--- title: What a developer browser extension is and which ones are worth installing | daily.dev description: Pick one extension per job—UI, performance, repo workflow, front-end inspection, or reading—with 9 recommended tools and install tips. canonical: https://daily.dev/blog/what-is-a-developer-browser-extension/ og:type: article og:url: https://daily.dev/blog/what-is-a-developer-browser-extension/ og:title: What a developer browser extension is and which ones are worth installing | daily.dev og:description: Pick one extension per job—UI, performance, repo workflow, front-end inspection, or reading—with 9 recommended tools and install tips. og:image: https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--vP0t7tDO--/f_auto,q_auto/v1/recruiter-landing/6aa35c82c5072cdcadb59295_1789093797763_d1b0987ee3?_a=BAMAMiB80 og:site_name: daily.dev og:locale: en_US article:published_time: 2026-09-11 article:modified_time: 2026-09-11T02:55:37.094Z article:author: Daniela Torres twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev twitter:creator: @dailydotdev twitter:title: What a developer browser extension is and which ones are worth installing | daily.dev twitter:description: Pick one extension per job—UI, performance, repo workflow, front-end inspection, or reading—with 9 recommended tools and install tips. twitter:image: https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--vP0t7tDO--/f_auto,q_auto/v1/recruiter-landing/6aa35c82c5072cdcadb59295_1789093797763_d1b0987ee3?_a=BAMAMiB80 --- **You do _not_ need a dozen browser add-ons.** I’d keep it simple: pick **one tool per job** across **5 main use cases** - UI debugging, performance/accessibility checks, [GitHub](https://github.com/) workflow, front-end inspection, and developer reading. In this article, I’d say a developer browser extension is just a browser add-on that helps me build, test, inspect, or debug faster. The list covers **9 picks**: **[daily.dev](https://daily.dev/), React Developer Tools, Lighthouse, Web Developer, Vue.js devtools, Redux DevTools, Octotree, ColorZilla,** and **Wappalyzer**. It also explains the split between **toolbar/new-tab tools** and **DevTools panel tools opened with F12**. Before I install anything, I’d check 3 things right away: - **Does it match [how you choose your tech stack](https://daily.dev/blog/ive-made-up-my-mind-i-know-how-to-choose-my-next-tech-stack)?** React, Vue, Redux, CSS, GitHub, or news - **Was it updated lately?** Old extensions can break - **What permissions does it ask for?** Network and code access need extra care A few facts stand out: - **daily.dev** pulls from **2,000+ sources** - Its [Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/) rating is listed as **4.8/5 from 2,900+ reviews** - **Lighthouse** scores pages from **0 to 100** - The article groups tools into **5 categories** and reviews **9 extensions** If I had to sum up the article in one line, it would be this: **install fewer extensions, but make each one solve one clear problem.** ## Quick comparison ::: @figure {9 Best Developer Browser Extensions Compared} | Extension | Main job | Best for | | --- | --- | --- | | **daily.dev** | Developer reading feed | Keeping up with articles and discussions | | **React Developer Tools** | React component inspection | Props, state, and render checks | | **Lighthouse** | Page audits | Performance, SEO, and accessibility | | **Web Developer** | Page inspection | CSS, layout, and rendered-page checks | | **Vue.js devtools** | Vue debugging | Component tree and store inspection | | **Redux DevTools** | Redux state tracking | Action logs and time-travel debugging | | **Octotree** | GitHub navigation | Browsing large repos | | **ColorZilla** | Color picking | UI QA and design checks | | **Wappalyzer** | Stack detection | Seeing what a site runs on | **My takeaway:** this is a practical guide for choosing the right browser extension by job, not by hype. ## What a developer browser extension is A developer browser extension adds coding, debugging, or workflow tools to your browser. There are **two main types** to pay attention to. **General-purpose developer extensions** usually sit in the toolbar, a popup, or the new tab page. They help with day-to-day tasks like formatting JSON, spotting a site's tech stack, or pulling in developer news. **DevTools extensions** work inside the browser's DevTools panel. You open them with **F12**, and they let you inspect component trees, state, and props as your app runs. | Type | Where it lives | What it does | Example | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Productivity and news | New tab page or toolbar | Curated technical content | [daily.dev](https://daily.dev) | | Framework debugging | DevTools panel (F12) | Inspect state, props, components | [React Developer Tools](https://react.dev/learn/react-developer-tools) | | Utility and inspection | Toolbar popup or page overlay | Identify tech stacks or inspect CSS | [Wappalyzer](https://www.wappalyzer.com) | | API and data | Page overlay or network tab | Format and test API responses | [JSON Formatter](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/json-formatter/bcjindcccaagfpapjjmafapmmgkkhgoa) | That split makes it easier to judge which tools are worth installing. From there, the next section breaks extensions into the main types based on the job they do. ## The main types of developer browser extensions Once you know what a browser extension does, the next step is to group tools by the job they solve. Developer extensions usually