Dark Mode Chrome Extensions (2026): 8 for Easier Night Reading

White pages at eleven at night are hard work for tired eyes, and plenty of sites still don't offer a dark theme of their own. A browser extension fixes that across the board, or site by site if you'd rather choose.

The eight below are listed alphabetically, in no particular order, and the details come from each Chrome Web Store listing. If you want Gmail itself in dark mode too, my guide on turning on dark mode in Gmail takes a minute.

How these dark mode tools made the list

Each tool is a Chrome extension whose listing says it switches websites, or one website, to a dark theme. From every Chrome Web Store listing we noted the publisher, users, rating and number of ratings, and the last updated date, all as of Oct 2026. Nothing here has been ranked. None of the eight listings says in its own text that the extension is free, so every free plan cell reads Not stated.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Custom Dark Mode	Customisable dark mode	Setting your own dark look for the web	Not stated
Dark Mode by darktheme.org	Classic dark theme	A classic dark theme on every website	Not stated
Dark Mode for Chrome	Dark mode with night shift	Dark theme on all sites, plus night shift	Not stated
Dark Night Mode	Night mode for every site	Darkening every website you visit	Not stated
Dark Reader	Dark mode for every site	Dark theme for night and daytime browsing	Not stated
Dark Theme	Dark theme switch	Switching any site dark, or dimming brightness	Not stated
Google Docs Dark Mode	Dark mode for one app	Dark mode inside Google Docs only	Not stated
Night Eye	Per-site dark mode	Brightness, warmth, scheduling and PDF support	Not stated

Eight dark mode extensions for Chrome

Custom Dark Mode

Best for: Tinkerers who want to set their own look for dark mode across the web, from a very small listing with few ratings.

Dark Mode by darktheme.org

Best for: A plain, classic dark look on every site, though its store rating sits lower than most of the others in this group.

Dark Mode for Chrome

Best for: Switching every site dark with a night shift option, from a listing whose last update was back in early 2025.

Dark Night Mode

Best for: Darkening the whole web at once so you can browse without straining your eyes, from a small maker with no update since early 2025.

Dark Reader

Best for: Most people's first try, as it's the most installed dark mode extension here and its listing shows a very recent update.

Dark Theme

Best for: Flipping any website to a dark theme or turning screen brightness down, from dark-shiftmode.com, updated very recently on its listing.

Google Docs Dark Mode

Best for: Writers who only want Google Docs dark, though its listing shows no update since August 28, 2023.

Night Eye

Best for: Fine control site by site, with brightness, contrast, warmth, a schedule and PDF support, from PROMOTINO OOD, and no ads per its listing.

Darken every site, tune each site, or just one app

Most of these work on the whole web at once: switch it on and every page goes dark. That's quick, but some pages can look odd, so a few tools let you adjust brightness, contrast or warmth for each site on its own, and one adds a schedule and PDF support.

Then there's the narrow option: an extension that only darkens Google Docs. That's fine if Docs is where you spend your evenings, but it won't help anywhere else.

Publisher, users and last update, as of Oct 2026

These come from the Chrome Web Store and move daily.

• Custom Dark Mode: 2,000 users, rated 3.9 from 18 ratings, last updated September 10, 2026.
• Dark Mode by darktheme.org from darktheme.org: 200,000 users, rated 2.9 from 2.6K ratings, last updated February 8, 2026.
• Dark Mode for Chrome from darkmodepro.com: 60,000 users, rated 4.2 from 2K ratings, last updated February 21, 2025.
• Dark Night Mode from darknightmode.com: 60,000 users, rated 4.1 from 735 ratings, last updated January 15, 2025.
• Dark Reader: 7,000,000 users, rated 4.3 from 13.3K ratings, last updated October 28, 2026.
• Dark Theme from dark-shiftmode.com: 500,000 users, rated 4.3 from 7.9K ratings, last updated October 28, 2026.
• Google Docs Dark Mode from Ochoa Hidalgo: 900,000 users, rated 3.1 from 1.5K ratings, last updated August 28, 2023.
• Night Eye from PROMOTINO OOD: 300,000 users, rated 4.6 from 3.3K ratings, last updated August 27, 2026.

Old update dates and the Manifest V3 switch

Google's Chrome for Developers site keeps a Manifest V2 support timeline. It says all remaining Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the Chrome Web Store on August 31, 2026, and that existing installs on Chrome 138 or earlier keep running but can't receive updates or be reinstalled if removed.

So every dark mode tool you can install from the store today is a Manifest V3 extension. Here's the catch people miss: being in the store isn't the same as being looked after. Three of these eight show a last update in early 2025 or before, and one of them, with 900,000 users, hasn't been updated since August 28, 2023. If an old dark mode extension already on your machine stops getting fixes, you won't get a warning, so check the date on the listing.

On privacy, seven of the eight listings carry the line saying the developer will not collect or use your data. A dark mode tool changes how every page looks, so read the Privacy practices box anyway.

For the next step, see QR Code Generator Chrome Extensions.

Which dark mode tool for which reader

• You want the whole web dark with no fuss: pick an every-site tool that's been updated in the last few weeks.
• Some sites look wrong when forced dark: pick one that lets you set each site separately.
• You read a lot of PDFs at night: pick one whose listing names PDF support.
• You want dark mode on a schedule: pick one with scheduling, so it switches on at night by itself.
• You only write in Google Docs: a Docs-only tool will do, but check its last update first.
• You like fiddling with colours: pick one that lets you customise the dark look itself.

If you'd rather rest your eyes altogether, our list of Chrome text to speech extensions compares the tools that read a page out loud.

Getting dark mode to look right

1. Try it on the three sites you use most before deciding, since that's where you'll notice problems.
2. Lower the brightness or contrast a little if pure black on white text feels harsh.
3. If one site looks broken, try a tool that lets you switch it off for that site instead of uninstalling.

Do you make a dark mode tool for Chrome? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My honest advice on dark mode extensions

Go for an every-site tool from a maker that updates it often, and only reach for a per-site or Docs-only tool if the simple option lets you down. Ignore the oldest listings unless there's something only they do, because a tool that hasn't changed in years is a gamble on a browser that changes all the time.

If you like your screens easy on the eyes elsewhere too, my guides to dark mode on Pinterest and dark mode on TikTok are quick reads.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

Do dark mode extensions still work after Manifest V3?

Yes. Chrome for Developers says all remaining Manifest V2 extensions left the store on August 31, 2026, so everything you can install now is Manifest V3.

Is a dark mode Chrome extension free?

None of the eight listings here says in its text that it's free, so the free plan column reads Not stated for all of them. Check the listing before you install.

Can I make only Google Docs dark?

Yes. One extension here only works inside Google Docs, though its listing shows no update since August 28, 2023.

Why do some sites look strange in dark mode?

Forcing a dark theme onto a page that wasn't designed for it can upset images and colours. A tool that lets you adjust or skip individual sites helps.

Is it safe to let a dark mode extension read every page?

Read the Privacy practices box first. Seven of the eight listings here show the line saying the developer will not collect or use your data.