MacOS and Linux operating systems.
The service is fast, secure and easy to use. It offers unlimited bandwidth without any data caps or restrictions on speed or traffic volume. You can easily switch to different servers among 2000 locations across the world.
Conclusion
The Chrome extensions are undoubtedly the most used and most useful ones. The extensions are used to change the look and feel of webpages, to access blocked content, to edit images, videos or text in a webpage, to save webpage content for offline use. I hope you like this article. If you have any questions or queries you can ask me in the comment section below.
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