21 Best Chrome Extensions
For Students (and Teachers)

Most of the modern student work is done inside a web browser. If you are in college or university, chances are most of your work and studying is also done in the browser.

In this article, I will guide you through some of the best Chrome extensions every student must-have. Some of these will help you become more productive; some will help you prevent mistakes in your writing.

All of these Google Chrome extensions are free to install, and the apps are super easy to use.

Grammar & Spelling Tools

Grammarly

Grammarly is an advanced grammar-checking tool that tests your writing against hundreds of grammatical mistakes.

The free version of this app will help you prevent grammatical mistakes in most of your writing. The best part about this extension is that it works on almost all websites including Gmail, Google Docs, etc. Unlike most other grammar tools, it gives you the option to select which English you write — British or American.

The premium version of this app will not only help you check for grammar mistakes but it will also help you check your text against plagiarism. It also helps you set a tone for your writing and suggests modifications accordingly.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/grammarly-for-chrome/kbfnbcaeplbcioakkpcpgfkobkghlhen

LanguageTool

Although Chrome’s built-in spellchecker can help you fix some spelling mistakes, it is not equipped to help you fix grammatical mistakes. LanguageTool helps you fix grammar mistakes in over 20 different languages.

It works on almost all sites including social media and email inboxes. LanguageTool underlines text that needs correction and allows you to fix grammatical mistakes with just one click. It marks in text both spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/grammar-and-spell-checker/oldceeleldhonbafppcapldpdifcinji

GrammarBase

GrammarBase is a free grammar checking tool that checks for everything from Punctuation to Style. It can help you fix grammatical errors in your writing with just one click. It also checks your text against plagiarism.

The best part about this grammar checker is that it is completely free and doesn’t require any upgrades to unlock more features. It works on almost all websites including Gmail and Facebook.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/grammarbase-web-grammar-c/plklmneddckmpnnkjldofmaegchjmoea

My Grammar Check

My Grammar Check is a free grammar checking tool that can help you fix basic grammatical errors. It works on almost all websites and allows fixing grammar mistakes with just a click or two.

It also checks for spelling mistakes and suggests fixes you can apply with just a click.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/my-grammar-check/ecpbljknammclncihheaiehdahccgmnk

Ginger

Ginger is one of the most popular grammar checking tools on the Internet. It allows you to fix grammar mistakes with just a click. It also helps you get suggestions for clarity and rephrasing sentences.

It also allows you to translate the text with just a click. The free version of Ginger allows you to fix almost all basic grammar mistakes in your writing across the Internet. It works with Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook, Reddit, and almost all other sites.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/grammar-and-spelling-chec/kdfieneakcjfaiglcfcgkidlkmlijjnh

Plagiarism Checkers

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is a free tool that checks your writing for grammar mistakes and offers suggestions to improve your writing style. It can help you prevent mistakes and make your writing stronger. It also comes with a plagiarism checker.

It works on almost all websites across the Internet including email inboxes, Twitter, and other popular sites. It comes with a built-in Thesaurus that offers suggestions to improve your writing.

All the suggestions can be applied with just one click right from the text as this extension will highlight the text automatically that needs correction or improvement.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/prowritingaid/npnbdojkgkbcdfdjlfdmplppdphlhhcf

Plagly

Plagly is a grammar checker and plagiarism checker. It checks your text against thousands of pages online and reports plagiarizing passages in your text. It also offers suggestions to fix grammar errors in your writing.

Although the first few actions are free, you need to pay an affordable monthly fee to get full access to the tool and unlimited plagiarism checking.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/plagly-plagiarism-checker/dhkdaobajijkikfmfhnebdocgfimnpag

Plagiarism Checker

Plagiarism Checker is a free chrome extension that checks text for plagiarism. You can select any paragraph and right-click the selection to check it for plagiarism.

