Transform your new tab into a distraction-free notepad with New Tab Notes. Offering rich text formatting, auto-sync, and customization, it's a handy tool for seamless note-taking. | 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. | |
Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
|
|
Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 8.6 Winner in this category | 7.9 |
Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 1,232 | 1,459 Winner in this category |
Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 16 | 40 Winner in this category |
Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.7 ⭐ | 4.8 ⭐ Winner in this category |
Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the extension. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free |
Chrome User rating and stats for the extension on Chrome browser. | ![]() 4.4 4.62 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.0K+Users | ![]() 5.0 5.0 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.0K+Users Winner in this category |
Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. | ![]() 5.0 5.0 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 232Users Winner in this category | - |
Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. | - | ![]() 4.6 4.64 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 459Users Winner in this category |
Safari User rating and stats for the extension on Safari browser. | - | - |
Features Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each extension. | 8.7 New Tab Notes offers a range of functions for quickly and effectively storing information and ideas in a structured manner. Headings are generally used to achieve a clear structure of the notes so that you can return to the notes you are looking for on the note sheet, which is always updated. ![]() The Markdown and shortcut support are particularly worth mentioning here, as they allow users to format the notes effectively and quickly. Anyone who already has experience with Notion, for example, will find it easy to use. However, new users may miss out on this function, as the markdowns are not described again in the extension itself and must be learned on the website. A small manual at the beginning should help new users to be able to use them as well. In addition to the headings, formats such as bullet lists, numbered lists, and codes can also be embedded. ![]() Other functions such as highlighting notes or integrating links can also be very helpful. For advanced users, a few functions may still be missing here, for example, to highlight them visually using different font colors. ![]() The automatic synchronization by the browser is used by the extension to synchronize data across devices. A big difference from other competitors is that the data is not stored on separate servers. Furthermore, the saved notes can be exported in various file formats so that they can be sorted and saved elsewhere later if necessary. ![]() Overall, the extension offers all the essential functions for general users to create structured notes. For advanced users, however, additional organizational tools could be beneficial. Winner in this category | 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 Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 8.8 In our tests, New Tab Notes works reliably and without any significant noticeable reduction in browser performance. Winner in this category | 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 Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 8.5 The design of New Tab Notes is clean and minimalistic. It creates a distraction-free environment where you can easily take structured notes without getting distracted. Winner in this category | 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 Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 8.7 As a free extension, New Tab Notes offers excellent value for money. For the basic user, the range of functions should be sufficient, considering that it is a free tool. For advanced users, there are still a few functions missing that other providers already have. If these were also added free of charge, the price-performance ratio would be unbeatable. Winner in this category | 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 Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 8.5 New Tab Notes was easy to install in the test and the learning curve was very fast. Even Basic users should have no problems finding and using most of the functions straight away. However, one suggestion for improvement would be a small tutorial for new users on advanced features such as markdowns and shortcuts. Everyone who installs but doesn't see the website with instructions may not know about these features. Winner in this category | 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 Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 8.2 New Tab Notes is an extension that stores all data exclusively via the browser. This approach is ideal for the user, as it eliminates the need for an account and reduces the risk of data breaches associated with other external cloud storage. This was apparent to us in our tests, but it is not clear whether the basic user is aware of this, as we were unable to find a privacy policy from the provider either in the store or on the website. This would be an important point of improvement to allow every user to read the extension's guidelines. | 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. Winner in this category |
Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | With New Tab Notes, ideas, and information can be quickly and easily noted and saved directly in the browser without distractions. Text formatting features such as headings and the accompanying markdowns and shortcuts make it quick and easy to write them down in a structured way. The design is very user-friendly, but the extension could still benefit from additional export options and possibly more advanced functions. Overall, it is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a simple and effective solution to quickly save notes. | 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. |
Our Recommendation | In our comparison between New Tab Notes and Tab Notes, New Tab Notes came out on top, scoring 8.6. Tab Notes is the most widely used, with over 1k users and 40+ reviews, but New Tab Notes outperformed it in our review. User reviews for New Tab Notes 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.
If you want a quick recommendation, New Tab Notes is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you. |