Browser extensions have a bad reputation, mostly because of how they operate. Most of them either ask for permissions they don’t need or slow down your browser to a crawl. That’s usually not the case with open-source extensions. The code is out there for anyone to inspect, which keeps things honest. Over the years, I’ve built a set of such add-ons that I simply can’t browse without.

DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection

A privacy upgrade your browser needs

Unless you’re using a privacy-focused browser like Brave, DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection is a must-have. And no, it doesn’t just swap the default search engine in your browser. It blocks third-party trackers, forces sites to use HTTPS whenever possible, and even takes a swing at fingerprinting attempts.

One of its most underrated features is email protection. It gives you a @duck.com alias that strips trackers out of emails. There’s also Duck.ai built-in, which is a private AI chat that’s anonymized by DuckDuckGo and never used to train models. Sure, it’s not as surgical as uBlock Origin when it comes to ad blocking — plenty of people run both — but it offers real peace of mind when browsing on Chrome or Edge.

Bitwarden

Stop reusing passwords, seriously

Password managers offered by browsers are convenient, but there are several reasons to avoid them — especially when you can get something like Bitwarden for free. It’s an open-source password manager that lets you store an unlimited number of passwords for free. It’s available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux, so switching devices isn’t a problem either.

My biggest reason to use Bitwarden, though, is passkeys. Instead of creating passkeys on every device I use, I only have to create them once and can use them everywhere. Bitwarden is a rare password manager you actually use for free. And if you do want extras like 2FA and secure storage, the paid version isn’t expensive either at $1.65 a month.

Vimium

Browse without your mouse

This one’s probably not for everyone, but if you’re someone who loves using keyboard shortcuts, you’re going to love Vimium. It’s a simple extension that helps you navigate the web entirely with your keyboard. Once you install it, the extension basically enables a whole bunch of keyboard shortcuts you can use.

Pressing j lets you scroll down, k scrolls up, x closes the tab, H/J takes you backward and forward in history. These are all case-sensitive, so watch your caps lock. The most killer feature is link hinting. Press f on any page and every clickable element gets a letter overlaid on it. Type the letters and Vimium opens the link in a new tab.

The best part is you don’t have to remember any of these. Pressing ? opens a full list of key bindings. And yes, Vimium doesn’t overwrite your browser’s own keyboard shortcuts, so you can still use those too.

Consent-O-Matic

Never click “accept all” again

Those cookie consent popups have to be the second most annoying thing around the web, right after ads. And they’re largely designed that way on purpose. Most of them try to steer you toward that Accept All button, so sites can collect as much data as possible.

Consent-O-Matic is a simple extension that can help you avoid that. It recognizes cookie banners and automatically fills them out based on your preferences. That means you only need to set your choices once and never think about it again. Heck, you don’t have to do much during the setup because Consent-O-Matic blocks all non-essential data collection by default.

It doesn’t work on every single page on the internet, sure, but it does a pretty decent job while costing nothing.

Tab Session Manager

Never lose a browser session

If you’re the kind of person who keeps 30 tabs open at any given time, Tab Session Manager is going to feel like a lifesaver. It lets you save your entire browser state — all your windows and tabs — and restore them exactly as they were whenever you need them. That means you don’t have to fear shutting down your PC just to keep those tabs open.

You can also name and tag saved sessions, which means you can instantly dive back into your work, research, or social media setup without opening tabs manually. Its auto save feature really seals it. It can save your browsing session at regular intervals so you don’t have to keep saving your sessions as you add or remove tabs.

Dark Reader

Dark mode, everywhere, no exceptions

Sites that don’t support dark mode natively are a dealbreaker for anyone who basically lives inside dark mode. Sure, most browsers let you force dark mode natively, but it often looks weird.

Dark Reader is a free extension that can force almost any site on the internet to show up in dark mode. More importantly, it gives you controls to change things like brightness, contrast, grayscale, and font based on your preference. So yes, you’re not stuck with what you’ve get. The best part is that you can customize these for every site you visit and even set exceptions.