If you have recently switched from Chrome to Firefox, here is what changes and what stays the same — and which extensions make the transition smoother.
What is the same
Extensions: most popular Chrome extensions have Firefox equivalents or identical versions on AMO. uBlock Origin, Bitwarden, 1Password, Honey, LastPass — the major extensions are all available for Firefox.
Sync: Firefox has a built-in sync service (Firefox Account) that syncs bookmarks, history, passwords, tabs, and extensions across devices. If you use Chrome sync heavily, Firefox sync has equivalent coverage.
DevTools: Firefox DevTools is at least as capable as Chrome DevTools, with advantages for CSS Grid debugging.
Performance: modern Firefox is comparable to Chrome on most websites. If you notice a specific site performing significantly worse, check if an extension is involved.
What is different
Extensions store: instead of the Chrome Web Store, Firefox uses AMO (addons.mozilla.org). Some extensions exist on both; some are Chrome-only or Firefox-only. The major productivity and security extensions are available on both.
Default search: Firefox defaults to Google but includes DuckDuckGo, Bing, and others. Easy to change in Settings → Search.
Menu location: the Firefox menu is the hamburger icon in the top right, not a vertical dots menu. Layout is slightly different from Chrome.
Firefox-specific features: Multi-Account Containers (isolate cookies per container), Picture-in-Picture, Reader mode, Enhanced Tracking Protection.
Firefox extensions to install first
Ad blocking: uBlock Origin. Available on both Chrome and Firefox; identical functionality.
Dark mode (if you used this in Chrome): NightOwl adds auto-scheduling by sunset/sunrise, a feature not in Chrome's Dark Reader.
Session saving (if you used OneTab or similar): Tab Manager and Session Saver. Save named sets of tabs.
Why people switch from Chrome to Firefox
Privacy: Enhanced Tracking Protection is on by default. Total Cookie Protection (enabled in Standard mode) prevents cross-site tracking at the cookie level. No dependency on Google's ecosystem.
Memory: Firefox uses less RAM with many tabs open. If you regularly have 20+ tabs, the difference is noticeable.
Independence: Firefox is built by a nonprofit (Mozilla) without an advertising business model. Chrome is built by an ad company.
NightOwl and Tab Manager are two of 11 Firefox extensions I built — see the full series.
