How to Install Chrome Extensions on Firefox (and Which Ones Work)

Can you install Chrome extensions on Firefox?

Not directly. Firefox only installs add-ons that Mozilla has signed, so the Add to Chrome button on the Chrome Web Store does nothing useful in Firefox. What you install instead is the Firefox build of the same extension, published on addons.mozilla.org.

That Firefox build usually exists. Mozilla's own porting guide says the WebExtension APIs are, to a large extent, code-compatible with the extension API in Google Chrome, and that Chrome extensions will in most cases run in Firefox with just a few changes. So for well-known extensions, the developer has often already done those changes for you.

The gaps come from features Firefox does not support. Mozilla notes that if an extension relies on APIs or manifest features Firefox lacks, it might not be portable at all. Those are the cases where you need a substitute, which this guide covers further down.

WebExtensions

The shared extension system used by Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Opera. It is why one codebase can target several browsers.

addons.mozilla.org (AMO)

Mozilla's official add-on store, the Firefox equivalent of the Chrome Web Store.

Signing

Mozilla's review and signature step. Regular Firefox releases install signed add-ons only; unsigned ones load temporarily for testing.

about:debugging

The Firefox page where developers load an unpacked extension temporarily, similar to loading an unpacked extension in Chrome's developer mode.

How do you install the Firefox version of a Chrome extension?

Find the same extension on addons.mozilla.org and add it from there. It takes about as long as installing it on Chrome did.

1. Open Firefox and go to addons.mozilla.org, or open the menu and choose Add-ons and themes.
2. Type the extension's exact name into the search box, for example Bitwarden or Dark Reader.
3. Check the developer name under the title. It should match the company or person behind the Chrome version.
4. Click Add to Firefox, read the permissions prompt, then click Add.
5. Pin it: click the puzzle-piece Extensions button in the toolbar, open the gear next to the add-on, and choose Pin to Toolbar.
6. Sign in to the extension's account if it has one, so your data syncs over from Chrome.

If the search turns up nothing, check the extension's website before giving up. Some vendors distribute their Firefox build from their own site rather than from the store listing you expect, and the Zotero Connector is one tool whose download page offers a build per browser.

Which popular Chrome extensions have a Firefox version?

Most mainstream tools in password management, privacy, reading and scripting do. The table below lists extensions from our Chrome extension directory and where to get each one in Firefox. Availability changes, so confirm the listing before you rely on it.

Which extensions should you set up first on Firefox?

Start with whatever holds your data: passwords, bookmarks, research. Cosmetic tools can wait, because reinstalling them costs you nothing. Here is how we would order the move, with who should skip each pick.

Best if you want one password manager for both browsers: Bitwarden

Bitwarden is open-source, has a free tier, and runs on both Chrome and Firefox against the same vault, so switching browsers is a sign-in, not a migration. The drawback is a plainer interface than paid rivals, and some features sit behind the paid plan. Skip it if your employer already hands you 1Password; our Bitwarden vs 1Password comparison goes deeper.

Best if you share passwords with a family or team: 1Password

1Password is built around shared vaults for families and teams, and its Firefox add-on uses the same account as Chrome. The catch is that it is paid only, with no free tier. Skip it if you are a single user who just needs the basics.

Best if you want email aliases with your logins: Proton Pass

Proton Pass is open-source and end-to-end encrypted, and it can generate email aliases when you sign up for sites. It suits people who already use Proton Mail or Proton VPN. The drawback is a younger product with a smaller import and integration story than the older managers. If you are leaving LastPass as part of the switch, see our LastPass alternatives.

Best for tracker blocking without setup: Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger learns which third-party trackers follow you and blocks them without lists to manage. It is not an ad blocker, so ads that do not track you still show. Skip it if you already run a full content blocker, since the two overlap.

Best for userscripts from Chrome: Violentmonkey or Tampermonkey

Violentmonkey is open-source; Tampermonkey is the more widely known option. Both run on Firefox, so scripts you wrote for Chrome usually carry over. The catch is that userscripts inject code into pages you visit, so only run scripts you have read or trust.

What if a Chrome extension has no Firefox version?

Look for a Firefox add-on that does the same job, rebuild the feature with a userscript or custom CSS, or ask the developer to port it. Loading the Chrome build yourself only works as a temporary test.

• Find an equivalent. Search addons.mozilla.org for the task, not the name. A translation tool like Simple Translate can stand in for DeepL's own extension, since it can use DeepL as its engine.
• Rebuild small tweaks. If the extension only restyles a site, Stylus can apply the same CSS. If it adds a button or removes clutter, a userscript in Violentmonkey or Tampermonkey often can.
• Ask the developer. Mozilla describes porting as relatively straightforward for most extensions, so a request from users can be enough to get one published.
• Keep Chrome for that one task. For a work tool with no substitute, running Chrome alongside Firefox is simpler than forcing it.

For tab hoarders, OneTab is on Firefox already, and our OneTab alternatives list other tab managers if you want something different after the switch.

Can you load a Chrome extension's files into Firefox yourself?

Yes, but only temporarily and only for testing. Firefox loads an unpacked extension through about:debugging, and it is removed when you restart the browser because it is not signed.

1. Get the extension's source folder. For open-source extensions, download it from the project's code repository.
2. Type about:debugging in the Firefox address bar and press Enter.
3. Click This Firefox in the sidebar.
4. Click Load Temporary Add-on.
5. Select the extension's manifest.json file.
6. Test what you need. If the extension relies on Chrome-only APIs, parts of it will fail or it will not load.

How do developers port a Chrome extension to Firefox?

Mozilla's porting guide lays out a short process. Almost all WebExtension APIs accept callbacks under the chrome namespace, the same as Chrome, so much existing code runs unchanged.

1. Review your manifest.json features and Chrome API calls against Mozilla's Chrome incompatibilities reference. The Add-on Developer Hub offers a service that helps automate this check.
2. Install the extension in Firefox through about:debugging or the web-ext tool.
3. Fix anything that breaks. APIs that are intentionally incompatible with Chrome are only available under the browser namespace, and their documentation says so.
4. Package the extension, by hand or with web-ext.
5. Create an account on addons.mozilla.org and submit the add-on for signing and distribution.

npm install --global web-ext
cd my-extension
web-ext run     # launches Firefox with the extension loaded temporarily
web-ext build   # packages it for submission

Can you use Firefox extensions in Chrome?

Not directly either. Chrome installs from the Chrome Web Store, so you need the Chrome build of the add-on. The same shared API means most Firefox add-ons worth using also publish a Chrome version.

Simple Translate, Stylus and Violentmonkey all started life well known to Firefox users and are listed in our directory for Chrome. If you are going the other way, browse the extension categories to find the Chrome version, and check what access it requests on our permissions guide.

Phones follow different rules again. Firefox for Android supports a set of add-ons, while Chrome on mobile does not run extensions; our guide to Chrome extensions on Android and iPhone explains the options.