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We were elated when Firefox 3.5 came out, which brought increased stability and new features to one of our favorite web browsers of all time, including private browsing, tear away tabs and location awareness. We also got a faster browser with enhanced security and user-friendliness. However, what ultimately makes Firefox the choice browser is the appeal of its massive library of add-ons, which not only shed light on the fervent community, but also ensure that Firefox users get a great deal by installing widgets and extensions that only add to the Internet browsing experience. Users have the ability to experience what other web browsers do not — and cannot — offer.
From Mozilla's massive library of add-ons, we've chosen our favorite 16 that we believe are essential to the Firefox experience. These are add-ons that introduce features we wish were pre-installed with Firefox -- enhancements that we can't live without. Because as awesome as Firefox already is, these picks make our web browsing experience that much better. Try them out today!
Opening various windows in Firefox can get cluttered, confusing, and can slow down your browser’s performance. With All-in-One Sidebar, you have instant access to Firefox’s entire inventory of Downloads, Add-ons, History and Bookmarks with one simple left-click. This definitely takes away from the hassle of rifling through different menu tabs to find the function you’re looking for.
QuickDrag extends the function of the drag-and-drop mouse gestures so that they can be used to load URLs, so a web search based on selected text, or quickly save an image. Simply select text and drag it anywhere in your browser window: either to the search bar, to the middle of the page as a link, or if it’s an image, drag it to the middle of the browser window to save it on your desktop.
Like it or not, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is still a heavy contender in the browser world. Though web developers have shifted to other browsers to do their coding and site structuring, they’re still required to make sure that their code is viewable in the latest versions of IE. Fortunately, IE Tab fixes this issue; simply right-click to open a link, select Open this link in IE tab, and Firefox displays a new tab for you in “IE mode.” This works for the three most recent versions of Internet Explorer.
Sometimes, our browsers and computers can become overloaded, and can instantaneously shut down while we’re in the process of filling out yet another tedious Internet form (ie. while blogging). Thankfully, Lazarus lives true to its name and resurrects our lost text. This add-on is definitely one of those features we really wish came bundled with Firefox from the get-go.
Video DownloadHelped allows you to download your favorite Internet memes and weekly subscription videos to our desktop for a later viewing. It does all the dirty work by downloading video content from the web and storing it as a flash file (.FLV). You will need an additional program, like FLV Player, to view the video, but the program is free. (Hint: This is a great way to capture music exclusive available only on YouTube.)
Comments are closed on this article
Philips
November 09, 2011 at 10:43pm
Thank you for providing the list of the essential Firefox add-ons. These are a lot of knowledge. This is a great way.
Philips
September 25, 2011 at 1:09pm
The browser firefox, is cool. These add-ons are relevant to experience the browser in the highest level. This post is so informative. A lot of thanks!
DanielDAZ
December 09, 2009 at 7:49pm
On Linux you get free conversions with videodownloadhelper. In windows, use a program like Format Factory.
kobo
August 28, 2009 at 8:40am
I have used a Mozilla browsers pretty much since they first came out. What had been a browser of choice and often recommended has become to me a royal PIA; most certianly after v3 came out.
Yes, many of the ad-ons are great, but this bloated resource hog p.o.s can drive me nutts at times.
My biggest peeve right now is how, even after I close a tab, it does not return the resources it used for that tab, each tab I open and close just keeps taking more and more till the system starts to crawl.
On my desktops it is bad enough, but on my old laptop, with only 1.4 ghz cpu & 512 RAM, this happens fairly quick; task mgr often shows FF cpu usage at 400k and climbing. I am getting tired of constantly doing ctrl-alt-dlt to shut it down when it locks up and start over again
Personally, I have been removing the few ad-ons I did have; reluctant to add anything else to this bloatware and give it permission to chomp more resources. I'd just rather try and find something less frustrating.
JMHO
lance
August 16, 2009 at 9:40am
how in the world could you put any add-on on your list and not use ad block? if anything makes a page open quickly, it is getting rd of the annoying ads.
Flash block should also be on the list too!
skydivedad
August 15, 2009 at 4:36pm
Come on guys we know they left off AdBlock Plus... Isn't 1 remender enough. If your serious about using Firefox as a research tool the most essential add-ons.
