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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.
Lets take a look at the top 10 extensions for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera.
Google Chrome
The Chrome Web Store offers no option to sort extensions by popularity.
Firefox Extensions
Opera Extensions
The following extensions were popular in 2012. Some are still popular and available while other
Google Chrome
Firefox Add-ons
Opera Extensions
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?
Ghacks is a technology news blog that was founded in 2005 by Martin Brinkmann. It has since then become one of the most popular tech news sites on the Internet with five authors and regular contributions from freelance writers.
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 .