Firefox is an exceptional browser, and its quality surpasses what current market shares suggest. Before Google Chrome and its Chromium engine dominated the market, Firefox held a much stronger position. It was one of the best alternatives to the unpopular Internet Explorer in the early days of the Internet (I remember those times!). Although Firefox has lost some users, it remains a popular choice among browsers.
Firefox is available across various platforms, so no matter what operating system you use, Firefox can be an option. In addition to its excellent tab management, Firefox stands out as one of the best browsers on the market.
Unfortunately, Firefox often gets overlooked. However, those who know its features understand its value. If you’re unsure about using Firefox, its strong extensions feature might convince you to switch. Speaking of extensions, Firefox was one of the first browsers to offer extensions that could change how it works and add more features. Google Chrome continued this idea, which started with Firefox, although the early extensions were simpler.
In this guide, we list 7 great extensions to improve your experience with Mozilla Firefox. Feel free to add your suggestions at the end of the article. The extensions make this open-source browser even better, helping with my daily tasks and increasing security and efficiency. Each of these extensions is free to install and use, adding extra functionality to the browser.
1 – uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin is the top content-blocking extension for Firefox, with over 7 million downloads. While some think of it as just an “ad blocker,” it does much more.
uBlock Origin blocks ads, trackers, coin miners, pop-ups, prefetching, and more. It uses different lists of known threats, including:
- EasyList (for ads)
- EasyPrivacy (for tracking)
- Peter Lowe’s Ad server list (for ads and tracking)
- Online Malicious URL Blocklist
- uBO’s list
You can add more lists if needed, but the default setup works very well.
If I could only add one extension to Firefox, it would be uBlock Origin. I think it’s so valuable that it should come pre-installed. These days, browsing online can feel risky for your privacy and security. uBlock Origin significantly reduces those risks and makes browsing safer.
2 – Privacy Badger
Privacy Badger is a strong extension that blocks hidden trackers, complementing the wide protection of uBlock Origin. What makes Privacy Badger unique is its ability to learn as you browse, identifying trackers based on their actions rather than relying on preset lists.
This extension also includes these privacy-boosting features:
- Automatic Opt-Out: Privacy Badger automatically opts you out of data sharing and selling.
- Link Click Tracking Removal: It stops platforms like Facebook and Google from tracking the links you click.
When used with uBlock Origin and Firefox’s built-in security features, Privacy Badger enhances your browsing security significantly. Together, they not only block intrusive ads and trackers but also adapt to new threats, ensuring your online activities stay private and secure.
3 – Bitwarden Password Manager
In digital security, using a password manager is essential, and Bitwarden is an excellent choice. It offers many features, like end-to-end encrypted vaults, and works on desktop, mobile, and web platforms.
A standout feature is its Firefox extension. Many avoid password managers, fearing they will complicate their daily routine. Instead, they rely on their web browsers to store passwords, which is much less secure.
The Bitwarden extension for Firefox solves this problem, offering easy logins with the strong security of a dedicated password manager. With this extension, you can:
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- Securely store and autofill passwords: Access your encrypted vault directly from your browser for quick and safe logins.
- Generate strong passwords: Easily create complex, unique passwords for each account.
- Sync across devices: Maintain seamless access to your passwords on desktop, mobile, and web.
By adding Bitwarden to your browser, you boost your security without losing convenience, ensuring your online accounts are protected against breaches and hacks.
4 – Sideberry
Firefox’s default tab management could be better, especially compared to browsers like Opera and Safari, which offer better tab features. But Sideberry is a great extension that makes tab management in Firefox much easier.
Sideberry adds a sidebar to Firefox, making it simpler to manage your tabs. With Sideberry, you can:
- View tabs in a list or tree view: Easily see and navigate your tabs in an organized way.
- Group tabs into folders: Keep related tabs together, making it easier to switch between tasks.
- Customize tab appearance: Change colors and tab titles to make your browsing experience more personal.
- Automatic tab unloading: Save computer resources by automatically unloading tabs you are not using.
Sideberry improves the Firefox experience for users who want better tab management. The only thing I wish Sideberry could do is hide Firefox’s default tab bar, but even without this feature, it is still a powerful tool for managing tabs.
5 – ClearURL
Have you ever tried sharing a link, only to find it cluttered with a long string of unnecessary characters? These extra characters often include tracking elements, linking look like this:
In reality, the essential part of the link for a vinyl copy of Rush’s “Moving Pictures” album on Amazon is just this:
This is where the ClearURLs extension comes in. It automatically removes these tracking elements from the URL, leaving you with only the necessary, clean link. This makes sharing links easier and enhances your privacy by removing tracking information.
With ClearURLs, clicking on a link ensures that all tracking bits are stripped away, presenting you with a cleaner, more efficient URL. This extension is a must-have for anyone concerned about privacy and simplicity when sharing links.
6 – Dark Reader
Dark Reader is a popular browser extension that “forces” a dark mode for websites. This extension changes the background and text colors to create a dark theme, which is easier on the eyes, especially at night. By default, Dark Reader works well with most websites. However, if you find that dark mode makes a website hard to read or unattractive, you can change the color, contrast, brightness, and grayscale settings to your liking.
You can also enable Dark Reader on specific websites and keep it off for others. You can create a list of sites where you want dark mode to be on or off. Dark Reader is an open-source project that respects users’ privacy. You can learn more about it on its GitHub page or download the add-on to try it out.
7 – ScrollAnywhere
ScrollAnywhere is a handy browser extension that mimics the scrolling behavior of smartphones. With this tool, you can use your mouse button to click and drag anywhere on a webpage to scroll, just like you would tap and flick your finger on a smartphone.
This extension makes it easier to navigate long pages or large documents by allowing more intuitive and flexible scrolling. It’s especially useful for users who prefer the smooth, fluid motion of mobile scrolling on their desktops or laptops.
Explore more features and enjoy smoother browsing with ScrollAnywhere!
Conclusion
Firefox stands as one of the best browsers available. You may be tempted to keep Google Chrome or other newer and fancier alternatives like Vivaldi or Opera GX. However, if you’re looking for alternatives, try this old dinosaur from the internet and add these convenient extensions to improve your experience.
