Mozilla is doing it again: detering the addon developers who once made it „big“ (last time was when they forced them from XUL to their new „stable API“ for „long-time compatibility“ – which then proved to change as often as the XUL did before). So again, many of them are „jumping boat“, as they a) have no time to migrate to the new WebExtensions, b) WebExtensions don't offer the APIs required to perform the tasks needed by their addon, c) WebExtensions not even being ready yet (with just a couple of weeks left to the deadline, the API is still changing and far from being completed).
I won't start a rant on „if I wanted a browser that looks like Chrome (Aurora with FF29), behaves like Chrome (only signed addons via a central store), and now feels like Chrome, I'd use Chrome“. Of course that's true, and having to re-configure ~80% of the browser of course lets me consider changing to a different browser (certainly not Chrome, though). But first let's look where we stand (comments, additions and suggestions welcome):
The marks in the WE (WebExtension ready) column stand for:
- „√“: available/ready (at least seamingly, I've not tested them om FF57+ yet)
- „-“: unavailable and won't be created (comment might hold explanation and/or replacement)
- „X“: unavailable, no replacement (mostly none possible due to WE restrictions). When bold, considered a show-stopper (for me)
- „?“: unclear
| Addon | WE | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Add Bookmark Here | X | can't be ported due to WE limitations. Stopped working with FF56. |
| BetterPrivacy | X | Dead. Kill Flash, issue solved. Further, Flash is "click-to-play" now anyway, and FF kills Flash Cookies along with normal Cookies (source?). |
| Adguard | √ | ready (alternative: uBlock Origin, see below) |
| checkCompatibility | X | Dead. Not needed with 57+ anyway, as XUL is dead? Simple Add-On Manager includes the feature to disable compatibility check |
| ClassicThemeRestorer | X | Dead, no replacement (possible). See addon page for work-arounds. Will keep on working with Waterfox (see browser alternatives below). |
| Clear Site Cache | - | ? (issue open) |
| CoLT | - | Format Link is the only one that works (in the version released after 2017-08-24), and the dev gives excellent support. None works on AMO pages, btw. |
| Configuration Mania | X | Dead, no further development (thanks, Mozilla). Replacement? |
| Cookie Controller | - | ? Probably no longer needed (see „Self Destructing Cookies“ below). Looks like it stopped working with FF56 anyway. |
| Decentral Eyes | √ | Ready and rolled out with FF56. |
| Dorando keyconfig | X | Is a replacement even possible? It's alternative Keybinder says here lack of corresponding APIs in WE make it impossible to maintain anymore. Dev of Dorando says the same. |
| Emoji Cheatsheet for GitHub | √ | Ready. |
| ErrorZilla Plus | - | ? |
| Expire History By Days | √ | Ready. |
| Extension List Dumper | X | doesn't work anymore anyway, not updated since 2011. It's fork Extension List Dumper 2 was last updated 1/2017, but isn't a WE either; use about:support instead |
| Extension Options Menu | X | ? |
| Findbar Tweak | X | Dead, and won't be updated anymore. Partial Work-Around: Set findbar.modalHighlight and findbar.highlightAll to true in about:config |
| Go Parent Folder | X | Deleted from AMO. Bookmarks Manager and Viewer claims to cover this. |
| Googlebar Lite | X | Won't be updated anymore. No alternatives known. |
| Greasemonkey | √ | WE (v4.*) released on 2017-11-02. Alternatives: ViolentMonkey, TamperMonkey, Custom Style Script |
| Greasy Scripts | - | won't be ported |
| Html Validator | √ | WE released as v0.9.8. As usual, the WE version is limited; see feature comparison. So e.g. it only works with DeveloperTools being open (not even an icon without that), and can no longer validate Frames. |
| HTTPS Everywhere | √ | WE ready. Alternative: Smart HTTPS (Revived) |
| Image Context Menu | - | ? FoxyImage offers parts of this (and adds other features), though "reload" and "search" seem to be missing. Media Reload might have the former (video only?) |
| More About | ? | about:about? |
| Neo Diggler | √ | ready for XMas 2017; if not satisfied, partly solutions: Navigate Up + Wayback Helper / The Archiver / Archiver Menu |
| NoScript | √ | Ready. Alternative: uMatrix |
| - | revert to the lousy support built-in to FF – and add In my Pocket – or switch to (self-hosted) Wallabag and use Wallabagger? | |
| Privacy Settings | ? | WE ready, but rather limited as WEs cannot directly change FF settings. |
| Profilist | ? | web extension version: help needed |
| QR Code Generator | √ | Ready. |
| Quick Locale Switcher | X | development stopped in 2013. Its fork won't get a WebExt. Couldn't find a replacement. |
| Referrer Control | ? | Looks like this won't be updated, as the corresponding issue has been closed without comment. Alternatives: Referer Control, but that one has privacy issues (loads 3rd party JS plus Disqus comments in iFrame, config page only) and lacks rule for "same domain" plus "from › to" connections. Smart Referer seems to be the better choice. |
