Compare A Fine Start and Tab Notes: Which Extension is the Best?

	A Fine Start	Tab Notes
	A Fine Start is a minimalistic new tab page extension for Chrome, offering a clean list of links, customizable themes, and optional syncing for a streamlined browsing experience. New Tab Productivity	Tab Notes lets you jot down notes right in your browser tabs. It's got an easy-to-use interface and works smoothly, making it a great tool for anyone looking to boost their productivity. New Tab Note Taking
Key Features	Minimal Text Links: Presents links in a clean, simple list. Groups: Organize links into customizable groups. Drag-and-Drop Sorting: Easily rearrange links and groups. Group Folding: Collapse groups to save space. Dark Mode: Switch to a darker theme for low-light environments. Multiple Themes: Choose from various themes to suit your style. Restore Points: Save and restore your setup. Optional Syncing Account: Sync bookmarks across devices with a premium account.	In-Browser Note-Taking: Tab Notes excels in allowing users to take notes directly within their browser, eliminating the need to switch between applications. Synchronization: The ability to sync notes across multiple devices ensures that users have access to their notes wherever they go, though this feature is limited to the premium version. Customizable Interface: While the interface is clean and user-friendly, it offers limited customization options, which could be expanded to enhance user experience. Open Source: The code can be read in full on GitHub
Our Rating	8.7	7.9
Total users	1,602	1,459
Total ratings	52	40
Average rating	4.3 ⭐	4.8 ⭐
Entry Level Price	Free	Free
Chrome	4.9 19 ratings 1.0K+Users	5.0 7 ratings 1.0K+Users
Edge	3.4 5 ratings 368Users	-
Firefox	4.6 28 ratings 234Users	4.6 33 ratings 459Users
Safari	-	-
Features	8.0 A Fine Start offers features for users looking for a minimalist approach to managing their new tab. Organizing links into groups and sorting them via drag-and-drop allows for a tidy and efficient workspace to stay focused. Some functions must first be activated in the settings. For example, groups can be collapsed to hide sections that are not needed at the moment. In addition, all pages from an entire group can be opened simultaneously with one click. The optional sync account, available with the premium subscription, is a valuable addition for users working with multiple devices and ensures that their bookmarks are always up to date. Overall, the feature set is designed for minimalism. However, we still see potential here for a few more minimalist functions, such as a simple note-taking option.	7.0 In our tests, the functions of Tab Notes proved to be ideal for quickly creating notes directly in the browser. If you need to develop ideas or jot down information quickly while browsing, you don't have to jump back and forth between apps. Notes can be synchronized across different devices with GitHub gists to keep everything in one place. There is a dark and light mode function, but we would like to see more customization options here. The option to access your notes offline can also be an advantage. This also includes the export function, where the notes are exported as a text file. Functions such as “Customize: Edit font, font size and more” and “Styled text: Make your text bold, italicized or underlined.” are listed as features on Github. These were not found in our tests in the extension on Chrome and Firefox. We feel that this function is important to be able to structure the notes a little, which would further improve the extension.
Performance	9.7 In terms of performance, we did not notice any problems during the test. No slow loading times or anything similar were detected, even when opening groups with a high number of bookmarks, these were always opened immediately. Overall, A Fine Start offered impressive performance here.	7.5 In terms of performance, Tab Notes is fast and responsive. It doesn't take up any resources, so your browser runs smoothly. Only the settings selection page didn't work for us. Selected options could not be saved here.
Design	8.2 The design of A Fine Start is characterized by a clean and minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes focused work. The design is very intuitive and you can choose from basic themes, including dark mode. From our point of view, even though the design is meant to be minimalistic, it could be a little more customizable for the user. For example, it would be handy if you could move the groups around the website flexibly, as they can currently only be moved to certain predefined positions. A very rarely seen and positive aspect is a function in the settings. The extension offers the option of hiding the button for premium advertising and the footer on the New Tab page.	8.0 The user interface is very clear and easy to use. We had no problems finding my way around and using the tool. In our test, we noticed that we would like to see a few more themes and color options. The layout is intentionally simple to minimize distractions, but it would be important to have different layout options for the font.
Value for Money	8.7 A Fine Start offers all functions in the free version, only the cross-device synchronization is an added value of the premium subscription. For most users, the price-performance ratio of the free version is therefore perfect. However, users for whom synchronization is important may wonder whether just this one function is worth the cost of the premium model. There is still potential here to include other minimalist functions such as those offered by competitors to offer even more added value.	8.0 The price-performance ratio of Tab Notes is fine. The extension is completely free. Compared to other free tools, however, the functions and customization options are somewhat limited. However, if you are looking for a simple extension for short notes without any frills, you will find it here.
Ease of Use	8.3 A Fine Start offers a straightforward setup process. The drag-and-drop functionality for organizing links is intuitive, allowing users to quickly rearrange their bookmarks to suit their needs. Setting up the required bookmarks initially takes a little time, and a function for transferring bookmarks already in the browser could simplify the whole process. The additional functions that are initially somewhat hidden in the settings may also not be found directly by all users. Overall, the existing functions and the setup are easy to use, but there is still room for improvement.	8.2 We found Tab Notes to be super easy to use. Installation and subsequent navigation is a breeze, and you can get started straight away without needing a manual. Due to the small number of functions, it is suitable for anyone, no matter how tech-savvy they are, to take simple notes. Only the non-functioning of the settings page can confuse new users.
Security & Privacy	9.5 A Fine Start attaches great importance to security and data protection. The extension collects only minimal personal data and focuses only on what is necessary for the core functions. The privacy policy is transparent and makes it clear that data is not sold to third parties. The optional premium subscription requires an account, otherwise, not even an account is needed.	8.5 Tab Notes uses standard encryption to protect your data. Advanced security options are not available. The privacy policy is also kept very simple and does not provide detailed information about data management. In general, the basic security and data protection guidelines are adhered to, but in our opinion they could be presented in more detail.
Conclusion	A Fine Start is a well-designed tool for anyone who just wants to have their bookmarks sorted on their new tab page. Its focus on privacy and user-friendly features makes it a perfect choice in this area. While the free version offers a wealth of features, the premium subscription adds little value. Overall, A Fine Start is a good choice for users who want to stay focused and have a New Tab page without a lot of distractions.	Tab Notes is a good tool for anyone who wants to write down ideas as a note as quickly as possible without having to sort them out too much. Its intuitive and simple design increases productivity by reducing distractions when you just want to make a quick note. It could still be improved in areas such as customization and the number of features. Overall, it's worth considering for anyone who wants to quickly collect notes and possibly sort them into another application later.
	Install A Fine Start	Install Tab Notes
Our Recommendation	In our comparison between A Fine Start and Tab Notes, A Fine Start came out on top, scoring 8.7. A Fine Start is the most widely used, with over 2k users and 52+ reviews—and it also delivered the strongest performance in our tests. User reviews for A Fine Start reflect our findings, while we rate Tab Notes lower than users do. Notably, Tab Notes has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.80, which is even higher than our rating of 7.9. There are some noticeable differences between these extensions, so it's worth considering your priorities and the details below. Looking for the richest feature set? A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 8. On the other hand, Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 7. Need top performance? A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5. Design lovers, take note: A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 8.2. On the other hand, Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 8. Want to get the most for your money? A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 8.7. On the other hand, Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 8. If you hate complicated tools, A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 8.3. On the other hand, Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.2. With privacy and security becoming ever more important, A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.5. If you want a quick recommendation, A Fine Start is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.