Google Chrome isn’t just a fast browser—it’s a powerful toolkit for developers. With the right Chrome extensions, developers can inspect, debug, test, and streamline their workflow directly from the browser. Whether you’re building web applications, optimizing performance, or ensuring accessibility, Chrome extensions can significantly improve productivity.
This blog highlights some of the most useful Chrome extensions for developers across different specializations, from frontend to backend, security, and performance testing.
1. React Developer Tools
Best for: React.js developers
React Developer Tools allows developers to inspect the React component hierarchy in Chrome’s DevTools. You can view props, state, and component trees with ease.
Key Features:
- View component structure
- Debug component states and props
- Highlight components when hovered
2. Wappalyzer
Best for: Tech stack discovery
Wappalyzer identifies the technologies used on websites, such as frameworks, content management systems, analytics tools, and more.
Key Features:
- Detect frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue.js
- See backend stacks (PHP, Python, etc.)
- Discover marketing and tracking tools used on a site
3. Lighthouse
Best for: Performance and SEO auditing
Lighthouse is a built-in Chrome tool but also available as an extension. It audits web pages for performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.
Key Features:
- Detailed performance scoring
- Recommendations for improvements
- Progressive Web App (PWA) checks
4. Postman Interceptor
Best for: API testing and development
While Postman is a standalone app, its Chrome Interceptor helps capture and send cookies and headers from your browser to Postman, simplifying API workflows.
Key Features:
- Capture browser requests
- Sync cookies between browser and Postman
- Simplify REST API testing
5. WhatFont
Best for: Frontend designers and UI developers
WhatFont helps identify the fonts used on any webpage. It’s simple but incredibly effective when working with typography in web design.
Key Features:
- View font family, size, weight
- Check line height and color
- Supports Google Fonts identification
6. JSON Viewer
Best for: Backend developers and API consumers
JSON Viewer formats raw JSON responses from APIs into readable, collapsible trees. It helps in analyzing complex data structures with clarity.
Key Features:
- Syntax highlighting
- Tree view for JSON data
- Easy copy/paste functionality
7. Web Developer
Best for: General web development utilities
This extension adds a toolbar with a wide range of web development tools like disabling JavaScript, viewing CSS styles, outlining elements, and more.
Key Features:
- Toggle CSS and JavaScript
- Validate HTML
- View form details and structure
8. ColorZilla
Best for: UI/UX designers and frontend developers
ColorZilla offers an eyedropper tool that allows developers to pick colors from any page element, examine color palettes, and generate gradients.
Key Features:
- Pick colors from web pages
- Save favorite colors
- Generate CSS gradients easily
9. EditThisCookie
Best for: Cookie management and debugging
EditThisCookie is a handy tool for adding, editing, deleting, and blocking cookies. It’s a great aid for session and authentication testing.
Key Features:
- Modify individual cookie values
- Search and filter cookies
- Export and import cookie data
10. Page Ruler Redux
Best for: Measuring element dimensions
Page Ruler Redux allows developers to measure elements on a webpage by drawing a ruler. It’s helpful for checking spacing, padding, and alignment.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-measure interface
- Displays width, height, and position
- Pixel-accurate alignment
Final Thoughts
The right set of Chrome extensions can transform your development environment from good to great. Whether you’re debugging React apps, testing APIs, or analyzing page performance, these tools can save you time and help you deliver better code.
Instead of cluttering your browser with dozens of tools, choose the ones that align with your development workflow. Start with a few from this list, and you’ll likely find your productivity and debugging speed improve significantly.
