
Best Firefox Add-ons of 2013 - yeukhon
https://blog.mozilla.org/theden/2013/12/04/13-best-firefox-add-ons-of-2013/
======
ivank
A few less-popular addons:

[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/findbar-
tweak...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/findbar-tweak/)
replicates the scrollbar find result highlights you see in Chrome and IDEA

[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/mozilla-
archi...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/mozilla-archive-
format/) saves pages to .mht or .maff format, with a reasonable pre-filled
filename. Also reads .mht files.

[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/autopager/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/autopager/) loads all pages of paginated content in the
current tab. This also works great with Mozilla Archive Format for saving
entire forum threads/articles/user comments.

~~~
JetSpiegel
Autopager is amazing, I never have to click the next buttons anymore.

------
r0h1n
I highly recommend one of the plugins on this list, "Google/Yandex search link
fix". It rewrites Google's tracking URLs in search results on the fly.

This to me is offers both convenience and privacy benefits - (a) I can right-
click and copy actual URLs from a Google search instead of gibberish, and (b)
Google does not get to know which links I'm clicking on from its search
results.

~~~
w1ntermute
Is there a similar Chrome extension?

~~~
stusmall
If you are concerned about google tracking you then the links in search
results are the least of your worries when using chrome.

~~~
w1ntermute
I was wondering when someone would make a comment like this. I don't have a
problem with Google tracking me, but I do have a problem with not being able
to right click and copy links from a search results page.

------
pagade
For Me:

Adblock Plus - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-
plus/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/)

Tab Mix Plus - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tab-mix-
plus](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tab-mix-plus)

iMacros - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/imacros-
for-f...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/imacros-for-firefox)

SearchLoad Options - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/searchload-op...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/searchload-options)

DownloadHelper - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-
downloa...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-
downloadhelper)

DownThemAll - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/downthemall/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/downthemall/)

Dictionary Tooltip - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/dictionary-to...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/dictionary-tooltip/)

FoxClocks - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/foxclocks](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/foxclocks)

IE Tab 2 - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ie-
tab-2-ff-3...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ie-tab-2-ff-36)

Memory Fox - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/memory-
fox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/memory-fox)

All-in-One Sidebar - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/all-in-
one-si...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/all-in-one-sidebar/)

~~~
spyder
For me:

FirePicker for Firebug to quickly adjust colors in CSS
[https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/firepicker](https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/firepicker)

Yet Another Smooth Scrolling to make scrolling smooth like on touch devices
[https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/yet-another-
smoo...](https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/yet-another-smooth-
scrolling)

NetVideoHunter to download videos from YouTube and music from Grooveshark
[https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/netvideohunter-v...](https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/netvideohunter-
video-downloade)

Omnibar
[https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/omnibar/](https://addons.mozilla.org/hu/firefox/addon/omnibar/)

------
Sir_Cmpwn
I made a Firefox add-on recently [1], and it was horrible. The API is
underdocumented and obtuse, and the dev enviornment is annoying to get set up.
On top of that, AMO review times are on the scale of months. Writing the
equivalent Chrome extension [2] was a considerably better experience.

[1]
[https://github.com/MediaCrush/Firefox](https://github.com/MediaCrush/Firefox)

[2]
[https://github.com/MediaCrush/Chrome](https://github.com/MediaCrush/Chrome)

~~~
vanni
Very different experience here while developing a Firefox add-on [1] with the
Add-on SDK [2]: I think that the API is nice and well documented, the
development environment - based on virtualenv - is very easy to set up (I work
under Ubuntu), and AMO review times are in the order of weeks - not months.

[1] Google Plus Follower Stats for Firefox [
[https://github.com/vannitotaro/gpfs-
firefox](https://github.com/vannitotaro/gpfs-firefox) ] [
[https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/google-plus-
followe...](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/google-plus-follower-
stats/) ]

[2] [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/developers/docs/sdk/latest/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/developers/docs/sdk/latest/)

~~~
Sir_Cmpwn
Did you write a similiar extension for Chrome? My opinions may be made skewed
by my experience with the Chrome extension. Chrome extension development is
sublime, the APIs are great and well-documented, and the enviornment couldn't
be better.

------
sergiotapia
I switched back to Firefox from Chrome last week and I'm loving it! It may be
the SSD I recently upgraded from a traditional hard drive, but it feels really
really snappy. Unfortunately, I don't find use for any of the addons mentioned
here or in their top lists. I just don't need 'em. I only have Adblock Plus
for most websites which I disable on websites I use regularly.

A lot of the addons in this list just seem like bloatware to me, trying to
create a problem that allows their fix to exist.

~~~
Istof
It isn't only the SSD... Firefox is alot faster then it used to. Also, those
are new addons, not necessarily the best.

------
IvyMike
Regarding #1: Even without the plugin you can drag a highlighted URL to a new
tab and presto it opens.

