Google's Chrome web browser has developed into an interesting competitive browser that brings several new features to the table that Firefox does not including better security thanks to its multi-process system and speed thanks to its faster engines. But there are also elements that Firefox is currently having the advantage with the most important being one add-on support. Many Firefox users have grown accustomed to some add-ons which is one of the reasons why they are not making the switch to Google Chrome, or any other browser.
This situation is slowly changing with the release of the Google Chrome extensions repository, an official website hosted by Google that lists extensions for the web browser. Not all extensions are listed on the page however like streaming media downloaders who are not allowed according to the terms of service. Users can however find them on other websites that review and publish Google Chrome extensions.
The listing below looks at popular Firefox add-ons and tries to locate equivalent add-ons for the Google Chrome web browser. Many Firefox users have lots of add-ons installed but consider only a few indispensable.
Adblocker
- Adblock Plus is the add-on for blocking advertisement in Firefox. Some users prefer NoScript which adds a lot to the security of the web browser. These two add-ons are the most downloaded at the Mozilla website.
- Google Chrome does not offer an equivalent to NoScript which is unfortunate. The closest to NoScript is Flash Block which blocks flash content from being loaded. It does however not block other script languages like JavaScript.
- It looks brighter when it comes to ad blockers for the Google browser. Popular choices are AdThwart which supports multiple filter lists to block advertisement on the Internet or Adblock which tries to port the Adblock Plus extension to the Chrome web browser.
Verdict: Adblocking works well in both web browsers thanks to add-ons. Missing something like NoScript on the other hand is a big minus in the eyes of users who want that functionality in the Google Chrome web browser.
Security
- Last Pass is the most popular password manager for the Firefox web browser. It comes with a lot of features that includes secure password generation, form filling profiles, an online vault to access the passwords from locations where the extension is not installed, automatic logins and more.
- The developers of Last Pass have created a Google Chrome extension that is offering the same functionality as the Firefox add-on.
Verdict: The fabulous password manager Last Pass is available for both web browsers. NoScript on the other hand is missing.
Downloads
- A myriad of download managers and add-ons are available for the Firefox web browser. Two of the most popular add-ons to download videos and other media are Video DownloadHelper and Flash Video Download. Both add-ons are compatible with hundreds of websites and make it very comfortable to download videos and other media from the Internet.
- The official Google Chrome extension repository does not list streaming media downloaders and there are only a few listed on third party websites. Get Flash sounded promising but it turned out that the extension was not working properly during tests. Maybe it gets fixed. Most developers seem to concentrate on downloading Youtube videos. Ease Youtube Video Downloader is one of the extensions that works well.
- Firefox offers many download manager add-ons like Down them all or Flashgot.
- There does not seem to be a comparable extension yet for the Google Chrome web browser
- Imagehost Grabber is a popular Firefox image downloader that supports many different image and photo hosts.
- There does not seem to be a comparable extension yet for the Google Chrome web browser
Verdict: Google Chrome loses points in this category. There is no working universal downloader available for the web browser and no integrated download manager as well.
Web Development
- Firebug is an indispensable add-on for web developers. It can be used to edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page.
- Firebug Lite is available for Google Chrome. The web browser does offer a comparable build in feature that is not as sophisticated called the developer tools.
Verdict: Firebug Lite should be sufficient for most web development tasks. It is on the other hand tot a deal breaker as web developers usually work with multiple web browsers anyway
Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter are highly popular. Both web browsers support userscripts which provide enhancements and changes for most social networking sites. There is not really a need for extensions or add-ons to deal with those issues.
Verdict
This comparison is obviously limited as it is near to impossible to cover all bases in such a review. Google Chrome is on a good way but is not offering that many add-ons that Firefox is. Several popular add-ons have not been ported or developed for the Google Chrome web browser including NoScript or a capable download extension to download videos, images and other media from the Internet. It is likely that these add-ons will eventually make their way to the web browser which should be initiative enough to make the switch or at least give the web browser a first (or second) chance to see how it fares against Firefox.
Which extensions, besides the ones mentioned in this post, are currently not available for Google Chrome as well? Let us know which you would like to see ported to the Chrome web browser.
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