
85% Firefox Users Use Add-ons, Only 33% Chrome Users Use Extensions - twapi
http://browserfame.com/38/firefox-addon-usage-stats
======
dspillett
Some of the difference will be due to who has moved from FF to Chrome as their
main browser. People who didn't use many or any plugs have less holding them
to FF so will experience less friction from the change, and people who use
specific plugins will stay on FF at least until Chrome has an equivalent
extension.

Also you need to factor in differences in the standard feature sets of the two
browsers. As a developer the first thing I add to a new FF install is Firebug,
but a chunk of that functionality seems to be built-in to Chrome. Some
behavioral differences may explain some of the difference too: if Chrome
already defaults to the behavior someone used an add-in for in FF then they
won't need an extension to tweak the UI.

Further to that people associate FF primarily with add-in flexibility and
Chrome primarily with speed - so this perception divides the audience before
they even have one of them installed and if you a particular _because_ of its
flexible plug-in support and wide range of them available then you are more
likely to be the sort of person that has a few installed than someone who
chose a particular browser specifically for speed.

FYI: I tend to use Firefox more than anything else, but use Chrome/Chromium
for one or two script intensive apps and for its convenient "incognito" mode
(both for when others want to login to their webmail/facebook/what-ever
quickly on my netbook without leaving traces or logging me out of my account,
and for _ahem_ other things).

------
rodh
Firefox is my add-on browser. Chrome is my lightweight browser. If I'm quickly
checking my email I won't fire up firefox, I'll stick with my low-footprint
chrome. If I want to do some web development, or know I'll be spending a while
browsing, I'll use firefox. In other words, the lack of extensions on my
chrome setup is the reason I use it (when I use it)

~~~
muppetman
This is my setup exactly. Chrome is like the sports car, fast as, very zippy,
but isn't all that comfortable.

Firefox is the big, chew-a-lot-of-petrol car with the cruise control, A/C and
big comfortable seats. Takes a long time to get up to speed, but it's good for
the long drives.

~~~
IsaacL
I don't use Chrome extensions. I used to use a lot of FF add-ons, but when I
switched to using Ubuntu over Windows I don't think I reinstalled any apart
from Firebug.

Now I feel like a Luddite, so do you or any HNers have any suggestions for
useful add-ons or extensions that are "good for the long drives"?

~~~
buro9
For Chrome:

Lastpass: <https://rodan.lastpass.com/lpchrome_bin.crx>

Rapportive:
[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hihakjfhbmlmjdnnhe...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hihakjfhbmlmjdnnhegiciffjplmdhin)

Facebook Disconnect:
[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ejpepffjfmamnambag...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ejpepffjfmamnambagiibghpglaidiec)

~~~
furyg3
The two extensions which I can't live without are:

Adblock:
[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjoc...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom)

Readability (Redux):
[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jggheggpdocamneaac...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jggheggpdocamneaacmfoipeehedigia)

And yes, I disable ABP for sites that I visit frequently (who have responsible
advertising).

------
sathyabhat
Chrome numbers are from Dec 2010 as compared to June 2011 in case of Firefox.
I don't think it's valid comparison.

------
sayemm
Mozilla also does a great job at marketing your extensions too. I've built two
Firefox extensions and they're both steadily growing in usage everyday because
of the traffic that's sourced on the Mozilla site and also because it's
frequently displayed in users' add-on manager.

In contrast, my Chrome extension has been pretty static in usage - for me to
see any hikes I'm actually going to have to hustle and market it. Firefox lets
me kick back, be lazy, and helps me with branding it.

------
croddin
It probably doesn't count for all of the difference, but a lot of Firefox
users have Firebug installed, and on Chrome the web inspector is built in.

~~~
markokocic
That's true if by "a lot of" you mean "web developers", which are influential,
by tiny fraction of both Firefox and Chrome user base.

------
whalesalad
Hmm. A lot of you are comparing Chrome and Firefox in a way that many of us
understand... but what I cannot understand is why you'd need any of the
additional stuff. I like Chrome because it's... just chrome. A clear,
transparent, and simple view into the web. I don't need all kinds of crap
cluttering that up, even when I am developing. The Webkit inspector is
terrific. No need to ever fire up Firefox ever.

~~~
baby
Why we need the additional stuff, you mean add-ons? I think the main reason I
won't switch to chrome is that there is no "tree style tab" add-on on it. Puts
all the tabs on the left. I can't browse efficiently without this. I don't
understand why it's not default since it's practical and logical with our new
wide screens.

------
taken11
Firefox Add-ons are also way more powerful than Chrome extensions. Chrome
extensions are more like Greasemonkey scripts

~~~
rsoto
and glorified bookmarklets.

Seriously, you can see the differences of the API installing the Web Developer
Toolbar on both browsers. If you get used to work with it on Firefox and
switch to the Chrome's version you'll notice you are missing some tools. Even
basic ones-- like deleting cookies.

------
grandalf
Firefox users have had more time to accumulate extensions b/c they haven't
switched to Chrome yet, which would reset the count to zero until they
accumulated some for Chrome.

~~~
icebraining
The Chrome API isn't as powerful as Firefox's (which isn't surprising,
considering Firefox itself uses the same infrastructure (JS + XUL) offered to
extensions).

