5 of the Best Safari Extensions, According to Apple Users

As Apple’s default web browser, Safari can be one of the fastest ways for Mac, iPad, or iPhone users to access the Internet. With built-in privacy features like smart tracking prevention and private browsing, this can be a solid choice for Apple fans, although switching to the browser has some drawbacks. With options for extending Safari’s capabilities through third-party extensions, we wanted to take a look at some of the best we’ve found around the web.

Based on what Apple users have to say on the App Store, social media, and online forums, we’ve found a variety of Safari browser extensions that can work on multiple devices within the Apple ecosystem, and all of them are available in the Apple App Store. Primarily, many of these apps aim to eliminate much of the excess that comes with modern web browsing, including turning off certain design decisions, removing ads, or making it easier to use a certain streaming website. These extensions can also improve readability or open specific applications more quickly.

Keep in mind that many of these extensions cost money and we also let you know when extensions offer in-app purchases. We also recommended users to always install some free browser extensions if you want to push Safari’s capabilities even further. Remember, you can manage your Safari extensions on iPhone and iPad by opening Settings and going to Applications > Safari > Extension cords. On Mac, open Safari, then choose Safari > Settings > Extension cords from the menu bar.

With a 4.7 star rating and 197 reviews in the Apple App Store, for $14.99, StopTheMadness Pro has one goal in mind: to make Safari easier to use. Created by independent developer Jeff Johnson, StopTheMadness Pro runs on Safari on a variety of Apple devices, including iPad, iPhone, and Mac. It also supports Firefox. The app essentially modifies some features that websites can include, but its full list of features can actually be quite long.

A notable feature of StopTheMadness Pro is its ability to enable certain elements that websites have disabled. This means that if a website typically prevents you from copying and pasting or relying on autocomplete, StopTheMadness Pro restores those capabilities. The extension is also capable of bypassing URL shorteners. It also focuses on some more minor feature tweaks, including the ability to stop web animations, disable audio and video from autoplaying, and even prevent websites from overwriting the system clipboard.

Looking at reviews on the Apple App Store, users find that the app has a number of notable improvements and quality of life improvements. Although at least one user wanted a trial option, several praised the developer for its fast response times and consistent updates for the app. However, at least one user mentioned that the item blocking features might need more work. Since this extension supports iPhones, you may also want to check out these other Safari extensions that iPhone users should try.

It seems like almost every app needs a dark mode these days, and the $4.99 Dark Reader for Safari takes that idea and applies it to every website viewed in Safari. It was developed by the same people who created the original Dark Reader extensions, and the team has been providing dark mode features on the web since 2014. Apple App Store users love Dark Reader for its reliability.

If you’re unfamiliar, dark mode is basically a software feature that eliminates light backgrounds and replaces them with darker colors. It is intended to help reduce eye strain by minimizing the contrast between the surroundings and your screen, which can help improve battery life. This may explain why Dark Reader holds a 4.3-star rating with 280 reviews on the Apple App Store, as the app automatically gives any website loaded in Safari a dark mode theme. Users can also give websites a sepia tone, or there are options for theme presets or even user customization.

Another great feature of Dark Reader is that it can automatically detect when a website is already using dark mode and includes options to automatically sync with your system. The app does not include ads and supports Mac, iPhone, iPad and even iPod Touch. Although users appreciate the quality of life features offered by this app, at least we note that it can be expensive. Still, cross-device compatibility can make this one appealing.

Ranking fourth on the Apple App Store’s list of best utility apps, independent developer Karlee Calderolla’s $4.99 Wipr 2 works on a variety of Apple devices, including the iPhone and iPad. Its goal is to block anything that “makes the web slow and ugly.” In addition to blocking popups and ads, Wipr 2 also eliminates smaller prompts and notifications while providing additional security features intended to combat data collection.

With a 4.7-star rating and over 1,200 ratings in the Apple App Store, Wipr 2 includes support for VoiceOver and Voice Control options, and there are also different colored icons for those who like to keep things coordinated. The app’s blocklist is updated twice a week and Wipr 2 supports a multitude of languages. Additionally, the developer claims that users will notice “significant improvements” in their data usage and battery life, but we also recommend other ways to get the most out of your MacBook Pro’s battery life.

Be aware that this extension offers in-app purchases, which include access to the Filtr add-on which applies Wipr functionality to all applications on a device, acting at the network level and promising to avoid a user’s data. App Store customers like this one for its ease of installation and ability to block ads. However, at least one user reported experiencing issues restoring their purchases. This may be a good choice for those who like to support the work of independent developers.

If Wipr 2 is meant to be a cleaner for Safari’s browsing experience, then developer And a Dinosaur’s $1.99 Vinegar – Tube Cleaner is the equivalent for YouTube. What’s interesting about this extension is that users can bundle it with the developer’s other extension, Baking Soda, which works for web video players outside of YouTube. This one can also be ideal for users who are tired of YouTube Premium constantly increasing its prices. Vinegar’s #32 ranking on the App Store’s list of best utility apps also attests to the app’s overall usefulness.

Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Vinegar provides a few small features to the YouTube player, including removing ads and providing picture-in-picture. What’s also interesting about this extension is that it can also allow YouTube videos to play in the background, as long as users remember to set the video to audio-only quality. If you’re curious, it accomplishes all of this by replacing the typical YouTube player with an HTML video tag.

Holding a 4.3-star rating with 756 ratings in the App Store, users love Vinegar for its good picture-in-picture support, ad-blocking capabilities, and consistent updates. Users also like this extension for its cross-compatibility options, although at least one user reports having issues with subtitles always on. Another also reports having experienced reading problems. For those who frequently rely on YouTube as a streaming option, Vinegar may be worth keeping an eye on.

In addition to holding a 4.4-star rating with over 1,100 reviews, Oblador AB’s Hush Nag Blocker made our list as a free Safari extension that aims to eliminate cookies and privacy tracking pop-ups. What’s attractive about this extension is that it doesn’t access or collect user data, and being an open source project with a permissive MIT license is also a bonus. Hush also includes support for various Apple devices, including Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

Promising ease of use, Hush says users only need to download the extensions from the App Store and then enable them in Safari. The nice thing about Hush is that to avoid seeing a user’s browsing habits, Safari does tracking and blocking cookies to prevent pop-ups – Hush just provides the instructions. Since the extension is essentially a set of rules that come with Safari, Hush has a file size of just 3.6MB.

Considering all the privacy features that Apple devices have, this one may be of interest to those who subscribe to the company’s philosophy. In the Apple App Store, one user gave the app points for freeing up space on their device, while others gave it points for its blocking capabilities. However, at least one user also reports that some websites may still slip through the cracks.

We looked at a variety of factors when putting together this list of Safari extensions, including what users across the web and Apple’s App Store have to say about each app. Since most of these extensions cost money or offer in-app purchases, we only recommend apps that hold a 4-star rating or better based on hundreds, if not thousands, of ratings or reviews. Additionally, we also give bonus points to extensions that have broad cross-compatibility, and we’ve done our best to ensure that each item available has something unique to offer users while providing at least periodic updates.