If you’re a marketer, freelancer, or small business owner working in Chrome (and let’s face it, most of us are), you’re probably missing out on one of the easiest ways to supercharge your day: AI-powered Chrome extensions.
These mini tools live in your browser and work silently in the background to help you write faster, plan smarter, and stay more productive. I’ve tested dozens of AI Chrome extensions over the last few months, and today I’m sharing my must-haves. These are the ones that stuck around on my toolbar—not just because they sound impressive, but because they actually save me time and improve my work.
Let’s get into it.
1. Compose AI
Best for: Speeding up emails, messages, and content writing
Compose AI uses predictive text and natural language processing to auto-complete emails and short-form content as you type. Think Gmail’s smart reply—but on steroids and usable everywhere.
Why I love it:
- It saves me about 20 minutes a day replying to emails and DMs.
- It works in Notion, Gmail, Google Docs, and more.
- The free version is powerful enough for everyday use.
2. Wordtune
Best for: Editing and rewriting your writing for tone, clarity, or conciseness
Wordtune gives you alternate ways to phrase what you’ve written. You can choose to make your writing more casual, more formal, shorter, or more engaging.
Why I love it:
- It helps me rework awkward phrases when I’m too tired to think.
- It’s like a second pair of eyes for tone-checking.
- It integrates directly into Google Docs and Gmail.
3. Tactiq
Best for: Transcribing and summarising Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings
Tactiq grabs the live transcript during video calls and lets you save notes, pull key points, and summarise meetings instantly.
Why I love it:
- Great for client calls and team check-ins
- Saves me hours on note-taking
- I can review key quotes and decisions easily after the call
4. ChatGPT Sidebar by Merlin
Best for: Accessing ChatGPT from any tab, anytime
This extension brings the power of ChatGPT directly into your browser sidebar. Highlight any text and summon answers, rewrites, or explanations without switching tabs.
Why I love it:
- It keeps my workflow seamless
- I use it to brainstorm headlines, rewrite copy, or summarise long pages
- Works even on Google Docs and email
5. Glasp
Best for: Highlighting, summarising and saving insights from web pages
Glasp lets you highlight key quotes or points as you browse, then it uses AI to summarise the article and categorise it for you.
Why I love it:
- Great for research and content curation
- It’s like building your own swipe file of smart insights
- You can revisit highlights and summaries in one clean dashboard
How to Choose the Right Extensions for You
Start small. You don’t need them all at once. Choose based on your biggest time drains:
- Writing emails? Try Compose AI or Wordtune.
- Sitting through lots of meetings? Get Tactiq.
- Reading a lot online? Install Glasp.
- Bouncing between tabs? ChatGPT Sidebar is your new best friend.
Remember: extensions should save you time, not become digital clutter.
Final Thoughts
These AI Chrome extensions are like cheat codes for digital productivity. They’re easy to set up, mostly free, and they meet you right where you’re already working: in your browser.
Even if you’re not super technical, these tools are user-friendly and genuinely helpful. Try one or two this week and see how your workflow shifts. For me, they’re non-negotiable now.
