Top 10 Chrome Extensions for Productivity
Productivity is not about working harder—it is about eliminating friction. The best Chrome extensions remove small annoyances that add up to hours of wasted time each week. After testing over a hundred productivity tools, here are the ten that deliver the biggest impact with the least overhead.
1. OneTab — Instant Tab Cleanup
OneTab converts all your open tabs into a single list with one click, reducing Chrome's memory usage by up to 95 percent. When you are ready to revisit those tabs, you can restore them individually or all at once. It is the single most impactful extension for anyone who regularly has 20 or more tabs open.
Why it works: It removes the anxiety of closing tabs you might need later, while actually freeing up system resources so your computer runs faster.
2. Todoist for Chrome — Task Capture From Anywhere
Todoist adds a quick-add button to your toolbar so you can create tasks from any webpage. Highlight text, right-click, and add it as a task with context. It syncs across all your devices, supports due dates, labels, and priorities, and integrates with dozens of other tools.
3. StayFocusd — Block Distracting Websites
StayFocusd lets you set strict daily time limits on time-wasting websites. Spend your 10 allotted minutes on Reddit, and the site is blocked for the rest of the day. The extension is intentionally difficult to disable once active, which is exactly the point.
Pro tip: Set it up on a Sunday evening for the week ahead, when your willpower is high. Trying to configure it during a moment of weakness leads to overly generous limits.
4. Momentum — A Focused New Tab Page
Momentum replaces your new tab page with a beautiful dashboard showing your main focus for the day, a to-do list, and an inspirational quote. It sounds simple, but seeing your top priority every time you open a new tab is a surprisingly effective nudge.
5. Toggl Track — Effortless Time Tracking
Toggl Track adds a timer to your browser that integrates with tools like Asana, Trello, GitHub, and Google Docs. Click to start tracking, click to stop. Over time, the data reveals where your hours actually go versus where you think they go. The insights are often eye-opening.
6. Workona — Workspace-Based Tab Management
Workona organizes your tabs into workspaces—one for each project, client, or area of your life. Switch between workspaces without losing your place. It also includes a cloud backup of your tab sessions, so a browser crash never means lost work.
For more tab management options, browse our tab management extensions category.
7. Grammarly — Write Better, Faster
Grammarly checks your writing across every text field in your browser—emails, Slack messages, Google Docs, social media posts. The free version catches grammar and spelling errors. Premium adds tone detection, clarity suggestions, and plagiarism checking.
Time saved: About 5-10 minutes per email if you tend to re-read and second-guess your writing. That adds up to hours each week.
8. Boomerang for Gmail — Email Scheduling and Follow-Ups
Boomerang for Gmail lets you schedule emails to send later, set follow-up reminders if you do not get a reply, and temporarily pause your inbox to eliminate distraction. The "Respondable" AI feature even scores your email's likelihood of getting a response.
9. LastPass / 1Password — Never Waste Time on Passwords
1Password auto-fills your login credentials across every site, generates strong unique passwords, and stores sensitive information securely. The time savings from never clicking "Forgot Password" again is substantial, and the security benefits are even more important.
Compare all options in our privacy and security category.
10. Dark Reader — Reduce Eye Strain
Dark Reader generates dark mode for every website, reducing eye strain during long work sessions. It intelligently inverts colors while preserving images and videos. If you work at night or in low-light environments, this extension directly impacts how long you can work comfortably.
Quick Comparison Table
| Extension | Primary Benefit | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| OneTab | Tab cleanup | Free | Tab hoarders |
| Todoist | Task capture | Free / Premium | Task-driven workers |
| StayFocusd | Distraction blocking | Free | Easily distracted |
| Momentum | Focus dashboard | Free / Premium | Visual thinkers |
| Toggl Track | Time tracking | Free / Premium | Freelancers and teams |
| Workona | Tab workspaces | Free / Premium | Multi-project workers |
| Grammarly | Writing quality | Free / Premium | Heavy email and doc writers |
| Boomerang | Email productivity | Free / Premium | Email-heavy roles |
| 1Password | Password management | Paid | Everyone |
| Dark Reader | Eye strain reduction | Free | Night workers |
How to Build Your Productivity Stack
Do not install all ten at once. Start with the one that addresses your biggest bottleneck. If you waste time on distracting sites, start with StayFocusd. If you drown in tabs, start with OneTab or Workona. Add one new extension per week and evaluate whether it genuinely saves you time.
Remember that every extension uses memory and adds complexity. The goal is fewer, better tools—not more tools. Check out our curated best lists for deeper dives into each category.