The 10 Most Popular Chrome, Firefox And Opera Extensions
Browser extensions can improve a web browser's functionality significantly. They can improve a user's workflow on the web or add information to the browser that would otherwise not be directly accessible.
When you look at popular extensions you will notice that they differ considerable between browsers. The most popular Firefox extensions for instance are all about ad blocking, security, downloading and web development, while Chrome users like ad blocking, lookup extensions, notifiers and extensions that simplify day to day surfing.
Simplifying day to day surfing extensions are also making the top list of Opera extensions along with adblocking and notification extensions.
The Top Extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Opera
Lets take a look at the top 10 extensions for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera.
2018 Update
Google Chrome
The Chrome Web Store offers no option to sort extensions by popularity.
Firefox Extensions
- Adblock Plus -- content blocker to block advertisement and other unwanted elements on webpages.
- uBlock Origin -- lightweight content blocker.
- Video DownloadHelper -- download extension to download videos.
- Ghostery - Privacy Ad Blocker -- privacy extension that blocks ads and trackers.
- Adblock for Firefox -- another adblocker for the Firefox browser
- Grammarly for Firefox -- grammar and spell checking extension
- Privacy Badger -- privacy extension by the EFF.
- Adblocker Ultimate -- another ad blocker for Firefox
- Enhancer for YouTube -- tweaks the video streaming site YouTube
- Honey -- improves your shopping experience with coupon suggestions
Opera Extensions
- Adblock Plus -- the popular content blocker for Opera.
- Install Chrome Extensions in Opera -- install Google Chrome extensions in Opera.
- 360 Internet Protection -- checks sites you visit against a database of malicious sites and servers.
- AdBlock -- content blocker for Opera
- uBlock Origin -- another popular content blocker.
- AliTools -- make the most out of shopping sites Gearbest, Banggood and JD.
- Translator -- translate selected text or entire pages.
- Browsec -- tunnels traffic to unlock access to blocked sites.
- Amazon for Opera -- Amazon's official shopping extension.
- FDV Video Download -- video downloader
2012 Listing
The following extensions were popular in 2012. Some are still popular and available while other
Google Chrome
- Adblock - An adblocker for the Google Chrome web browser.
- Google Mail Checker - Notifies you if you have new mail in your Gmail inbox.
- FB Photo Zoom - Zoom photos on Facebook.
- Turn Off The Lights - Improves video watching on the Internet by dimming the rest of the page.
- Google Translate - Translate text on the Internet comfortably.
- Google Chrome to Phone - Send links and other information directly to Android phones.
- IE Tab - Display web pages designed for Internet Explorer directly in Chrome.
- Google Dictionary - View word and phrase definitions directly on the page they appear.
- Evernote Web Clipper - Save things you see on the Internet to your Evernote account.
- Add to Amazon Wishlist - Add items that you see on the Internet to your Amazon Wishlist.
Firefox Add-ons
- Adblock Plus - An adblocker for the Firefox web browser.
- Greasemonkey - Lets you install userscripts in the Firefox browser.
- Personas Plus - Install Firefox skins.
- Download Statusbar - Display downloads more conveniently in the Firefox status bar.
- Firebug - THE extension for web developers.
- Flashgot - Adds download manager integration to Firefox.
- DownThemAll! - A built-in download manager for the Firefox browser.
- NoScript - THE perfect security extension.
- WOT - Know Which Websites to Trust - Displays security and privacy related information about websites before you access them.
Opera Extensions
- Gismeteo weather forecast in speed-dial - A speed dial extension that displays the weather forecast for a selected location
- YouTube WebM Plus - Play all YouTube videos in WebM format without Adobe Flash.
- Facebook Preview - Displays Facebook notifications, unread messages and friend requests inside a Speed Dial Cell.
- Gmail on speed dial - Displays the unread email count in a speed dial slot.
- Photo Tagger - Tag and save images that you find on the Internet.
- SaveFrom.net helper - Download files from Youtube, Rapidshare, Vkontakte und a few dozen other sites.
- Opera AdBlock - An adblocker for the Opera web browser.
- StockTwits - Stock market trending information.
- Reddit on Speed Dial - Displays Reddit karma and notifications in a speed dial slot.
At least one adblocker is among the top 10 in all three browsers. That's however the only similarity you will find. The Opera and Chrome top 10 list no security related extensions, while the Firefox top 10 contains two. Opera is the only browser that offers speed dial / new tab page extensions, and four have made it into the top 10.
Are Chrome users more casual and less into security? Or are Firefox users downloading security related extensions because their browser is not as secure as Chrome?
What's your take on the data?
Sweeping generalization mode: On.
The majority of people who stuck with IE up to 3 years ago were likely less technically aware and security conscious (or adventurous) than those who moved to Firefox, so no surprise that Firefox users still focus more on security and technical/developer addons.
Chrome has a very different user base, poached mainly from the remaining IE users via heavy advertising and a keep it simple philosophy – the average user who only recently left IE probably doesn’t worry too much about security/tech features, they just want browser addons to do useful stuff, especially tighter Google product integration.
Stereotypes, but a grain of truth. Amazed that WOT didn’t make it into the top 10 for Chrome or Opera…
My preferred add-on in Firefox is BarTab.
Here’s a little trick for NoScript users under FF:
When you pop up the list of sites that want to run scripts (and that you can choose to allow or disallow) from the NoScript icon, if you put your mouse cursor over one of those links displayed in the pop-up window and press the middle-click button, you will be taken to a page like the below example that will allow you to check details about the script site before making a decision to allow it or not.
Like this:
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Security and Privacy Info
This service is experimental and far from being complete yet.
Currently it provides links to other resources helping to assess the security and privacy trustworthiness of kontera.com.
* WOT Scorecard about kontera.com
* McAfee SiteAdvisor(r) rating for kontera.com
* Webmaster Tips Site Information about kontera.com
* Safe Browsing Diagnostic on kontera.com
* hpHost Report on kontera.com
We hope to keep adding new tools and features over the time, making trust-based decisions easier for NoScript users.
http://noscript.net/about/kontera.com;kontera.com
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JoJo, now that’s very interesting.
Using here Opera AdBlock and XTranslate; I’m glad with them in Opera. Extensions enhance Browser training.
@ Roy.
WOT isn’t in Opera’s top 10 ecause it isn’t needed.
Quote
“The Opera browser features up-to-the-minute information from leading security agencies on exploits, viruses and phishing scams. When you visit sites on the Web, Opera checks this data in real time and warns you when a site is identified as dangerous. In addition, Opera supports Extended Validation certificates (EV) to provide added assurance and trust for secure websites.”
In fact Noscript isn’t just security extension, but for me it’s second AdBlock, which I mostly use to block scripts from addresses like “ad-something.net” and others not related to domain I’m visiting.
i will add those extensions in the three core browser of avant .