1. Zotero: Organize all your research. This is absolutely the most Robust Research Tool available for Firefox
2.AutoPager: No more clicking to get page 2, 3, 4, of the SERP's (Search Engine Results Page) or anyother website for that matter. Essential Oh Yea!
3.Read it Later: Store a page page you don't have time for now but you can check it out later without over loading your bookmarks.
Honorable Mention (S3Fox) The Amazon S3 (simple storage solution) Firefox Organizer. Access your buckets and keys from within the FireFox Browser. Don't know what Buckets and Keys are? Are you sure your a Geek?
Now those are "Serious" and essential FireFox Add-ons and extensions for the True Uber Geek
Seriously guys No More "I can't beleive you forgot AdBlock Plus" Yish...
Blue Skies
Always Remeber "Gravity Sucks"
danathompson
August 14, 2009 at 12:13am
Nice list you've there. I also like Billeo. It’s a free browser plug-in that manages passwords, saves receipts and auto fills forms. The tool is VeriSign secured and TRUSTe certified, so no security issues. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12715
strykr
August 13, 2009 at 11:10am
I think everyone should also check out Kallout. By simply selecting any text, a (small) menu icon pops up. If you hover over the icon you are given the options of searching your selection using things such as maps, images, news, shopping, reference, social networks, etc... all with only your mouse.
strykr
August 13, 2009 at 11:04am
They are "essentials", meaning that once you have them and use them, you hate anytime you dont have them. How bout you give things a try before you comment? Don't knock it till you know better.
deject
August 15, 2009 at 4:23pm
That is the dumbest definition for essential I have ever heard.
Like I said, they might be cool and all, but calling them essential is stupid. Heck I am not even denying they could be very useful and might make my Firefox experience better, but essential is not the right adjective for them.
deject
August 13, 2009 at 9:14am
They are never, ever lists of things that are actually essential, just things that whoever is writing the list likes. I have no need for any sidebar. I don't want them, and most certainly do not need them. Stop calling them "essentials."
deject
August 13, 2009 at 9:21am
oh yeah and mousse gestures? I don't need those, nor do I need something to post links of facebook for me or colored tabs or music controls. Sure they might make your setup easier to deal with, but they are not essential by any means.
bluejayjou@hotm...
August 13, 2009 at 3:11am
Highly recommend these:
WebMail Ad Blocker: Make Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail ads disappear
FEBE: Back up Firefox bookmark, extension, history, profile, etc. Automatic scheduled backup available.
Firefox Ad Killer: Choose to block any flash ads
Site Launcher: Super quick way to open your favorite websites.
Undo Closed Tab Button: Ever struggled to find that tab you just closed in the sea of history bookmarks?
The rest of my add-on collection: <https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collection/jou>
JC
Cache
August 12, 2009 at 8:32pm
Two must-haves for me include Image Zoom, and Download Statusbar.
Image Zoom gives you the ability to enlarge/shrink an image on a webpage--particularly good when you get those cell phone pictures that were formatted in 200x300 pixels and you can't tell WHO your sister was dating now.
Download Statusbar is a very attractive add-on that does away with the pesky and cumbersome default window when downloading files with something sleeker and far more user-friendly. It adds a small bar graph in the bottom bar of FireFox showing how much of the file has been (and needs to be) downloaded. You can customize it to show the current download speed, percentage complete/remaining, and a few other minor tweaks. This takes file downloads to a much more managable level, as you don't require another window (the default FireFox downloader) and can observe at a glance the status of any number of downloads.
There's certainly more I love, but I thought I'd mention two that don't get enough face time with the public at large.
mkarias1
August 12, 2009 at 5:20pm
I have Ctrl-Tab, DownloadHelper, Companion for eBay (this is great for those who buy and/or sell alot), Redirect Remover (although I don't know if this really works), refspoof, skipScreen, WOT & Xmarks. I had NoScripts but it was very annoying.
jac_goudsmit
August 12, 2009 at 3:26pm
AdBlock Plus should be on top of the list. Its omission lets me know I did the right thing by canceling my paper subscription a while ago. Eejits.
At least FireGestures is in the article; I got used to gestures in Maxthon and can't do without them.
