Many of us try to save money where we can. Whether it’s buying cheaper food, cutting back on non-essential purchases, or resisting turning on the heat, it’s likely you’re taking at least a few money-saving steps right now.
But for almost everyone with disposable income, online shopping remains the order of the day. However, with so many retailers clamoring for your attention, it can be difficult to know if you’re actually getting a good price. Don’t assume, for example, that Amazon’s price is the cheapest.
Web browser extensions have been proven to help, either by reducing the total cost of items or making a more informed purchase.
As you browse, they will show you discount codes you can use and lower prices on the same product elsewhere.
Installing extensions is simple: you can either click the buttons below to visit the extension’s website, or navigate to the extension library in your web browser. They are all free. The only problem is that they might not work on your phone’s browser. If so, you will need to use a laptop, PC, or Mac.
Dear
- Available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and Opera
Probably the most well-known extension on this list and if you haven’t installed it, you should. Honey is an easy way to save money online. It automatically tests a selection of promo codes on over 30,000 sites, many of which will give you a useful discount.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Honey also offers cashback on select sites, as well as built-in price tracking so you know the best time to buy.
Poached
- Available for Chrome, Firefox and Edge (Safari coming soon)
Pouch works in much the same way as Honey, although it is only available in the UK. If you’re based there, it’s worth installing both.
A smaller number of retailers are supported by Pouch, but the codes it tests are often different. At some retailers you can also earn Pouch Points – each point will earn you 1p towards your next purchase.
If you’re in the US, try using CouponBirds instead.
Coupert
- Available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari
Coupert is another coupon-based browser extension worth considering. It also tests codes at various retailers (over 20,000 to be precise) and will automatically appear when you checkout.
There is also a generous cashback offer on many sites. Coupert’s main extension is designed for US customers, but there is a separate extension if you’re shopping from the UK.
The camel maker
- Available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera and Safari
Have you ever wondered if this Amazon discount is as good as it looks? Or if now is actually the best time to make a major purchase?
In both of these scenarios, The Camelizer can help. It’s based on Amazon’s popular camelcamelcamel price tracker, allowing you to easily check how a product’s price has fluctuated recently.
Besides a detailed chart, you will also find information on the lowest and highest prices ever recorded. This is very convenient: there is no need to open a separate browser tab and paste the link into the website.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
You can also receive email alerts when the price of specific products drops. If you don’t like The Camelizer, Keepa offers a very similar service.
Gixen
- Available for Chrome and Firefox
Have you ever won an auction on eBay, only to have someone else swoop in at the last second and take it before you had time to do anything? This is not a coincidence and they probably don’t do it manually.
Many experienced buyers use a tactic called “Sniping,” which involves setting up a third-party service to bid automatically just before an auction ends. Gixen is one such service and it can help you avoid paying more than you need to.
Once added to your browser, simply go to any eBay auction page and you will see the option to add it to Gixen. From there, you can choose your maximum bid and let it do the rest.
There is also AuctionStealer if you are looking for an alternative.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor acts as an all-in-one travel companion, covering accommodation, food, flights and much more. But did you know that a lot of these features are available in the official browser extension?
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
In addition to quick access to major website categories, you can also search directly from the extension. But the money-saving feature comes in the form of a hotel price tracker, which lets you keep an eye on changing prices and set alerts.
RatePunk
- Available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari
However, if you’re looking for a more in-depth hotel price comparison, RatePunk is the way to go.
RatePunk
It compares rates from all major booking sites, including Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia and Agoda. If the hotel you’re looking for is cheaper elsewhere, RatePunk will let you know.
There’s even a VPN feature that tells you which country has the lowest price for the hotel you’re looking for. If another country offers cheaper rates, you can book as if you were there.
Evidence
Tripadvisor and RatePunk guarantee you the best deal at the time of booking, but what happens if the price drops later? You may think there’s nothing you can do about it, but Pruvo suggests otherwise.
It specializes in offering discounts After reservation, provided you have a free cancellation policy. Simply book a hotel using one of the major sites and go to the confirmation page. Click the Pruvo icon and your booking details will be sent to the company. You can also forward the confirmation email to [email protected].
If Pruvo finds the same room type in the same hotel before your free cancellation ends, it will notify you. If you don’t hear anything, continue your reservation as normal.
Rakuten Cash Back
- Available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari
A few other extensions on this list offer cashback, but Rakuten specializes in it. The company has more than 500 partner stores, each of which will offer you cashback when you purchase through Rakuten.
Once registered, simply access the retailer as you normally would. A pop-up from the extension will appear, confirming that you will receive cashback.
A few percent cash back doesn’t sound like much, but if you spend a few hundred dollars/pounds it will add up quickly.
do
- Available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari
Buying second hand is one of the easiest ways to save money on items while benefiting the environment. That’s exactly what you can do with Faircado, which prioritizes sustainable purchasing.
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After creating an account and adding it to your browser, you can use it in two ways. Go to the listings page and find a product you want, or search directly in the extension itself.
This works particularly well for books, but a range of different product categories are supported. And it supports GBP, USD, EUR and many other currencies.
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