For example, I doubt Vimperator/Pterodactyl is possible on Chrome, and that's
a killer feature for me.

~~~
jokermatt999
Pentadactyl. Not trying to be a pedant, just trying to help if someone wanted
to find it.

There are actually sort of similar addons for Chrome. Vimium has the keyboard
navigation, but the full command line and customization is completely gone.
It's basically just for keyboard navigation, and last time I checked, that was
a little weird with Chrome's focus models (something about hitting escape and
it working with my muscle memory; I don't recall exactly).

~~~
icebraining
>Pentadactyl. Not trying to be a pedant, just trying to help if someone wanted
to find it.

Right, thanks!

>There are actually sort of similar addons for Chrome. Vimium has the keyboard
navigation, but the full command line and customization is completely gone.
It's basically just for keyboard navigation, and last time I checked, that was
a little weird with Chrome's focus models (something about hitting escape and
it working with my muscle memory; I don't recall exactly).

Yeah, I use much more than that. I've "installed" a Vimperator script to
control NoScript in the Command mode, I use quickmarks, macros and the :js
command with interactive tab completion is very useful.

------
mailarchis
Just a thought. maybe this is an indication that Chrome is reaching out to
more mainstream crowd (Read - non geeks non techies). An average user just
wants to google search, check emails, facebook, read stuffs on internet and do
shopping.

~~~
Feinux
totally agreed with you. Firefox is browser for advanced users and chrome is
more friendly to average user.

------
Kurtz79
Same here. I believe they have a different "calling", Chrome is meant to be
fast,light and simple.

Firefox feature-heavy and complex, a sort of web swiss knife.

While they are evolving towards implementing each other's strengths (Firefox
more streamlined, Chrome more feature-laden) they kind of stay true to their
origins.

I tend to use Chrome a lot more, but I always keep Firefox installed and
updated as well.

~~~
Xixi
There's so much (unintended) irony in your post. Firefox was supposed to be
the fast, light and simple replacement of Mozilla...

And I would be glad if it could come back to this original intent: on my
rather underpowered laptop I use mostly Chrome and Safari, Firefox is just way
too slow.

------
liamgriffiths
This is not totally surprising - Chrome add-ons are quite impotent compared to
what is possible for add-ons Firefox. People use more Firefox add-ons because
they can actually extend the browser in meaningful ways. I still use chromium
though because it is most useful to me for speed.

~~~
conradev
Agreed. One very good example of this is SlingPlayer. It requires a native
plugin, and therefore only works in Firefox.

------
meow
I'm not sure how reliable this data is because some vendors like AVG,
Microsoft (for .net) forcibly install their extensions without prompting
users.

~~~
meow
Aah looks like they are only counting addons installed properly from
<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/>. So that rules out rude vendors.

------
pohl
Firebug is an extension, but the webkit DOM inspector tools are built in. Some
FF extensions have been "quietly installed", like one by Microsoft during a
security update. Did the methodology account for such differences?

~~~
windsurfer
Those "quietly installed" things are plugins, not add-ons. Firefox doesn't
even have extensions, if I recall correctly.

~~~
pohl
Firefox does have extensions. I believe, in FF parlance, that extension is
synonymous with add-on. (please correct me with a citation to the contrary,
though)

The MS incident was not a plugin (see link) so one cannot assume that all
things quietly installed are plugins.

<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/963707>

~~~
carussell
Extensions are a specific type of add-on.

"Add-ons" encompass extensions, themes, NPAPI plugins, and sometimes searchbar
engines, depending on how the speaker regards them.

------
spinchange
I use numerous extensions in Chrome and it's awesome because they're always
synced across all my Chrome instances on other machines. Now if there was a
way to sync browsing history...

~~~
LordLandon
Since you're a chrome user, I'm not sure that you've heard of this, but
firefox sync is amazing! Syncs history/bookmarks/tabs/settings/passwords
across all your firefox instances, including firefox for android. I can read
something on my phone, while on the bus, then get home and open the same tab
on my computer or vice-versa. Or if setting up a new machine, I can add it to
my sync profile, and it near instantly has all of my browsing history etc.

I feel that's much more useful than syncing extensions, as those can be
machine dependant (i.e. i wouldn't want the same layout modifications with
firefox on my tiny netbook screen that i do on my desktop)

------
alexhektor
it might have to do with a lot of users having toolbars installed.., which
don't exist in their natural form for Chrome I'm not saying that's the entire
reason, but it might play a part..

Maybe people aren't as comfortable with the chrome extensions page? Maybe
there just aren't as many add-ons for chrome?

Btw, if you upgrade to FF4, will it bring the add-ons with it from the
previous version? My guess would be it does..

------
rcthompson
Maybe the 33% of Chrome users with extensions are the ones that switched from
Firefox.

------
taryneast
When I switched to firefox (from galeon), I had to install several add-ons
just to get back thesame functionality I had been used to (eg smarter
tabbing).

Are these 85% using add-ons because the add-ons are cooler? or because firefox
just isn't as flexible/powerful out of the box?

------
Joakal
Interestingly it's a lock-in for Firefox users because extensions are not
cross-browsers. I've heard people won't switch and those that did because
Chrome extensions mirrored some extensions, eg adblock.

Maybe Firefox could have some way to have a cross-browser extensions standard
to prevent integration concerns?

~~~
sapper2
Difficult. Basically Firefox XUL allows extensions to do everything that is
not forbidden, while the Chrome allows only things that have an explicit API
function for it.

~~~
sundarurfriend
This is the main thing that's keeping me from using Chrome more often -
apparently the extensions cannot modify the UI of the browser, which means I
lose a lot of customizations. For eg., an extension like Tree Style Tab
([https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-
ta...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-tab/)) is
apparently not even possible.

