- How these eight developer extensions were chosen
- Eight Chrome extensions for debugging, testing and inspecting
- A perfect rating from two people tells you very little
- Which kind of developer extension for which job
- Privacy lines and update dates matter more here
- My plain advice for developers choosing extensions
- Frequently asked questions
The Chrome extensions web developers lean on most fall into four groups: framework debuggers that add a panel to Chrome DevTools, accessibility checkers, JSON viewers and all-in-one toolbars for inspecting CSS, colours and layout. Install the kind that matches your daily work, then read the rating count and last updated date, not just the stars.
The best Chrome extensions for web developers add a panel or a button to tools you already use, so you can debug, check and inspect without leaving the page. Four kinds cover most of the work: framework debugging, accessibility testing, JSON viewing and all-in-one toolkits.
The eight here are listed in no particular order. Users, ratings and update dates come from the Chrome Web Store listings, as of Oct 2026, and every description is the maker's own. For the wider kit beyond the browser, see my guide to developer productivity tools that work.
How these eight developer extensions were chosen
I went by what each listing shows: users, the rating and how many people rated it, the last updated date, the publisher and the privacy practices line. I haven't run them on a project for you; this is a shortlist from the store. The free plan column says Yes only where the listing names free use, as of Oct 2026, and Not stated where it didn't.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| axe DevTools | Accessibility checker | Web accessibility testing in Chrome | Yes |
| DevTools Suite | Developer and designer toolkit | A collection of small tools for developers and designers | Yes |
| dtools | All-in-one developer toolkit | Performance metrics, tech stack detection and debugging | Not stated |
| JSON Formatter | JSON viewer | Making raw JSON easy to read | Not stated |
| React Developer Tools | Framework debugger | React debugging inside Chrome DevTools | Not stated |
| Web Developer | Toolbar of developer tools | A toolbar button with many web developer tools | Not stated |
| Web Developer Tools | Developer toolkit | 500+ tools to inspect, debug, test and audit | Not stated |
| Web Developer Visual CSS Editor | Visual CSS editor | Inspector, CSS peeper, colour picker and fonts | Not stated |
Eight Chrome extensions for debugging, testing and inspecting
axe DevTools
Best for: Checking web pages for accessibility issues in Chrome, built for developers, testers and designers, with free use named on the listing.
DevTools Suite
Best for: Keeping a collection of useful developer and designer tools behind one button, from a small publisher with free use named on its listing.
dtools
Best for: Seeing performance metrics, tech stack detection and debugging utilities in one place, from a new listing with only a handful of ratings.
JSON Formatter
Best for: Making raw JSON responses easy to read in the browser tab, from an extension with 2,000,000 users as of Oct 2026.
React Developer Tools
Best for: Adding React debugging tools to the Chrome Developer Tools panel you already use, if React is the framework you build in every day.
Web Developer
Best for: Putting a toolbar button with a wide set of web developer tools on every page, from a listing that says it won't collect your data.
Web Developer Tools
Best for: Getting 500+ small tools to inspect, debug, edit, test, optimise and audit websites, from a privacy-first listing with only a few ratings so far.
Web Developer Visual CSS Editor
Best for: Editing CSS visually with an inspector, colour picker, typography and font tools, plus a responsive viewer for checking layouts at other sizes.
A perfect rating from two people tells you very little
This is the trap with developer extensions. React Developer Tools has the most users here, 5,000,000, with a 3.5 rating from 1.6K ratings, as of Oct 2026. The highest rated is dtools, at 5 from just 2 ratings and 200 users.
A 5 from two people is two opinions. A 3.5 from more than a thousand people is a crowd's average, and it includes everyone who hit a problem on a bad day. So read the rating count next to the stars, and give more weight to a big, steady number than to a perfect score on a tiny one.
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Which kind of developer extension for which job
- You build in React: the framework's own debugging panel inside Chrome DevTools.
- You need to meet accessibility standards: an accessibility checker made for developers, testers and designers.
- You read API responses all day: a JSON formatter that makes raw JSON readable in the tab.
- You want quick checks on any site: a toolbar extension with a set of web developer tools behind one button.
- You tweak CSS, colours and fonts: a visual CSS editor with an inspector and a colour picker.
- You want tech stack and performance hints: an all-in-one toolkit that lists performance metrics and stack detection.
Not every tool in your toolbar has to be a developer tool, and our roundup of general Chrome extensions covers writing, recording and passwords too.
Privacy lines and update dates matter more here
A developer extension can sit on every page you open, including staging sites and admin screens, so the privacy box is worth reading. Most of these listings carry the line saying the developer won't collect or use your data, and for the rest, open the Privacy practices box before you install.
Then look at the date. One of the toolbars here was last updated on June 29, 2024, while others changed in late October. If you want to judge a toolbar before installing it, my guide to what to look for in productivity tools for developers goes further, and for testing APIs there's my piece on how API testing tools help web developers.
Do you make Chrome extensions for web developers? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice for developers choosing extensions
Keep a short, deliberate set. Your framework's debugger, one accessibility checker and a JSON viewer will cover most days. Add an all-in-one toolkit only if you'd use several of its tools, and use a separate Chrome profile for client work so your extensions don't see more than they need to.
When a listing has only a handful of ratings, give it a week on a side project before it goes anywhere near a client's site. You'll learn more from that than from the stars.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chrome extensions do web developers use most?
Framework debuggers have the most users in this list, with millions installed, as of Oct 2026. Accessibility checkers, JSON viewers and all-in-one toolbars make up the rest.
Is a 5 star Chrome extension better than a 3.5 star one?
Not on its own. Check how many ratings sit behind each number. A 5 from two people means far less than a 3.5 from more than a thousand.
Do I need a JSON formatter extension?
Only if you open raw JSON in the browser often. It makes the response readable in the tab, which saves pasting it into another tool.
Can a Chrome extension check accessibility?
Yes. One extension here is an accessibility checker for developers, testers and designers. Use it alongside your own manual checks, not instead of them.
