Safari Extensions vs Chrome Extensions: Getting Your Favorites on Mac and iPhone

Are Safari extensions the same as Chrome extensions?

No. Safari extensions add functionality to Safari the same way Chrome extensions add functionality to Chrome, showing helpful page information, changing how webpages look, or adding access to a favorite service, but they're built and distributed differently. A developer has to package a Safari-specific version and submit it through the Mac App Store, distinct from Chrome's Web Store, so not every Chrome extension has a matching Safari release.

All extensions in the App Store are reviewed, signed and hosted by Apple, and they update automatically once Automatic Updates is turned on in your App Store settings. Browse our extension directory for the Chrome-side picks while you figure out what's staying or changing as you move between browsers.

How do you install a Safari extension on a Mac?

You need Safari 12 or later, so start by installing the latest macOS updates if you're not already current.

1. Open Safari, then from the Safari menu in the menu bar choose Safari Extensions to browse available extensions.
2. Find one you want, click the button showing Get or the price, then click it again to install or buy.
3. After it installs, click Open and follow the onscreen instructions the extension provides.
4. Turn it on: from the Safari menu choose Settings (or Preferences), click Extensions.
5. Select the checkbox next to the extension's name to enable it.

Note: Safari warns you if an extension you turn on is detected as slowing down browsing, worth reading rather than dismissing.

How do you control what a Safari extension can see, especially in private windows?

On macOS Sonoma 14 and later, all extensions that require website access are turned off by default when you browse in a private window, a stricter default than incognito's per-extension opt-in model in Chrome.

To allow one anyway: from the Safari menu choose Settings (or Preferences), select the extension in the sidebar, then select Allow in Private Browsing. You can also restrict an extension's access to specific sites from the same screen: click Edit Websites to allow access, deny access, or require the site to ask you each time. For how Chrome extensions handle these same per-site permissions, see our permissions guide; the underlying idea of site-by-site access control is similar across both browsers.

Do Safari profiles each get their own extensions?

Yes. Extensions for your default Safari profile are managed in the main Extensions tab of Safari settings. Extensions for any other profile are managed independently in the Profiles tab, which has its own Extensions tab per profile.

By default, extensions are turned off for each new profile you create, so setting up a shared family Mac with separate profiles means re-enabling whichever extensions each profile actually needs, one profile at a time.

Do Safari extensions work the same way on iPhone and iPad?

Safari on iOS and iPadOS also supports extensions installed through the App Store, but the catalog is smaller than on Mac, and not every Mac extension has a matching iPhone or iPad version.

To use an extension across devices, turn on Share across devices in Safari's Extensions settings on your Mac. Extensions you install on one Mac then become available on another where you're signed in with the same Apple Account, have iCloud set up for Safari, have two-factor authentication turned on, and have Share across devices selected on the other Mac as well.

Which of your favorite Chrome extensions also work on Safari?

Availability comes down to whether a developer built and published a separate Safari version. Chrome popularity doesn't guarantee a Safari counterpart exists, so check before assuming, and our own methodology for verifying picks follows the same check-before-claiming approach used here.

Which Chrome extensions are you actually replacing with a Safari built-in when you switch?

Some of what a Chrome extension does for you is already a native Safari feature, meaning you may not need an extension at all for that specific task.

Safari's built-in translate

A translate button appears in the address bar on many pages, handling much of the same job as installing Google Translate separately.

File > Export as PDF

Captures the entire page, not just the visible area, covering a similar need to a full-page screenshot extension like GoFullPage without installing anything.

Safari Reader

Strips ads and layout clutter from an article with one click from the address bar, similar in purpose to a distraction-free reading extension.

Which cross-platform tools are worth setting up first on Safari?

Start with whatever handles your passwords and your most-used writing tool, since those two categories tend to have the most mature Safari support.

What commonly goes wrong when moving from Chrome extensions to Safari?

Most migration problems come down to one of three causes: the extension simply doesn't exist for Safari, extensions don't transfer through iCloud syncing the way bookmarks do, or Safari's private-browsing defaults quietly turn an extension off.

• No Safari version exists — the developer never built one; check the App Store or the developer's own site directly rather than assuming.
• Extensions aren't part of iCloud's Safari sync — turn on Share across devices in Safari's Extensions settings specifically, on top of your regular iCloud sync, and make sure two-factor authentication is on for your Apple Account.
• An extension seems to vanish in a private window — check whether Allow in Private Browsing is turned on for it under Safari's Extensions settings, since macOS Sonoma and later turn this off by default for extensions needing website access.