Top 9 Must-Have Browser Extensions for Developers

If you are a designer or developer, you probably already have a set of favorite Chrome browser extensions or add-ons that make your life easier, help you get more done, or do an important job better. This list might add to that group.

There are other browsers, but 68.7% of internet users use Chrome. It's not great for privacy (although that’s gradually being improved), but it's great for getting things done!

One cool thing about using Chrome as your main browser is that you can use a lot of add-ons. Browser Extensions for Google Chrome are software made by different people that enhances how your browser works. Even if you aren't a Web Developer, there are thousands of extensions that can help make your time on Chrome easier and more fun.

Here is a hand-picked list of the top 9 browser extensions for developers. Even if you are not a Web Developer, some of these extensions will help you. So, be sure to read the whole post.

What Are Browser Extensions?

A browser extension is a small piece of software that lets you change the way your web browser works.  Most browsers let you add extensions that change the user interface, manage cookies, block advertisements, and script or style web pages in your own way.

A browser extension, also called a plugin or add-on, is a small piece of software that adds new features to your browser. Things like dark mode, spell checkers, ad blockers, and more fall into this category. 

You can do almost anything with a browser extension because they work with the flow of information through your browser like specialized agents.  They might organize your notes, protect you from hackers, or just change how texts look in the browser window. 

Despite their usefulness, some extensions can make you more vulnerable to security problems. Now, don’t panic, especially if you’re a developer. Here are the best 9 Google Chrome extensions for developers:

1. Web Developer: Developer Tool Extension

With over 1 million active users on the Chrome web store, the web developer extension is an add-on that every web developer should have.  The web Developer will add a button to Chrome's toolbar.  When the button is clicked, a list of tools that can be used on any website is shown.  These are put together by category (like CSS, forms, images, etc.) and let developers do things like changing the size of the browser window, highlighting images without alt attributes, turning off JavaScript, looking at a page's Meta tag information, check a page's HTML, and so on.  It has a lot of options for each category, like CSS, Disable, Cookies, Images, Forms, Outline, Information, Miscellaneous, and Resize.  Just install it, and you'll be surprised by how much information you can get about a site.
 

2. Marmoset: Extension for Code Generation

With Marmoset Chrome extension, you can make nice screenshots of your favorite website’s codes with just one click.  It can be useful for designing Portfolio websites or posting on social media.  You can add effects and themes to create images for your online portfolio and advertising.  From this list of chrome browser extensions, the Marmoset extension is one that both developers and graphic designers should have.

3. Sessions Buddy: Extension For Managing Tabs

Sessions Buddy is the most popular session manager on this browser extension list.  With this browser add-on, developers can manage and organize all open tabs in one place.  If the Chrome browser crashes, the developers can easily bring back any open tabs.  They can also export the tabs in a number of formats that are good for documents, blog posts, emails, etc.  In addition to showing sessions in order of when they happened, developers can easily rename older sessions and group tabs together so that they can be easily relaunched by topic.  You can find what you're looking for in open or saved tabs by using search functions.

4. Clear Cache: Extension For Clearing Cache

It is always important for a web developer to clear the browser's cache.  The Clear Cache Chrome extension can quickly clear the cache and other browsing data with one click.  You can change it in a number of ways.  On the options tab, you can choose how much data you want to delete, such as file systems, downloads, app cache, history, form data, passwords, local storage, and so on.  Right now, there are 14 things you can delete from your browser.  This Chrome browser extension works "behind the scenes," and the best part is that it doesn't bother you with any confirmation dialogs or popups.
 

5. LastPass

Imagine having to remember 100 different website usernames and passwords.  LastPass helps with this.  LastPass is a password manager that lets you keep all of your passwords in one safe place.  Your master password is the only thing you need to remember.  This password lets you get into the vault where all of your usernames, emails, and passwords are kept.  

6. React: Extension For Developer Tools

React is an extension or plugin for Chrome DevTools that gives a website or web page access to the open-source React JavaScript library. This extension for the Chrome browser lets you check a React tree, which is made up of the component hierarchy, state, props, etc.

7. ColorZilla: Color Picker Extension

ColorZilla is one of the most popular color picker Chrome extensions for developers. It has been around for more than eight years. It is the best eyedropper and color picker extension for web developers to use today.  The most popular Firefox developer extensions are now available for the Chrome web browser. These extensions help both graphic designers and web developers with basic and advanced color tasks. It has a webpage color analyzer that lets you determine the color of any pixel on any website.  The extension also keeps an index of the most recently chosen colors.

8. Page Ruler: Size Checker Extension

Page Ruler is one of the most important Chrome extensions for developers. This Chrome extension can help you quickly figure out the exact size and placement of any element on a website.  With the help of the Page Ruler chrome extension, a ruler image can be drawn on the screen.  This makes it easier to look at each element and measure its height, width, and position.

9. Ghostery: Extension For Security

Ghostery is a powerful, open-source browser extension for security and privacy.  It has a built-in ad blocker that gets rid of annoying ads and other junk on a website. Ghostery Chrome Extension protects your data and stops third-party websites from tracking it. Its page speed optimizer and booster keep your browsing experience smooth and uncluttered.

Conclusion

Browser Extensions are effective tools for everyone, not just developers. They can make working and creating things a lot easier and more enjoyable. Ensure you download these chrome browser extensions because you never know when you might need one of them.

Although there are thousands of Chrome web extensions already, there are still many problems you can solve for developers by developing browser extensions for developers. You can visit our site to hire the best freelance developers for your business needs. Visit our site today.