Browser extensions that pay for their keep
Most extensions are clutter with permissions. A short list of the ones that genuinely earn their place in your toolbar.
By Ada Renner · 2026-07-02
The browser is where the work day actually happens, which makes it the highest-leverage software you own. A few well-chosen extensions upgrade all of it — and every extra one slows it down.
Worth their slot
- A password manager — the single biggest security and speed upgrade available.
- uBlock Origin — pages load faster and cleaner; your CPU will thank you.
- A read-later tool — rescue articles from tab purgatory.
- A tab manager — one click collapses forty tabs into a list.
Audit ruleTwice a year, remove anything you haven't used in a month. Every extension is code with access to your browsing — fewer is safer and faster.