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Ask HN: Make money on browser extension – possible?
Is there anybody out there making money on browser extensions? I wonder if any business models are based on that (most browser extensions are free / just an addition to the main product).
- eimrine 3y agoHow about developing and supporting a browser extension for some company? Have you researched what extensions are able to do? For example extensions for VPN service which is never free. I would like to pay for adBlock if it becomes paid, I do not use any other extension regularly.
- jasiek-net 3y agoVPN and adblock are good examples of extensions that give real value to the user. When it comes to writing code for someone, I was more interested in the idea for a startup and its business model.
- eimrine 3y agoVPN is not just a browser extension, this is properly configured someone's computer and an improper way of receiving VPN service. Adblock is also not just a browser extension, this is a result of some community willing to reverse engineer whatever the web throws at me.
- wwwlouishinofun 3y agoI am willing to pay for this translation plug-in I use. For example, if I type this word and click the space three times, you can see it in English.
- wwwlouishinofun 3y agoIn this reply box, I just need to press space three times
- jasiek-net 3y agoYep, I use Grammarly and it has similar functionality
- wscourge 3y agoI've seen multiple products that let teams collaborate/leave comments on any website. Examples that I found now: - ruttl.com/website-annotation-tool - xaviesteve.com/common but I remember seeing others in the recent months on r/SaaS and r/SideProject.
- wscourge 3y agoHere, I found the most recent one that got my attention: https://www.justbeepit.com/ https://www.justbeepit.com/
- kildyt 3y agoI sometimes post on Reddit about https://www.pageshare.dev/ https://www.pageshare.dev/ . It's more suitable for web apps because it copies websites. Disclaimer: I'm the author of it.
- jasiek-net 3y agoDo you mean reddit or are there threads on HN?
- wscourge 3y agoReddit
- 8organicbits 3y agoProducts making money from browser extensions aren't traditionally thought of as browser extensions. 1password, bitwarden, and others are a good example. These are password managers, but the most common way of using them is via an extension.
- jasiek-net 3y agoThanks! That's exactly my point! Browser extensions are rarely an independent business model, they are usually connected with some bigger project / platform and the extension is just an additional thing.