Best Browser Extensions to Maximize Your Productivity
If you’re looking for a way to boost your productivity, cut out distractions, and get more stuff done during the workday, we’ve got just the ticket. For this article, we’ve handpicked a selection of browser extensions that can significantly increase your productivity if used correctly.
To make things easier, we’ve also included a link to each extension’s download page, so you can immediately install them on any Chromium-based browser, like Google Chrome or Brave. Many of the extensions in this list are are also available on Edge, Safari, Firefox, and Opera, but Chrome users can rest assured that everything below is definitely compatible with your browser.
Todoist
Todoist is basically a to-do list on steroids, and while it’s certainly not the only extension of its kind, it’s easily one of the most popular options for folks looking to better organize their time. The extension lets you create and manage tasks and projects for yourself, though you can also share them with others, including friends, family, or co-workers.
The extension features an attractive dashboard that includes progress information presented as charts. Todoist can be synchronized across your devices, too, enabling you to quickly review outstanding tasks wherever you are. The creators of Todoist claim that its extension will help you end each day in a position to “rest, relax, and recharge for tomorrow.” ToDoist for Chrome browser.
Momentum
Momentum doesn’t mess around. And it doesn’t let you mess around, either. Right when your browser’s start page opens, Momentum hits you with the message: “Good morning, what is your main focus for today?” This prompts you to immediately consider what’s most important for you to get done that day.
Typing in your main goal for the day adds it to your to-do list, which is accessible via a button at the bottom right of the page. New tabs that you open not only remind you of your main goal for the day, but also include relaxing images to calm your mind and inspirational quotations to keep you motivated. Momentum for Chrome browser.
BlockSite
BlockSite promises to help you “stop procrastination once and for all.” If you’re a skilled time waster and BlockSite’s lofty claim elicits a self-satisfied snicker, then take note — the huge popularity of BlockSite suggests it may well help you out. Setup includes adding websites to your block list so that BlockSite knows when to step in to stop you from straying from important tasks.
The extension also includes a Focus Mode timer feature that lets you control your schedule using the Pomodoro Technique, a method that encourages greater productivity by helping you break up your tasks into intervals — often of 25 minutes — followed by a short break to relax and recharge. Focus Mode also briefly opens the door to your blocked sites before prompting you to get back to work. BlockSite for Chrome browser.
Noisli
Noisli is a neat little extension that uses sound to create a pleasant environment, whether you’re working, studying, or simply trying to relax. The audio tracks are drawn mostly from nature and include birdsong, falling leaves, rainfall, wind, and waves. Other options include a whirring fan, coffee shop chatter, and the gentle hum of a train ride.
You can choose to listen to a single sound or take a moment to create your own soundscape (don’t waste too much time on it, though!) using two or more of the available tracks. If you’re happy with your creation, you can save it for repeat plays. Noisli also offers its own playlists comprising premade combinations of particular sounds. For more variety, the extension also features a “random” button. Noisli offers Pro and Business versions for a small annual fee, but the free offering should suffice for most people. Noisli for Chrome browser.
OneTab
OneTab’s focuses is in its name: One tab. If your usual workflow involves opening numerous browser tabs, you’ll know how crazy it can get when they start to cram together at the top of the screen. This handy extension helps by holding all of your open tabs in a single tab. Click on it and you’ll get a drop-down list of everything you have open, with details of each page easily visible. Simply click on the desired tab to go straight to the page. The creators of OneTab claim the extension can save as much as 95% of your web browser memory because it’s designed to only use a single tab. OneTab for Chrome browser.
Workona
Workona is a more feature-rich version of OneTab that may better suit some users. This powerful tool endeavors to lower your stress levels by helping you organize and manage your work on the web. Workona offers a suite of features, including workspaces that let you keep a group of related tabs inside a single folder for easy access. You can create multiple workspaces for multiple projects, and switch between each one in a single click. When you select a workspace, all of the tabs that it contains will appear at the top of the browser. The extension autosaves these tabs, too, so you never have to worry about losing them.
Workona lets you work by yourself, but you can also hook up with co-workers and share workspaces if you need to collaborate. If you ever find yourself tensing up at the sight of endless tabs on your browser, then Workona can calm you down and put you back in control. Workona for Chrome browser.
Pocket is a popular read-it-later service that can help enthusiastic procrastinators focus on the task in hand. Say you’re researching a topic online and you get distracted by other articles that threaten to take you down a rabbit hole. To stay on task, you can simply send them to Pocket and read them at a more convenient time on any synced device.
The service includes an app and an extension, with the latter allowing you to save a webpage by clicking on the Pocket button in your browser. You can also right click on a link to save it to Pocket. If you’re not already using Pocket, now’s the time to take it for a spin. Pocket for Chrome browser.
Mercury Reader
If Pocket helps you to avoid a massive diversion from the job at hand, then you’ll have more time to deal with articles that you do need to read. However, the articles may be surrounded by all kinds of distractions, potentially causing both your mind and eyes to wander where they shouldn’t. That’s where Mercury Reader comes in.
This extension cleverly strips away all of the extraneous material from a webpage, leaving you with only the text and images connected to the article. A single button or quick keyboard shortcut lets you switch to the simplified view in a flash, with extra buttons allowing you to quickly adjust the font and text size. Mercury Reader for Chrome browser.
LastPass
Endless surveys suggest that people are still using ridiculously simple passwords for their online accounts, or the same password for multiple ones. Both methods risk a whole lot of bother down the road, so why not just use a password manager instead? They make the business of organizing and managing your online accounts so much easier, and mean you no longer have to remember gazillions of passwords or risk your online security by writing them all down.
While there are lots of password managers out there, LastPass is an established and reliable multiplatform option that means from this day forward you’ll only have to remember one password. LastPass for Chrome browser.
Extensity
Now, if you find yourself loading up lots of browser extensions, there may be a time when a website’s performance is impacted by one or more of them, preventing a page from behaving as it should. When this happens, you’ll want to temporarily switch off different extensions until you find the culprit. On the Chrome browser, for example, this is a somewhat cumbersome process involving multiple steps. But with the Extensity, you can turn extensions on and off in two quick clicks.
This is also great for extensions that you only want to use for certain tasks. In other words, you can turn it off once you’re done, thereby reducing the clutter at the top of your browser and preventing any issues that may arise with other websites and extensions. Extensity can also help ease the strain on your computer’s CPU. Extensity for Chrome browser.
Editors’ Recommendations
