Your favorite sites, one click away. Color-coded spaces, sync, and no developer telemetry.
Users
9
+5 in 30 days
Rating
0.0 / 5
unchanged in 30 days
Ratings
0
0 in 30 days
Store rank
#205K
#171K among extensions
Version
1.2.0
updated 7 Oct 2026
Users
monthly, 3 months
Latest, 17 Oct 2026:9 usersMove the mouse over the chart for any month
Ratings count
monthly, 3 months
Latest, 17 Oct 2026:0 ratingsMove the mouse over the chart for any month
The Chrome Web Store rounds user counts down to the leading digit, so the user line moves in steps. The ratings count is exact and is the better signal of real adoption.
About Essentials
Essentials is a visual website launcher for Chrome. Keep your favorite sites in
a clean toolbar grid, organize them into color-coded spaces, and open or focus
the right tab with one click.
GET STARTED QUICKLY
A first-install guide shows how to pin Essentials to the toolbar, open the popup,
and add your first site. Existing installations continue without this welcome tab.
ORGANIZE WITH SPACES
Group your sites into color-coded spaces (Personal, Work, Side Project) and
switch between them with a keystroke. Each space has its own name, two-letter
label, and color.
FAST BY DESIGN
- A toolbar grid sized to your workflow, with the rows and columns you choose
- Keyboard shortcuts to toggle the popup, open sites, and switch spaces
- Add the current tab in one click, right-click any link to add it, or drag
tiles to reorder
- Click a tile to jump straight to that site's open tab, or open it fresh
SYNC ACROSS YOUR CHROME INSTALLATIONS
Sync is enabled by default, so your essentials follow you between desktop
installations of Chrome using the same sync account.
Turn sync off in Essentials Settings to keep saved sites, spaces, and layout
settings in this Chrome installation only. Timing is controlled by Chrome,
and the developer does not receive the synced data.
PRIVATE BY DEFAULT
No extension analytics or telemetry, no tracking, and no separate Essentials
account to create. Essentials processes open-tab URLs and titles locally for
launcher features. Saved sites, spaces, and settings stay on your device and,
by default, in your Chrome account's extension sync storage.
To find favicons, Essentials may request the saved page, conventional same-origin
icon paths, and icon or manifest URLs supplied by Chrome or the website,
including their redirect destinations. It can also use the favicon URL Chrome
reports for an open saved tab. Chrome's local favicon service is a
fallback. Essentials does not use a developer-selected generic third-party
favicon lookup. No browsing or favicon data is sent to the developer or any
developer-operated service. Essentials does not read the visible content of
the pages you browse.
Your license key is sent directly to Polar when you activate and during periodic
license checks. The license key and activation date use Chrome sync even when
saved-site sync is turned off.
ONE-TIME PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION
Start with a 14-day free trial, every feature unlocked. Continue using Essentials
with a one-time $4.99 purchase through Polar. Enter your checkout license key in
Settings > License; you can activate before the trial ends. No subscription.
Questions? Write to support@essentialsforchrome.app and a real person will reply.