Okay, so real talk — AI tools are everywhere right now. Every other day there’s a new extension that promises to “revolutionize your productivity” or “write your emails for you while you sleep.”
But let’s be honest… most of them just sit in your browser doing nothing after the first few minutes of “Oh wow, that’s cool.” Been there, done that.
So I went down the rabbit hole, tested a bunch of AI Chrome extensions, and narrowed it down to the ones that actually do something helpful — the ones I’ve ended up using more than once, which is rare.
Here’s a rundown of the only AI extensions I’d recommend to a friend without feeling guilty.
- ChatGPT for Google
- Compose AI
- Monica
- Youtube Summary with ChatGPT
- Merlin
- Tactiq
- Harpa AI
- Wordtune
- WebChatGPT
1. ChatGPT for Google
Makes Google search actually useful.
You know how sometimes you Google something and get 10 blogs that say the same thing in slightly different ways, all stuffed with keywords and pop-ups?
This extension puts ChatGPT’s answer right next to your normal Google results. So while Google is throwing links at you, ChatGPT is just quietly giving you the actual answer in plain English.
For quick explanations, definitions, or when you just want to understand something fast — this thing is solid.
Works with Bing and DuckDuckGo too, if you’re into that.
2. Compose AI
Email replies on autopilot.
You ever open Gmail, stare at the screen, and think, “Nope. Not today”?
Compose AI helps with that. It finishes your sentences as you type and can even generate entire emails for you. Not in a “this sounds like a robot” kind of way — more like “I totally would’ve written that” style.
Super handy when you’re burned out or just don’t feel like typing “per my last email…” for the 18th time this week.
3. Monica
Your mini AI research buddy.
This one’s cool if you read a lot online. You highlight any text on any website, right-click, and Monica can explain it, summarize it, or answer questions about it. It’s like ChatGPT built into your right-click menu.
I use it to break down articles that are way too long or packed with jargon. Or when I’m trying to read something at 1 AM and my brain has already checked out.
Good for students, researchers, writers — anyone who reads things that require more than two brain cells.
4. YouTube Summary with ChatGPT
No more wasting time on pointless intros.
Here’s the situation: You click on a 15-minute video titled “How to Fix X in 2 Minutes” — and the creator spends the first 10 talking about how they got into fixing things.
This extension saves you from that.
It pulls the transcript from any YouTube video and feeds it to ChatGPT, which gives you a summary. You don’t even have to watch the video if you don’t want to. It’s kind of like previewing the plot of a movie before watching the whole thing.
If it sounds useful, cool — hit play. If not, move on with your life.
5. Merlin
ChatGPT, but it follows you everywhere.
Merlin is a shortcut key (Cmd+M or Ctrl+M) that opens a ChatGPT box on any site you’re on. You can ask it questions, summarize text, generate content, whatever — without switching tabs or opening chat.openai.com.
Seriously, it works in Gmail, Twitter, Google Docs… anywhere. It’s like having ChatGPT as a browser-wide assistant.
The best part? You forget it’s even there until you need it. Then boom — problem solved in seconds.
6. Tactiq
Meeting notes without actually taking notes.
If you sit through a lot of Zoom or Google Meet calls, you know how annoying it is to remember who said what — or worse, what you promised to do.
Tactiq automatically transcribes your meetings in real time, highlights the important bits (like decisions, tasks, questions), and can even dump the summary into Google Docs for you.
No more “Wait… what did we agree on?” after a call. It’s all there, like magic.
7. Harpa AI
For the spreadsheet/SEO/data nerds.
This one’s for the folks who love tracking stuff — prices, Google rankings, news updates, competitor websites, you name it.
Harpa lets you automate those tasks. You can scrape data, monitor changes on a page, or set it to run tasks when something updates. It’s got a bit of a learning curve, but once you figure it out? You’ll feel like a wizard.
I’ve used it to track blog post rankings and monitor price drops on tech stuff. It feels a little hacker-ish (in a good way).
8. Wordtune
Rewrites your awkward sentences like a friend would.
Sometimes you write something and it’s technically fine… but it just doesn’t sound right. Wordtune takes your sentence and offers smoother, sharper alternatives.
You can pick if you want it to sound casual, formal, shorter, or longer. It gives you options, and honestly, sometimes it’s just nice to have another voice to bounce phrasing off of.
Especially great if you’re writing emails, cover letters, or blog posts and want to sound like a human — not a robot or someone trying too hard.
9. WebChatGPT
Gives ChatGPT real-time info.
By default, ChatGPT doesn’t know anything beyond 2023. So if you ask it about current prices, news, or anything super recent, it’s basically guessing.
WebChatGPT fixes that by pulling in live web search results when you ask something. It’s not perfect — can be a little slower and messy at times — but if you need accurate, up-to-date info, this is your best bet without paying for ChatGPT Plus with browsing.
Think of it as a little reality check for your chatbot.
So, Do You Need All of These?
Nope. Honestly, if you install all 9 at once, your browser might slow down and your brain definitely will.
Start with one or two based on what you actually do every day.
- Write a lot of stuff? → Try Compose AI or Wordtune.
- Hate long videos? → YouTube Summary is your friend.
- Always Googling random questions? → ChatGPT for Google or Merlin.
- Drowning in meetings? → Tactiq, 100%.
Try one for a few days. If it doesn’t click, uninstall it. No hard feelings.
In Case You Scrolled Down Here Looking for a Quick Takeaway:
- Most AI Chrome extensions are junk.
- These 9 actually work and can make your digital life easier.
- Don’t install everything. Pick 1–2 that match your workflow.
- Be prepared to never want to write another email from scratch again.