It is completely free and doesn’t require you to pay to get full access. Although it’s not the perfect tool to check plagiarism with, it is completely free and offers basic plagiarism checking.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/plagiarism-checker-for-ch/pkgnahhgdacdodckgdpomajapacjhjbf

Citation Generators

MyBib

MyBib is a free citation generator extension for Google Chrome. This chrome extension advises you on whether or not a source is credible. It also helps you generate citations based on over 9000 supported, pre-defined citation styles including Chicago, MLA, APA, AMA, and Harvard.

You can either copy your bibliography to the clipboard or download it as a Word document. It can do what EasyBib and Cite This For Me do and do it better. I recommend this extension over the other two options.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mybib-free-citation-gener/phidhnmbkbkbkbknhldmpmnacgicphkf

Cite This For Me

Cite This For Me automatically creates website citations and referencing in documents with many different styles to choose from. The styles include Chicago, APA, MLA, and Harvard.

It does it all with just a click of a button. It allows you to create beautiful citations that look good and are acceptable for academic use.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cite-this-for-me-web-cite/nnnmhgkokpalnmbeighfomegjfkklkle

EasyBib

EasyBib is a free Chrome extension that cites websites with one click and it also advises you on the credibility of the websites you are citing. It is much better to rely on EasyBib than a guess on your own.

It can tell you which citations are credible and can be used and which you should avoid like the plague.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/easybib-toolbar/hmffdimoneaieldiddcmajhbjijmnggi

Dictionary & Thesaurus

Google Dictionary

Google Dictionary is Google’s official Chrome extension that allows you to see definitions directly from Google’s official dictionary. No more searching words on Google to check their meaning or spelling.

You can either click the chrome extension icon and type/paste the word you want Google to define. Or you can simply double click a word anywhere on the page and this extension will show you the meaning in a small in-line popup box.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-dictionary-by-goog/mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja

Power Thesaurus

Power Thesaurus is a free Chrome extension that can show you the antonyms and synonyms without leaving the web page you found the word on. It can help you improve your writing by making it super-easy to find similar, more powerful words to replace your weak words.

You can check the Thesaurus using this extension by either selecting a word and right-clicking the selection. Or you can click the extension icon in the menu bar to type the word manually and search the Thesaurus.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/power-thesaurus/hhnjkanigjoiglnlopahbbjdbfhkndjk

Quillbot

Quillbot is a free chrome extension that helps you replace words with their alternatives from the Thesaurus with just a click. Instead of finding alternatives for each individual word on your own, you can simply put a paragraph or sentence in this tool and click the Quill it button to generate a new paragraph with alternative words.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/quillbot/iidnbdjijdkbmajdffnidomddglmieko

Productivity Tools

Stay Focused

If you hate feeling guilty after wasting hours on social media or YouTube, then Stay Focused is the extension you have been looking for. It helps minimize 5-minute social media check-ins that turn into hours by blocking distracting websites.

This extension allows you to set a daily allowance limit for “social media and distracting websites”. It defaults to only 10 minutes. Your daily allowance is the number of minutes you are allowed to browse the sites in your distraction list.

If you are a hardcore productivity geek, you can enable the nuclear option from the settings which block all the websites completely. The nuclear option can block all websites if you want to spend time offline working on difficult stuff when you can’t afford distractions.

If you want to browse the Internet freely on weekends or after work, you can customize the Active Hours and Active Days options. You can enter all the sites you wish to block in the distractions list from the options menu or you can click the extension’s icon in the menu bar and add the current site to the list from there.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/stayfocusd/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji

Evernote Web Clipper

Evernote is the most popular note-taking app used by millions of people around the world. It can not only make you more productive but it can also help you remember everything you learn. The best part about using Evernote is the ability to capture notes from online content such as web pages, emails, and other content with just a click.

Evernote’s note-taking process can speed up your workflow and offer an easy way to store everything you learn.
Evernote Web Clipper allows you to capture almost everything on the Internet. From research material to memes, you can save everything to your Evernote account with just a few clicks.

This extension also allows you to take screenshots. The best part about this extension is that it allows you to capture only parts of a page. Moreover, it can easily select the contents of web pages such as Reddit Posts, Tweets, Blog Posts, etc.