fall into five job-based categories. **Framework and UI inspectors** help you debug component state and props. [React Developer Tools](https://react.dev/learn/react-developer-tools) is the main example. **Performance and accessibility auditors** run checks against your page. [Lighthouse](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/overview/) covers performance, SEO, and accessibility in a single audit. **Workflow and repository helpers** add GitHub navigation and workflow shortcuts. [Octotree](https://www.octotree.io/) is a solid example. **Design and front-end utilities** deal with the visual side of development. [ColorZilla](https://www.colorzilla.com/) lets you pick and inspect colors directly from any page. **Learning and reading tools** turn the new tab into a curated feed of developer content. These categories can overlap a bit, but they make picking the right tool much easier. Once you have the categories mapped out, the next step is matching them to your stack. ## How to choose the right extension for your stack Use these categories to cut down your shortlist. A simple rule helps: pick **one extension per job**. That usually means a framework inspector, [audit and code checking tools](https://daily.dev/blog/checker-js-tools-a-comparison), and a workflow helper. Start with your framework. If you build in React, [React Developer Tools](https://react.dev/learn/react-developer-tools) is the clear pick. If you use Vue, [Vue.js devtools](https://devtools.vuejs.org/) handles the same job for that ecosystem. Before you install anything, check the extension store's **last updated** date. For open-source tools, look at recent GitHub activity too. Then review the permissions. If a tool can access network traffic or source code, it should be open source and open to public review. | Integration style | Typical use | Privacy risk | | --- | --- | --- | | DevTools panel | Framework inspection, performance audits | Low | | New tab or UI modifier | News, GitHub enhancements | Low to medium | | Network access | Modifying headers or cookies | High | | Popup or page overlay | Quick style audits | Medium | Also, line up browser support with the stack your team uses day to day. Some extensions work only in Chrome and Edge. Others run across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. That detail matters more than it seems. A tool is no help if half the team can't use it. With those filters in place, the list below starts with a productivity extension, then moves into framework, audit, and utility tools. ## 1\. [daily.dev](https://daily.dev) [daily.dev](https://daily.dev) turns your new tab page into a personalized feed for [dev resources](https://daily.dev/blog/dev-resources-top-community-picks), tutorials, and discussions from more than 2,000 sources, including [GitHub Blog](https://github.blog), [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com), and [dev.to](https://dev.to) [\[1\]](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/dailydev-developer-news-d/jlmpjdjjbgclbocgajdjefcidcncaied)[\[2\]](https://github.com/dailydotdev/daily). That puts it squarely in the learning and reading camp. It works on Chrome and Edge. (If you prefer Mozilla, there are specific [Firefox enhancements for developers](https://daily.dev/blog/firefox-enhancements-for-developers) as well.) What helps it stand out is the community side. Developers can upvote posts, leave comments, and join topic-based Squads for React, AI, or DevOps. So you’re not just getting machine-picked stories. You’re also seeing what other developers think is worth your time. The free plan comes with the personalized feed, Squads, bookmarks, and search. It also has a 4.8/5 rating on the Chrome Web Store from 2,900+ reviews [\[1\]](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/dailydev-developer-news-d/jlmpjdjjbgclbocgajdjefcidcncaied). The main trade-off is pretty simple: it replaces your new tab page. For some people, that’s handy. For others, it can pull attention away when they’re trying to focus. If that sounds familiar, pause mode gives you a cleaner start. **Best fit:** developers who want an easy way to keep up with technical updates each day. If you need debugging tools instead of reading tools, the next picks move into framework and audit extensions. ## 2\. [React Developer Tools](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/react-developer-tools/fmkadmapgofadopljbjfkapdkoienihi) React Developer Tools is Meta's official extension for inspecting React apps. For most React work, it's the go-to option for checking component state and render behavior. It adds two panels to DevTools: **Components** and **Profiler**. The **Components** panel shows your React component tree and lets you inspect or edit props and state live. When you select a component, DevTools exposes it as `$r` in the console, which makes quick checks much easier. The **Profiler** panel tracks renders so you can spot bottlenecks and unnecessary re-renders. If a React app feels slow and you can't tell why, this is usually one of the first places to look. It works on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. If you're debugging in Safari or working with React Native, use the standalone `react-devtools` npm package instead. **Best fit:** React and React Native developers who need component, state, and render debugging. If you need performance audits rather than framework debugging, Lighthouse is next. ## 3\. [Lighthouse](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/lighthouse/blipmdconlkpinefehnmjammfjpmpbjk) If