Another one that I can't do without is Tab Mix Plus: too bad that it needs a lot of config tweaks after installing, but fortunately it can export and import its configuration to/from a text file.
I also use FlashGot because i've been using GetRight for over 10 years and I don't want to get rid of it.
===Jac
Dynotaku
August 12, 2009 at 7:55am
I can't live without faviconize tab. I have 16 tabs open right now, all set to collapse, except my Gmail tab so I can keep an eye on IMs and mail. For every other tab, the icon tells me all I need to know about it.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3780
DogPatch1149
August 12, 2009 at 6:24am
You can pimp out things like Foxy Tunes and Video DownloadHelper as "essential", but yet completely ignore NoScript and Adblock Plus?
OMGWTFBBQ.
Kind of ironic when one of MPC's taglines is "Maximum PC, minimum BS".
Roykirk
August 11, 2009 at 10:39pm
TabMixPlus is definitely needed, so add my vote to the others. I have been using AdBlock Plus for a while now, but am trying Foof, which is based on AdBlock, but allows you more options for dealing with ads.
I can't believe Greasemonkey isn't on this list, though. That's extremely essential.
murixbob
August 11, 2009 at 8:19pm
NoScript is a must for any tech enthausit.
Also Tabscope lets you easily look at a real-time thumb of any tab and interact with that thumbnail. (I can click on a link in the thumbnail and the tab will follow it.)
grayscare0
August 11, 2009 at 8:07pm
NoScript
Adblock Plus
WOT
Speed Dial
New Tab Homepage
Stay-Open Menu
Block_Dude
August 11, 2009 at 5:15pm
hmmmm, NoScript is pretty much ESSENTIAL in these XSS days of late, especially with sites you may already trust. Not fun when you get s'kiddied from a compromised mcafee site. True story, look here: http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/05/0221215
Will claims it's "annoying," but better to be annoyed then have your Windows box pwned embarrassingly.
BatchDownload is good if you wanna be a leecher and dl multiple images with one click. (if you know the defined urls.)
Blaze589
August 11, 2009 at 4:38pm
Adblock Plus - Blocks next to all website ads.
All-in-One Gestures - Navigate Firefox with mouse gestures. I find this extention to be more useful than Firegestures.
BetterPrivacy - Removes stored flash cookies that are usually never removed from browser.
DownloadHelper - Download flash movies from popular sites.
DownThemAll! - Download all images on a site in one click.
Greasemonkey - Add custom scripts to make sites behave and sometimes look differently.
Hide Menubar - Hides the menubar; ALT key toggles it on and off just like in Vista.
MinimizeToTray - Never close Firefox again; just minimize it to tray and have it ready to use in an instant.
NoScript - Have absolute control over the scripts sites run.
PDF Download - PDFs tend to freeze Firefox if it's ever initialized within the browser. This extention gives you the choice to abort or continue with the in browser view or to download it to disk.
SkipScreen - Depending on the file hoster this extention will skip the countdown and download it or download it once the timer's up or both if you're doing a batch download.
Yes popups - Block ALL popups.
DriZzLe
August 11, 2009 at 4:08pm
Measure It
Screengrab!
Coolpreviews- this being my fave. It opens a preview screen of any link & is fully surfable from the preview.Oh, & No Script & Adblock Plus are a must...without even thinking about it.
Digital-Storm
August 11, 2009 at 3:45pm
No Adblock Plus? I think Maximum PC wants to keep there advertisement revenue.
jrocknyc
August 11, 2009 at 4:20pm
have you found any *good* ones yet? all the ones i tried were ugly and made using FF more difficult.
dag1992
August 12, 2009 at 11:42am
I use Opera so it really doesn't matter in my opinion, but the standard persona with the firefox logo does add some color.
SillyElf74
August 11, 2009 at 3:39pm
I second the motion for adding Adblock Plus to the list. Top 5 in my book.
savage4naves
August 11, 2009 at 3:35pm
Adblock plus, WOT (Website of Trust), Smarterfox, and Skipscreen are worthy add-ons.
A day without laughter is a day wasted...
TheMurph
August 11, 2009 at 3:14pm
Don't forget the, er, power-downloading extensions too... ; )
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/five_musthave_firefox_extensions_mpc_powerdownloader
