The Best Browser Extensions to Save You Money (and Which You Should Skip)
You probably do most of your online shopping these days, so the right browser extension can be a great way to save a few dollars. However, there are a lot of them, and not all of them keep their promises. Here are the best extensions to help you save money, and the ones you might as well not buy.
Extensions That Can Save You Money
While apps designed to save money tend to get all the attention, there are some pretty killer browser extensions out there that do the same. The good ones provide your browser with easy ways to take advantage of online coupons, track the best price, and even get cashback on your purchase. Here are the ones you should look out for.
CouponCabin Sidekick
CouponCabin’s Sidekick extension (free for IE , Chrome , Safari, and Firefox ) helps you save money with coupons and get refunds on over 1,800 retail websites including Amazon, Kohl’s, Best Buy, and Target. When you shop on a website that is eligible for a cashback return, the extension will notify you of the available percentage right above the store logo, as well as any available coupons that you can use. You will need a CouponCabin account to get cashback, but everyone has access to coupons.
In addition, the extension does a great job of displaying relevant money-back offers and coupon information right in Google search results. This can be very handy when deciding which store to shop at. This extension is worth it because there are a large number of stores and coupons available, plus they manually check their coupons and ensure they work. It’s also very unobtrusive with no pop-ups or annoying ads. The only feature that could make it better is if the available coupons show up in the extension and don’t require you to go to the CouponCabin website to see them.
Coupons at checkout
CouponFollow has a popular browser extension called Coupons at Checkout (free for Chrome , Safari and Firefox ) that allows you to easily insert coupon codes into the appropriate field when placing an order from over 100,000 online retailers including JCPenney, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble , and a sports body. After installing the extension, you do not need to register to get access to coupons. When placing an order in the online store, the coupon code field is automatically highlighted in red. All you have to do is click on the red coupon box to access the dropdown menu of all current codes, after which you click on the coupon you want to use and it will be added to the box.
While the extension does not have a refund element attached to it like CouponCabin, it is a great addition for any coupon user due to its ease of use and the sheer number of work coupons in their database. I tested the extension on twenty online stores, both popular and obscure, and found that work coupons were available in each of them.
Honey
The Honey extension (free for Chrome and Firefox ), like Coupons at Checkout, shows all available coupons when shopping online in over a thousand stores. Unfortunately, Honey does not publish the exact number of online stores they partner with. But rest assured, this is a heck of a lot, covering all the big players. They also constantly update their coupon base with new offers so that you have access to all the coupon codes available.
However, while it doesn’t really matter, Honey is a little more intrusive as a slide-out window appears on the right side of the browser window when you navigate to a retailer’s checkout page showing the coupon codes available. Once you see the pull-out box, all you have to do is click on “Trial Codes” and Honey will automatically connect all available coupons and use the one that gives you the most savings. Honey also makes it easier to check for coupons before you buy: When you visit a retailer’s website, the Honey extension icon will change from gray to orange when coupons are available, as well as a small number indicating the number of potential offers. If the icon doesn’t change to orange, you might want to shop at another store.
Invisible hand
The great thing about the InvisibleHand extension (free for Chrome , Firefox and Safari ) is that it tracks prices as you shop and informs you about where you can find the best price online. For example, I recently bought a Keurig coffee maker on Amazon, and as soon as I went to the product page, a small window appeared at the top of the web page informing me of a better price for the same model on Overstock.com. It will also tell you if the merchant you shop at has any coupons you can use. Although the number of merchants offering coupon codes is comparable to the number of Honey and coupons at checkout, you will have to enter them manually.
This doesn’t just work when buying physical goods. InvisibleHand also helps you find travel deals such as flights, hotel rooms and car rentals. When you shop on services like Expedia, Traveolocity or Orbitz, the InvisibleHand extension will simultaneously search airlines, hotels and car rental companies directly to find the best deal, and notify you if they do. It is also worth noting that the extension does not require registration to use the service, which is a nice plus.
Camelizer
The Camelizer extension (free for Firefox , Safari ) is a must for any Amazon, NewEgg or Best Buy shopper. The extension allows you to track the history of product prices, as well as set price drop alerts so you can only buy when the price is right. As soon as you have alerts, you will receive an email notification of price reductions. You don’t need to register an account to track prices, but if you do, you’ll get rid of ads, which is well worth it. The extension was removed from the Chrome Web Store at the end of March without any explanation. Hope he comes back soon.
Expansions aren’t worth your time
Unfortunately, not all extensions do what they claim. The ones listed below either have limited coupons, a limited number of participating online stores, or are just wasting your time forcing you to jump over a bunch of hoops to collect your savings.
PriceBlink
The PriceBlink extension (free for Chrome , Firefox , Safari ) works well as a price comparison tool, but the coupon aspect makes it useless compared to other, better options. When installing a browser extension like this, it’s wise to use one that does both functions well in order to maximize your savings and avoid frustration. When you shop on a merchant website that has coupons, the PriceBlink extension doesn’t actually show you the coupon code. Instead, you need to select a coupon from the drop-down menu, go to the PriceBlink website and click Show to access the code. This ensures that they receive sales credit and commission through a cookie that is placed on your computer when you click Show. For those looking to find a coupon quickly and get on with their lives, it’s a complete headache and not worth the effort when easier options are available.
PoachIt
PoachIt has a browser extension they call “button” (free for Chrome ) that provides online coupons and tracks product prices in hundreds of popular stores. You select items to track and they will send you an email when the item goes on sale. While the extension is visually appealing and works quite well as a price tracking service, the coupon aspect isn’t all that strong. I visited five websites that currently have multiple coupons available (Old Navy, JCPenney, Kohl’s, All Posters, and Shoebuy.com) and in each case the PoachIt extension said, “Sorry, no coupons found today.” They just don’t update their coupon base well enough to be worth your time. You can of course use PoachIt for a price tracking service, but you are better off using InvisibleHand as it does both well.
PriceKart
PriceKart extension (free for Chrome ) provides coupons and price comparisons from thousands of online stores. This sounds good in theory … until you actually try it. I visited several popular online stores, all of which had current coupon codes available and the extension did not tell me about any of them. Also, when testing the pricing comparison aspect of the extension, I was actually told about retailers with higher prices than the site I was currently visiting. This expansion causes headaches and should be avoided.
Some of these extensions are clearly better than others. Good companies are constantly updating their coupon database to make it easier for you to collect savings. They also have price comparison tools that are intuitive and easy to use. I would recommend combining a coupon based extension like CouponCabin Sidekick or Coupons at Checkout with the Invisible Hand price comparison tool to cover all your bases and maximize your savings.