you want a broader audit that isn't tied to one framework, [Lighthouse](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/lighthouse/blipmdconlkpinefehnmjammfjpmpbjk) is a solid pick. It checks performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices. It also scores each area from 0 to 100 and points out what failed, so you know where to look next. One nice thing here: **Chrome and Edge already include Lighthouse in DevTools**. No install needed. If you use Brave, you can add the extension. Firefox users can use either the extension or the Node CLI. Because Lighthouse runs locally, it can audit authenticated pages and `localhost` pages that outside tools like [PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/) can't access. It also gives you three audit modes: - **Navigation** for a fresh page load - **Timespan** for tracking interactions over time - **Snapshot** for checking the page's current state Scores can shift from one run to the next. CPU load, browser activity, and other extensions can all affect the result. To get cleaner numbers, run audits in an incognito window and clear storage before each run. Lighthouse works well as a first pass for high-level site checks and Core Web Vitals-related metrics like LCP and CLS, along with TBT. But if you're trying to dig into JavaScript behavior, the Chrome DevTools **Performance** panel is the better tool. That's where you get flame charts and execution timelines. **Best fit:** Front-end developers and teams that want quick, built-in checks for performance, accessibility, SEO, and web best practices while they work on a site. Next, the list moves to broader page-inspection tools. ## 4\. [Web Developer](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/web-developer/bfbameneiokkgbdmiekhjnmfkcnldhhm) For page-level checks after Lighthouse, Web Developer gives you fast browser-side controls. It’s a front-end inspection toolkit for checking layout, CSS, and rendered page behavior without leaving the page. That makes it handy when you want to inspect a page, catch layout problems, and move through HTML and CSS work a bit faster without extra framework baggage. It works best when you need to look at the rendered page directly, especially for HTML, CSS, and layout checks. **Best fit:** Front-end developers and QA engineers who need fast, framework-independent checks for CSS, layout, and rendered output. For framework-specific debugging, the next tools are more targeted. ## 5\. [Vue.js devtools](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/vuejs-devtools/nhdogjmejiglipccpnnnanhbledajbpd) If you work on Vue apps, **Vue.js devtools** gives you a much better view than the rendered DOM alone. Instead of making you dig through HTML, it shows the **Vue component tree**. That means you can see how the app is put together at the component level, which is usually what you care about when you're debugging. It adds its own panel inside DevTools. From there, you can pick a component and inspect things like: - props - state - computed values - store state You can also edit those values live, which makes testing a lot less painful. The [Pinia](https://pinia.vuejs.org/) and [Vuex](https://vuex.vuejs.org/) tabs add extra debugging features, including **time-travel debugging** and **event tracing**. If you've ever wanted to step through state changes and see what happened, this is where the tool starts to pay off. One catch: **production builds disable the extension by default for security**. There are also version limits to watch for. **v7+ supports Vue 3 only**, while **Vue 2 needs the Legacy v6 extension**. And if you're on Safari, you'll need the standalone app. If you debug Redux state instead of Vue components, the next tool is Redux DevTools. ## 6\. [Redux DevTools](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/redux-devtools/lmhkpmbekcpmknklioeibfkpmmfibljd) Redux DevTools is the state debugger for Redux-based apps. It logs dispatched actions and shows how each one changes your app’s state, including **which action triggered each update**. Its standout feature is **time-travel debugging**. You can move backward and forward through dispatched actions, which makes logic bugs much easier to track down. If state goes sideways after one action, you can spot the exact moment it happened. There’s one catch: install it only if your app already exposes Redux state. The extension can’t read state on its own. So if your app uses React plus Redux, this is the natural partner to your component inspector. It works in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, and adds its own panel inside DevTools. It’s best for Redux and [Redux Toolkit](https://redux-toolkit.js.org/) apps, and it also fits older Flux setups. Think of it as the **state-side** match for the UI tools above. In React apps, Redux DevTools covers the part that component inspection misses. It pairs nicely with [React Developer Tools](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/react-developer-tools/fmkadmapgofadopljbjfkapdkoienihi): React DevTools shows the component tree, while Redux DevTools shows state changes. ## 7\. [Octotree](https://www.octotree.io/) If you spend a lot of time in GitHub, Octotree can make life easier. It helps you maintain [Git best practices](https://daily.dev/blog/git-best-practices-effective-source-control-management) by making complex repository structures easier to navigate. It adds a file-tree sidebar right inside GitHub, so moving through a