9 best Chrome Extensions for Productivity

We spend a lot of time working in our browsers.

If you use Google Chrome, Chrome extensions can do quite a bit to improve your productivity.

Chrome extensions can add functionality to the Chrome browser, eliminating the need to switch between applications. They can also block distractions, and aid in processing the vast amounts of information we consume online.

We've compiled a list of the best Chrome extensions for productivity.

What are Chrome extensions?

If you haven't yet delved into the world of Chrome extensions, you should. They're quite transformative.

Chrome extensions can be thought of as plugins that customize your web browser. While other browsers like Safari also offer extensions, Google's web store indisputably has the most extensive and highest-quality selection of Chrome extensions.

Using them is straightforward - simply click on the icon to activate the extension.

What are the different kinds of Chrome extensions?

The extensions vary in functionality and interface. Some extensions assist with saving money while shopping, others store your passwords, and some even support web development.

In this article, our focus will be on Chrome’s best extensions specifically designed to boost productivity.

How do Chrome extensions boost productivity?

Productivity Chrome extensions typically do one of two things:

Add functionality to a website within the browser, allowing you to accomplish something more efficiently than you otherwise would have.

Block the many distractions that we encounter while using the internet

The Best Chrome Extensions for Productivity

1. Reflect's Chrome Extension

Chrome Web Store Rating: 5/5

We recently launched our new Chrome extension that performs three main functions:

Save website links with the text you highlight to your notes.

Sync bookmarked Tweets with your notes.

Sync your Kindle books and reading highlights with your notes.

You can bookmark websites with a single click using the browser extension icon, or use the ⌘⇧p shortcut. This action will save the link to your notes with basic information pre-populated.

With automatic highlighting enabled, you can then go through and highlight text you want to save. You can also add your own custom descriptions with backlinks and #tags.

In addition, the extension gives you the option to sync your bookmarked (and/or favorited) Tweets, as well as your Kindle library, with all your reading notes.

2. Readwise Highlighter – Chrome Extension for reading notes

Chrome Web Store Rating: 5/5

If you haven't heard of Readwise, it is the go-to tool for avid readers. It allows you to save information and notes from all your readings.

The Readwise Chrome extension acts as a bridge between your web reading and your Readwise account. When you find an insightful article or blog post online, you can highlight important parts. The extension will automatically sync these highlights with your Readwise account.

This functionality means you can seamlessly transfer, organize, and review your digital reading across various platforms. It's a powerful tool that enriches your reading experience and ensures that important information doesn't slip away.

3. Apploye Time Tracker Chrome Extension

Chrome Web Store Rating: 4.9/5

Contractors and consultants often track their work for billing, but it’s a great method to improve productivity.

It’s difficult to know exactly how and where we are spending our time if it’s not tracked. Tracking time on tasks and projects also helps you stay focused on them. You can check the timesheets of team members in a daily, weekly, monthly, or custom date range format. You can check the total time worked on which tasks & projects.

Apploye also lets you add notes to your time slots, view the clock in/out time, and export time reports. Based on the tracked time, it will calculate payroll as well.

4. Fireflies – Chrome extension for meeting notes

Chrome Web Store Rating: 4.3/5

Having AI record meeting notes for you is a magical use case that makes you fall in love with AI. This is precisely what the Fireflies Chrome extension does to increase productivity.

Fireflies uses AI to transcribe your meetings, list key takeaways, action items, and summaries. It can even identify different speakers. The Fireflies Chrome extension allows you to manage your AI meeting assistant directly from your browser.

You can use the extension to schedule the AI to join your upcoming meetings, view transcriptions of past meetings, and access stored notes. All of this can be done without needing to leave your browser or disrupt your workflow.

In conclusion, the Fireflies Chrome extension is a powerful tool for improving productivity and ensuring that important meeting details are captured accurately.

5. Postlight Reader

Chrome Web Store Rating: 4/5

Sometimes you land on a page you want to read – an article, a recipe, etc. – and it’s so cluttered with ads and junk that it’s hard to find the actual content.

The Postlight Reader extension for Chrome removes ads and distractions, leaving only text and images for a clean and consistent reading view on every site.

It even has functionality that lets you adjust font size, send information to your Kindle, and easily share on social sites like Twitter.

6. Loom – Screen Recorder & Screen Capture

Chrome Web Store Rating: 4.9/5

There are many reasons you might want to share your screen – showing a process, demonstrating how to use a product, or just sharing an idea.

The Loom Chrome extension captures your screen and webcam in a single click, then swiftly shares the material using a link.

When you have their extension installed, you don’t have to leave your browser to share whatever it is you are working on.

7. Vimium – keyboard shortcuts for the web

Chrome Web Store Rating: 5/5

Keyboard shortcuts are amazing for productivity. They can take a while to get comfortable with, but once they become second nature it’s a huge productivity hack.

Vimium provides keyboard shortcuts for navigation and control in the spirit of Vim.

It allows you to control and navigate the browser experience without needing to touch your mouse.

8. Toggl Track – track how much time you spend on specific apps

Chrome Web Store Rating: 4.2/5

If you find the idea of planting virtual trees a bit overwhelming, Toggl Track might be a better fit for you. This Chrome extension is a time-tracking tool that integrates directly into Chrome and various popular online apps. It enables you to track the amount of time you're spending on tasks with just one click, eliminating the need to open a separate app or tool.

Toggl Track provides detailed reports right in your browser, assisting you in understanding where your time is spent and identifying opportunities to enhance productivity.

Time tracking in this manner is one of the few ways we can measure productivity in numerical terms. This makes the tool particularly useful if you're aiming to track your productivity against other metrics.

Productivity comes down to how well you can manage and navigate the vast sea of information online. Chrome extensions are powerful tools that can take off the cognitive load of this. You can customize your browser experience to maximize the way you think and work.

Remember that the key to productivity is not just about having the right tools, but also about using them effectively. Test many but stick with only a few. What you do stick to, use consistently.

9. Go Fucking Work – redirect distracting websites to motivational messages

Chrome Web Store Rating: 5/5

Sometimes blocking distracting sites isn’t enough.

Maybe what you really need for productivity is having distracting websites redirected to a motivational, and profane, message.

You can schedule what times you want your sites blocked and unblocked. Any site can be blocked, and you can add “Forever Blocks” to sites you find particularly distracting so that they remain blocked even during your off time.