| Restart | - | Use Shift-F2 to open Developer Toolbar CLI, type restart, press enter. |
| Second Search | √ | WE released. Part of the original functionality is meanwhile integrated with Firefox directly. |
| Self-Destructing Cookies | - | replacement: Cookie AutoDelete |
| Server Switcher | X | no longer maintained (last version 5/2014). With some modifications. Dev points to Location Switcher as replacement; Domainswitcher might be usable with some modifications |
| Session Manager | ? | Dev states porting impossible unless Mozilla provides proper API (see addon page). Further details include migration hints. |
| Show Chromeless | X | There's a work-around (bookmarklet, see below) – but creating a hotkey requires Dorado Keyconfig (no longer working with 57+) |
| Show Selected Images | ? | ? |
| Simple Locale Switcher | ? | waiting for API updates |
| SSleuth | ? | may come later |
| Stylish | √ | Ready. Alternatives: Stylus, Custom Style Script, xStyle (AMO) |
| Tab Mix Plus | ? | |
| TableTools2 | X | last update 4/2012; partly: GM TableSorter (no filter, no copy-as) |
| TagSieve | ? | unlikely. Last version 1/2016. |
| uBlock Origin | √ | Ready. |
| Video WithOut Flash | - | last update 10/2015 |
| Xmarks | √ | ready (but a little feature-restricted) |
Create a bookmarklet for
javascript:(function(){window.open(window.location.href,"Chromeless","menubar=no,location=yes")}())- embed the link into some HTML page
- open the bookmarks toolbar
- drag and drop the link there
- assign a keyword to the new bookmarklet (needed for the next steps)
Use Keyconfig addon to create a hotkey for the bookmarklet:
- open Keyconfig
- chose to "add a new key"
- paste into the text area (replacing "KEYWORD" with the keyword used for the bookmarklet):
getShortcutOrURIAndPostData('KEYWORD').then(function(result){loadURI(result.url);}); - assign the hotkey
- click "apply"
Now, pressing the configured hotkey will open the page you've got in the foreground tab in a separate, chromeless window.
- Compatibility list at AreWeWebExtensionsYet.
- Reddit has a list of alternatives (especially see this extensive GDoc sheet, where I've meanwhile integrated most of the above (and below))
- ghacksuserjs: Firefox Add-ons
- Extension Finder: Find alternatives to legacy addons
- Favorite WebExtensions? gives additional sources
- Firefox Profilemaker: Firefox ganz einfach anpassen (for users with FF57+: creating a privacy-friendly
user.jsas that's no longer possible with WEs; also see Firefox: user.js mit Blick auf Sicherheit und Privatsphäre) - Firefox Quantum: Diese Addons sind einen Blick wert (security/privacy-wise)
- How to enable Firefox WebExtensions on Mozilla websites (thanks to @Teko101 for pointing to this
about:configsetting: a hidden preferenceprivacy.resistFingerprinting.block_mozAddonManager(boolean, set it totrue). FF57+ only.
The latest developments at Mozilla's end are not only disappointing in terms of "dropped functionalities" and related restrictions, but also privacy wise:
- Google Analytics is used to track users
- features integrated into its core which are proprietary and cloud based, again posing privacy risks: Pocket, screenshot w/ auto-upload to the cloud, Cliqz (collecting your complete browsing history incl. URLs), Search Shield Study – and the list goes on.
Some of the stuff has an „opt-out“ – but you can use that only if you know it's there, which most users won't. Or you have to use about:config hacks to disable it (e.g. screenshot). I'd call that a definite end to „do no evil” – and probably a „spelling error” in their privacy terms (a missing comma, so read it: „We take your privacy, seriously“).
In this context, instead of looking to replace addons one maybe should rather look to replace the entire browser. Just giving some examples to investigate (without already having done so in-depth – so please point out if any of those also have similar issues):
- Waterfox: Android, Linux, Mac, Windows (Github); supports „legacy” XUL/XPCOM-Addons and WebExtensions; Debian repository/PPA (with instructions); removed Pocket, telemetry, data collection, „sponsored tiles“ on new-tab page; can be used parallel to FF as of WF55 it uses its own profile directory (offers import of FF profile on first start)
- Pale Moon: Android, Linux, Windows (Github); repositories for Debian and Ubuntu; will NOT support WebExtensions – so up-to-date addons will only be working for either FF or PM (unless the dev makes two builds)
- Basilisk: Linux, Windows. Made by the Pale Moon team, this will support XUL/XPCOM Addons and Web Extensions.
- Vivaldi (native Linux 64bit, Mac, Windows): based on Chromium, so it supports Chrome Webstore for extensions; meant for power users; at least 5 Reasons to Use to Vivaldi Instead of Chrome or Firefox; but also see: Should I pick Vivaldi over ungoogled-chromium for privacy? (Vivaldi is based on Chromium and not open source)
- Otter-Browser ("Classic Opera in Qt5"; Linux, Mac, Windows): Addon support? Still open it seems. Support for UserStyles/UserScripts might be built in (open issues). Ubuntu PPA
- qutebrowser (Python3 and Qt5 based, QtWebKit; Linux, Mac, Windows): keyboard-driven, vim-like
signTextJS, all forks, dead for good.