Buzz
Chances are you're doing a lot of your shopping online these days, and the right browser extension can be a game-changer when it comes to saving money. There are plenty of options out there, but not all of them live up to their promises. Here’s a rundown of the best money-saving extensions, plus the ones you should avoid.
The Browser Extensions That Can Help You Save
While money-saving apps often get the spotlight, there are also some excellent browser extensions that can do the job just as well. The best ones equip your browser with tools to effortlessly find online discounts, track the best prices, and even earn cash back on your purchases. These are the extensions you should check out.
CouponCabin Sidekick
The Sidekick extension from CouponCabin (Free for IE, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox) helps you save money by offering coupons and cash-back deals at over 1,800 online retailers, including Amazon, Kohl’s, Best Buy, and Target. When shopping at a store eligible for cash back, the extension will notify you of the available percentage directly above the store's logo, along with any applicable coupons. A CouponCabin account is required to earn cash back, but everyone can access the coupons.
Additionally, the extension effectively highlights relevant cash-back offers and coupon details directly in your Google search results, making it easier to choose where to shop. It’s a valuable tool due to its wide range of stores and coupons, with the added benefit that all coupons are hand-tested and guaranteed to work. It’s unobtrusive, with no pop-ups or annoying ads. However, a better feature would be if the available coupons could be viewed within the extension itself, rather than needing to visit the CouponCabin website.
Coupons at Checkout
CouponFollow offers a popular browser extension called Coupons at Checkout (Free for Chrome,
While this extension doesn't offer cash-back like CouponCabin, it’s a fantastic tool for coupon enthusiasts due to its user-friendly interface and the large number of working coupons in its database. I tested the extension across twenty online retailers, both well-known and niche, and found valid coupons at every one of them.
Honey
The Honey extension (Free for Chrome and Firefox) functions similarly to Coupons at Checkout by revealing all available coupons while you shop online at more than a thousand retailers. Although Honey doesn’t specify the exact number of stores they collaborate with, you can be assured it’s a substantial amount that includes all the major players. They also regularly update their coupon database with new deals, ensuring access to all current coupon codes.
However, while it’s not a significant drawback, Honey can be slightly more intrusive as it displays a slide-in box on the right side of your browser when you reach a retailer’s checkout page, showcasing available coupon codes. When the slide-in box appears, simply click “Try Codes,” and Honey will automatically enter all available coupons, applying the one that offers the greatest savings. Honey also makes it easier to identify available coupons before you start shopping: when you visit a retailer's site, the Honey extension icon changes from grayscale to orange if there are coupons available, along with a small number indicating the total offers. If the icon doesn’t turn orange, you might want to consider shopping elsewhere.
InvisibleHand
One of the great features of the InvisibleHand extension (Free for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) is its ability to track prices while you shop, notifying you of the best prices available online. For instance, when I was shopping for a Keurig coffee maker on Amazon, a small window popped up at the top of the page alerting me to a lower price for the same model on Overstock.com. It also informs you if the retailer has any current coupons that you can use. While the number of retailers offering coupon codes is comparable to Honey and Coupons at Checkout, you'll need to enter them manually.
InvisibleHand doesn’t just assist with physical goods; it also helps you score great travel deals, including flights, hotel rooms, and rental cars. While shopping on platforms like Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz, the InvisibleHand extension will simultaneously check airlines, hotels, and rental car services to find the best deal and alert you if it finds one. Plus, there’s no need to register to use this service, which is a nice bonus.
The Camelizer
The Camelizer extension (Free for Firefox, Safari) is an essential tool for Amazon, NewEgg, or Best Buy shoppers. It allows you to track the price history of products and set price drop alerts so you’ll only buy when the price is right. Once your alerts are set, you'll receive an email notification whenever a price drop happens. No registration is required to track prices, but signing up eliminates ads, making it a worthwhile option. Unfortunately, the extension was removed from the Chrome Web Store in late March without any explanation, but we hope it returns soon.
The Extensions Not Worth Your Time
Sadly, not all extensions live up to their promises. The ones listed below either offer limited coupons, work with only a few retailers, or simply waste your time by forcing you to jump through hoops just to save a few bucks.
PriceBlink
The PriceBlink extension (Free for Chrome, Firefox, Safari) is useful for price comparison, but its coupon feature falls short compared to other better alternatives. When installing a browser extension, it’s best to choose one that excels at both price comparison and coupon searching to get the most value. When shopping on a site that has available coupons, PriceBlink doesn’t show the coupon code directly. Instead, you need to select the coupon from a dropdown menu, get redirected to the PriceBlink website, and click “Reveal” to access the code. This process ensures they earn a commission through the cookie placed on your computer. For anyone looking for a quick, hassle-free coupon, this is overly complicated and not worth the effort when there are simpler, more efficient options available.
PoachIt
PoachIt offers a browser extension called a “Button” (Free for Chrome) that provides online coupons and tracks prices from hundreds of well-known stores. You can select items to monitor, and it will email you when the price drops. While visually appealing and fairly effective as a price tracker, its coupon functionality leaves much to be desired. I visited five popular websites with multiple active coupons (Old Navy, JCPenney, Kohl’s, All Posters, and Shoebuy.com), and in every case, PoachIt showed no coupons available. The extension doesn't keep its coupon database updated well enough to be reliable. You can use PoachIt for price tracking, but you're better off using InvisibleHand, which performs both tasks effectively.
PriceKart
The PriceKart extension (Free for Chrome) claims to provide coupons and price comparisons for thousands of online stores. This sounds promising in theory...until you actually put it to the test. I checked several popular online retailers, all of which had valid coupon codes available, but the extension failed to alert me about any of them. Furthermore, when I tested its price comparison feature, I was directed to retailers that had higher prices than the one I was currently viewing. This extension is a recipe for frustration and should be skipped.
Some of these extensions clearly stand out as superior to others. The best ones maintain an updated coupon database and streamline the process of collecting your savings. They also feature intuitive and user-friendly price comparison tools. I recommend using a coupon-focused extension, such as CouponCabin Sidekick or Coupons at Checkout, alongside the Invisible Hand price comparison tool to ensure comprehensive coverage and maximize your savings.