repo feels a lot more like using one of the [best free code editors](https://daily.dev/blog/10-best-free-code-editors-for-web-development-2024). It shines in large repositories, where hopping between folders and files can get slow and annoying. ## 8\. [ColorZilla](https://www.colorzilla.com/) For visual QA, ColorZilla lets you sample the exact color from any webpage. That makes it handy when you need to compare a rendered color with the design spec during UI QA. Use it when a color looks off and you want a fast check right on the page. It’s less helpful if you already work inside a mature design system, but it still comes in handy for spot checks during final UI polish. If your next step is figuring out a site’s stack, Wappalyzer is the better tool for that job. ## 9\. [Wappalyzer](https://www.wappalyzer.com/) [Wappalyzer](https://www.wappalyzer.com/) answers a simple question: **what is this site built with?** It detects a site's stack, including CMSs, frameworks, servers, analytics tools, payment systems, and CDNs. Each result comes with a confidence score. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and iOS. Open the popup, and you can see the stack in seconds. You can use it to spot an unfamiliar stack or check whether analytics and CDN changes are live. That makes it a **discovery tool**, not a debugging tool. On SPAs, give JavaScript time to finish loading. Also note that anti-bot protection like Cloudflare can block detection. You can export findings as a CSV too, which is handy when you're documenting the discovery phase of a project. Use the table below to compare it with the audit and debugging picks. ## Quick comparison table Here’s a side-by-side look at the main tools, grouped by the job they handle. If you want a fast way to compare what each one does, this table makes it easy. | Extension | Primary job | Supported browsers | Integration style | Best use case | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **[daily.dev](https://daily.dev)** | Personalized news feed for developers | Chrome, Edge | New tab feed | Keeping up with articles, tutorials, and discussions | | **[React Developer Tools](https://react.dev/learn/react-developer-tools)** | Component and state inspection | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | DevTools panel | Debugging React component trees and render behavior | | **[Lighthouse](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/lighthouse/blipmdconlkpinefehnmjammfjpmpbjk)** | Performance, accessibility, and SEO auditing | Chrome, Edge, Firefox (CLI) | Built into DevTools | Running site audits against Core Web Vitals and best practices | | **[Web Developer](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/web-developer/bfbameneiokkgbdmiekhjnmfkcnldhhm)** | Page-level CSS and layout inspection | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Toolbar popup | Framework-independent checks for HTML, CSS, and rendered output | | **[Vue.js devtools](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/vuejs-devtools/nhdogjmejiglipccpnnnanhbledajbpd)** | Vue component and state debugging | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | DevTools panel | Inspecting Vue component trees, props, and store state | | **[Redux DevTools](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/redux-devtools/lmhkpmbekcpmknklioeibfkpmmfibljd)** | Redux state and action debugging | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | DevTools panel | Time-travel debugging of Redux state changes | | **[Octotree](https://www.octotree.io/)** | GitHub repo navigation | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari | Sidebar overlay | Browsing large repositories with a file-tree view | | **[ColorZilla](https://www.colorzilla.com/)** | Color sampling and inspection | Chrome, Firefox | Toolbar popup | Checking rendered colors against design specs during UI QA | | **[Wappalyzer](https://www.wappalyzer.com/)** | Tech stack detection | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, iOS | Toolbar popup | Identifying frameworks, CMSs, analytics tools, and CDNs on any site | A quick pattern stands out here. Some tools live inside **DevTools** and help with debugging, like **React Developer Tools**, **Vue.js devtools**, and **Redux DevTools**. Others sit in a toolbar or sidebar and help you inspect pages, scan tech stacks, or move through repositories faster. That split matters. If you're fixing state bugs, a DevTools panel is usually where you want to be. If you're checking colors, reviewing layout output, or figuring out what a site runs on, a lightweight popup or overlay often gets the job done with less friction. ## Related reading on developer news and community If you want to look past browser extensions, these guides zoom out to developer reading habits as a whole: [Best tech news apps for developers](/blog/best-tech-news-apps-for-developers) and [Best developer news aggregators compared](/blog/best-developer-news-aggregators-compared). dev.to is a place where developers write and publish original posts. daily.dev, on the other hand, is where many of them go to read hand-picked technical content from sources like dev.to, GitHub Blog, Hacker News, and [freeCodeCamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org/). ## Conclusion Pick tools based on the job you need done, not the buzz around them. That keeps your browser lean and makes each extension worth having. Tie every extension to a clear need in your current stack. 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