The best part about saving content with the Web Clipper is that you have a saved copy in your Evernote even if/after the web page has gone offline.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/evernote-web-clipper/pioclpoplcdbaefihamjohnefbikjilc

Todoist

Todoist is one of the most popular todo list apps. It offers apps for all devices including Android, iOS, etc. Keeping a todo list in your head will only cripple your productivity. The Todoist Chrome extension allows you to stay productive all day without forgetting any of your tasks. The clean interface makes it easy to keep an eye on all your tasks for the day.

Todoist is made with collaboration in mind. You can easily collaborate with other people who use Todoist on the tasks and projects. You can leave comments on tasks for your classmates.

What I like the most about Todoist is that it automatically suggests you time and date for tasks based on your schedule. When you create a task, it will suggest a date if you click the calendar icon next to the task name.

To improve your workflow, Todoist allows you to divide your tasks with projects and labels. You can also create filters to filter tasks based on priorities, projects, and who they are assigned to. Todoist can be a minimal todo list or a full-fledged productivity machine with dozens of features such as Reminders, Repeat Tasks, Filters, Labels, and much more.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/todoist-to-do-list-and-ta/jldhpllghnbhlbpcmnajkpdmadaolakh

Dualless

Dualless helps you work with two open windows side by side. Working on just one monitor can be tiring because of all the switching between multiple windows. If you can’t afford two monitors, you can use Dualless to arrange two windows side by side with just a few clicks.

You can drag and drop windows side by side yourself but this extension helps you do it with just a few clicks. Dualless offers many different layout variations to choose from. All you have to do is select two tabs you want to split and click the extension’s icon to select the window split layout.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/dualless/bgdpkilkheacbboffppjgceiplijhfpd

Auto Highlight

Auto Highlight helps you read online content much faster by automatically highlighting the most important parts of the page. It is ridiculously accurate with the highlights most of the time. It can help you cut down your reading time in half.

Rather than reading the whole article, you can click the Auto Highlight icon in the menu bar after installing the extension and it will highlight passages in the content that are the most important. The extension highlights passages with a yellow background. You can edit the color scheme of the highlighted text from the extension options page.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/auto-highlight/dnkdpcbijfnmekbkchfjapfneigjomhh

Kami Extension

Kami is a free extension that allows you to edit and annotate PDF documents right in your browser. It allows you to add text to documents or even draw on them. It works offline and comes with dozens of features for free.

You can edit documents from Google Drive, or Google Classroom. Kami is made to be used collaboratively between students and teachers. It helps you collaborate with your teachers and other students easily.

Whether you want to annotate your notes to make them more readable or want to get your teacher’s review on an assignment, Kami can help you with it. It offers a smooth workflow for both annotating PDF documents and collaborating over them.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kami-extension-pdf-and-do/ecnphlgnajanjnkcmbpancdjoidceilk

Nimbus

Nimbus helps you capture screenshots and record screencasts of your browser. It allows you to capture full page screenshots as well as capture only selected areas of the page. It also allows you to annotate and edit your screenshots right in your browser. You can also add your watermark branding to all your screen captures with just a few clicks.

It can help you edit your screenshots without leaving your browser. It allows you to add insert watermarks, text, and images on top of your screenshots. You can also blur parts of the images with just a few clicks. Nimbus can help you capture important information just the way it is displayed on the page.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/nimbus-screenshot-screen/bpconcjcammlapcogcnnelfmaeghhagj

LastPass

LastPass is one of the best password managers that store your passwords securely in the cloud and gives you secure access to every website you login to from every computer and mobile device.

LastPass remembers all your passwords for you, so you don’t have to choose weak or easy to remember passwords. It's more than just a password manager. It can store not just passwords, but also other important information such as your credit card details, your bank account details.

LastPass comes with a free plan or you can upgrade to premium plans starting at just $3 per month.

Link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lastpass-free-password-ma/hdokiejnpimakedhajhdlcegeplioahd

Here you can browse more apps aimed at students and teachers, including educational games, foreign language learning apps, calculators, and loads more.