StartGrid - A New Tab is a strong option, but it is not the right fit for everyone. Below are 10 alternatives compared on rating, install base, pricing and the use case each one actually wins on.
StartGrid replaces your browser's blank new tab page with a customizable grid of widgets, set against a background of your choice. - Widget grid — freely arrange Clock, Weather, Notes, Bookmarks, Quicklinks, Rain Radar, and more on your new tab page - Backgrounds — solid colors, gradients, custom images, or live photos from Unsplash, Bing, NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, and Wikimedia - Calendar, Mail & Tasks — optional Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Outlook Mail, and Google Tasks widgets connect via Google/Microsoft sign-in to show your upcoming events (including multiple calendars, not just your default one) and unread mail. Only the data needed to display it is fetched; nothing is stored on a StartGrid server - Google Mail — an optional widget showing your unread Gmail inbox, without Google sign-in: it uses the Gmail session already open in your browser, via a separate optional permission you grant in the widget's settings - Everything is configured and stored locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a StartGrid-run server - Optional permission for 127.0.0.1 is used solely by the optional Obsidian widgets to connect to your local Obsidian desktop app. No vault data ever leaves your device - Optional permission for mail.google.com is used solely by the Google Mail widget described above, to read your inbox directly from your browser to Gmail. No mail data is sent to or stored on a StartGrid server - Rain Radar — live precipitation radar for your location, powered by RainViewer, with scrubbing/playback
| Extension | Rating | Users | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StartGrid - A New Tab (original) | 5.0 | 5 | Free | Customizable new tab page with widgets |
| IE Tab | 4.3 | 4M+ | Freemium | Display web pages using IE within Chrome. Use Java, Silverlight, ActiveX, Sharepoint, and more. |
| Speed Dial [FVD] - New Tab Page, 3D, Sync... | 4.7 | 400K+ | Free | New Tab Page Replacement with 3D Speed Dial and predefined images, sync and organize your bookmarks, groups, and most visited |
| Infinity New Tab | 4.6 | 400K+ | Free | Infinity New Tab allows you to customize your New Tab page |
| Bonjourr · Minimalist New Tab Page | 4.9 | 300K+ | Free | A beautiful and customizable new tab page inspired by iOS, designed for a calm and focused browsing experience. |
| Speed Dial 2 New tab | 4.1 | 300K+ | Free | Speed Dial 2 is an easy-to-use extension that lets you save and organize your most visited websites and customize your new tab page. |
| Tab Manager Plus for Chrome | 4.7 | 200K+ | Free | Quickly find open tabs, see all windows in one view, find duplicates and limit tabs per window. The best Tab Manager for Chrome. |
| Auto Tab Discard (suspend) | 4.2 | 200K+ | Free | Increase browser speed and reduce memory load when you have numerous open tabs. |
| GNTD: Glass New Tab Dashboard | 4.9 | 200K+ | Free | Glass-style new tab dashboard. Search uses Chrome Search API and respects the user's default search engine. |
| Tab Reloader (page auto refresh) | 4.2 | 100K+ | Free | An easy-to-use tab reloader with custom reloading time for individual tabs and more! |
| Tab for a Cause | 4.4 | 100K+ | Free | Raise money for charity with every browser tab you open! |
Display web pages using IE within Chrome. Use Java, Silverlight, ActiveX, Sharepoint, and more.
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Display web pages using IE within Chrome. Use Java, Silverlight, ActiveX, Sharepoint, and more.
![Speed Dial [FVD] - New Tab Page, 3D, Sync... Chrome extension logo](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/w3K2CDl4n-0LZVksR5dwGR4Su5USBhNXQQc1-1isyFxaaGGsja7_8_NntP_Gy5bu6gzLS3Kv0pHRM13ZmohkLTAOn4w=s128-rj-sc0x00ffffff)
New Tab Page Replacement with 3D Speed Dial and predefined images, sync and organize your bookmarks, groups, and most visited
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: New Tab Page Replacement with 3D Speed Dial and predefined images, sync and organize your bookmarks, groups, and most visited
Infinity New Tab allows you to customize your New Tab page
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Infinity New Tab allows you to customize your New Tab page
A beautiful and customizable new tab page inspired by iOS, designed for a calm and focused browsing experience.
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: A beautiful and customizable new tab page inspired by iOS, designed for a calm and focused browsing experience.
Speed Dial 2 is an easy-to-use extension that lets you save and organize your most visited websites and customize your new tab page.
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Speed Dial 2 is an easy-to-use extension that lets you save and organize your most visited websites and customize your new tab page.
Quickly find open tabs, see all windows in one view, find duplicates and limit tabs per window. The best Tab Manager for Chrome.
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Quickly find open tabs, see all windows in one view, find duplicates and limit tabs per window. The best Tab Manager for Chrome.
Increase browser speed and reduce memory load when you have numerous open tabs.
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Increase browser speed and reduce memory load when you have numerous open tabs.
Glass-style new tab dashboard. Search uses Chrome Search API and respects the user's default search engine.
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Glass-style new tab dashboard. Search uses Chrome Search API and respects the user's default search engine.
An easy-to-use tab reloader with custom reloading time for individual tabs and more!
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: An easy-to-use tab reloader with custom reloading time for individual tabs and more!
Raise money for charity with every browser tab you open!
Why it replaces StartGrid - A New Tab: Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Raise money for charity with every browser tab you open!
Direct comparisons with the extensions people weigh against it.
IE Tab is the closest match. Covers similar ground in the Tab Management category: Display web pages using IE within Chrome. Use Java, Silverlight, ActiveX, Sharepoint, and more.
Yes — Speed Dial [FVD] - New Tab Page, 3D, Sync..., Infinity New Tab, Bonjourr · Minimalist New Tab Page are free.
