Browser Extensions That Are Actually Worth Installing in 2026

[Diane82]

Browser extensions range from genuinely useful to privacy nightmares dressed up as convenience. The extension ecosystem has also changed as browsers have tightened permissions and Manifest V3 changes have affected what extensions can do. Some beloved extensions no longer function the way they did. Others have improved. New ones have appeared.

What extensions are you running? Which ones have you removed after deciding they weren't worth the permissions they required? Which ones would you miss immediately if they stopped working?

[Piston]

Bitwarden extension makes password management seamless. Auto-fill that works correctly across sites. Better than any built-in browser password manager

[QuantumToken24]

Dark Reader for sites that don't have their own dark mode. Customisable. Works on almost everything. Eyes thank you

[WWEHarry78]

SponsorBlock for YouTube. Skips sponsored segments in videos automatically. Community-sourced timestamps. Works remarkably well and saves real time

[Reuben82]

Return YouTube Dislike shows dislike counts that YouTube removed. Simple. Works. Restores useful information the platform deliberately hid

[Glassy Crow]

ClearURLs strips tracking parameters from URLs before you share or visit them. Removes the UTM and fbclid tags that follow you around. Set and forget

[HardyBoy13]

Vimium for keyboard navigation of the browser. Once learned you stop reaching for the mouse constantly. Steep learning curve significant payoff

[BigDog92]

The honest answer is keep extensions minimal. Each one is a potential security risk and a performance cost. Five excellent extensions beat fifteen mediocre ones