Regarding Video Resumer: I watch a lot of longer video lectures online, and
being able to resume where I left off is a great feature. Why the dudes at
Google haven't added this themselves is beyond me--it's how TiVo worked since
1999. Maybe a patent issue?

~~~
FreeFull
Firefox actually lets you select a URL and right click to see the normal link
options. I assume the addon makes even malformed URLs work though.

------
unlimited_power
There is also Adblock Edge which is a fork of Adblock Plus without the
"acceptable ads" feature:

[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-
edge/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-edge/)

------
mrtksn
I made this one when I was trying to learn JavaScript:
[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/budaneki/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/budaneki/)

It's an on-the-page look up and translation extension, I believe it was the
first of it's kind when I made it and didn't use any JS framework but pure JS.
I am kind of proud of it.

Still have users regularly asking me to implement it for Chrome :)

------
wyclif
It's so refreshing to read an end-of-year list that isn't a slideshow. One of
the many things to love about web-friendly companies like Mozilla.

------
bitemix
I try to consult the Firefox /g/uide:
[http://www.logicalincrements.com/firefox/](http://www.logicalincrements.com/firefox/)

------
cpeterso
If you use Firefox in a corporate environment that requires you to change an
LDAP password every couple months, the "Mass Password Reset" add-on lets you
change multiple saved passwords at the same time:

[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/mass-
password...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/mass-password-
reset/)

------
bad_user
For me it's these:

    
    
        AdBlock Plus 
        Firebug
        HTTPS Everywhere
        JSONView
        Markdown Here
        PDF Viewer (former pdf.js)
        Readability
        SPDY Indicator
        User Agent Switcher
        Web Developer
    

And in case you use Firefox, but like Chrome's UI: FXChrome + Omnibar

~~~
barrkel
For me, in addition:

    
    
      TreeStyleTabs
      TabMixPlus
      Status-4-Evar
      RefControl
      Element Hiding Helper for Adblock Plus
      Export Cookies
      FireGestures
      Flashblock
      FoxyProxy
      Image Zoom

~~~
nhebb
> Image Zoom

It's such a simple add-on, but I use it daily. Along with NoScript, it's one
of the reasons I switched back to FF from Chrome.

~~~
eitally
There are so many Chrome options for the same thing. Hoverzoom was the
original, but became commercial-fied and was forked to create Hover Free. The
Hover Free devs were recently impressed with a couple other guys' great work
on a competing add-on, Imagus, and abandoned their own work to help on Imagus.
I have to say, Imagus is pretty awesome -- it even lets you page through
(arrow buttons) imgur galleries inside the popup.

[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/imagus/immpkjjlgap...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/imagus/immpkjjlgappgfkkfieppnmlhakdmaab?hl=en)

------
arsenerei
This is not for everyone, but I recommend vimperator[0] for anyone who wants
to use vim in their browser.

0 - [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/vimperator/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/vimperator/)

~~~
CatMtKing
Or Pentadactyl
([http://5digits.org/pentadactyl/](http://5digits.org/pentadactyl/)) -- the
nightly build works on the latest version of FF.

------
olegp
Nice to see New Tab Plus, a new tab replacement add on mentioned.

We have a new tab replacement out as well as well. Unlike NTP, it's similar to
the old style Chrome new tab page: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/starthq/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/starthq/)

The functionality is pretty basic for now, but we're slowly rolling out much
cooler features like deep links, multiple screens and Greplin like cloud
search.

------
Groxx
I've been enjoying Ghostery. Nicer / cleaner than most privacy plugins, and it
speeds up pages noticeably (same as adblock, mostly through killing iframed
social things).

------
dmix
It shoud be all privacy plugins, such as:

HTTPS Everywhere

Flashblock

Disconnect

Noscript

AdblockPlus

Duckduckgo

~~~
mathrawka
What is the benefit of Disconnect if you are using Adblock Plus and HTTPS
Everywhere already?

~~~
byoogle
Disconnect, which I work on, is designed to filter requests faster:
[https://disconnect.me/faster](https://disconnect.me/faster).

Disconnect also does some fancy visualizations, if you're into that sort of
thing: [http://youtu.be/Lvem1Z66C7Q?t=40s](http://youtu.be/Lvem1Z66C7Q?t=40s).

~~~
iamjustin
From the Disconnect FAQ:

 _On Firefox, if Disconnect is the first blocking extension you install, then
Disconnect will work even if you subsequently install other blocking
extensions. On Chrome, Safari, and Opera, it 's the opposite: in order for
Disconnect to work on these browsers, it must be the most recent blocking
extension installed._

Do you know what effect this has on extensions like Adblock Plus and NoScript?
If I install Disconnect first, are those addons going to do less for me?

This is the first I've heard about installation order affecting how well the
addons work. I'd like to make sure I've got the right info before informing
others.

~~~
byoogle
Hmm, that FAQ isn't the best (will fix). This explanation is better:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6888514](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6888514).

If you install Disconnect first on Firefox then install other filtering add-
ons (ABP et al.), you should get faster overall performance. The reason is
Disconnect filters faster, so requests that Disconnect blocks won't have to be
processed by your other add-ons. All other requests will still be processed by
them.

------
baby
I'm always amazed at how many people never heard or don't use Tree Style Tab.
This is the only plugin that makes Firefox a must have.

~~~
TomDavey
Completely agree. It makes it a cinch to nicely organize one hundred active
tabs or more within a single modest sidebar.

Last time I checked there's nothing for Chrome that's as good. Tree Style Tab
is one of the things that could keep me on Firefox forever.

------
yeukhon
Hackernews OP here: I am so glad I shared this on hacker news. I think this is
great because you guys put time into listing things you use and provide food
feedback, way better than some of the review feedback one would find in an
addon.

------
anon4
No mention of GreaseMonkey? I'd put it at number one, simply because it gives
you a way to write extensions that run on every browser with a *Monkey
compatibility layer. Half the stuff I use is just userscripts.

------
paigosa
I would recommend tor button, which makes it easy to use firefox with tor

------
inovator
Can we have a chrome edition as well? :)

------
d0ugie
wise of Mozilla to milk that add-on lock-in while they still can

------
caiob
Mostly bloatware. :(

