Toby vs Session Buddy
By default, Session Buddy keeps your data on your device, and you handle the backups. Toby keeps it on its servers, behind an account. Pick Session Buddy if you want a safety net for open tabs with no account and no cloud. Pick Toby if you want tabs organised by project in a side panel. Both descriptions come from the vendors' own privacy statements.
Toby vs Session Buddy at a glance
| Feature | Toby | Session Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Collections and spaces for project tabs | Saves open tabs into collections and helps recover them after a crash |
| Developer | Launch Labs INC, Vancouver | Listed on the vendor site as hansifer |
| Account needed | Yes. Guest mode has ended | No. The vendor says no signup is required |
| Where your data lives | On Toby's servers | In files on your device by default. Version 4.2.0 adds an optional premium cloud feature |
| Cross-device sync | Via your account | Not by default. Optional premium cloud collections in 4.2.0 |
| Backup and export | Export on request. Toby's policy says within 14 days, and in all events within 30 days | Import/export page. The developer strongly recommends backing up often |
| Manifest V3 | Vendor says it moved to MV3 | Vendor says the v4 rewrite meets Chrome's new rules |
| Side-panel dashboard | Yes (Toby 2.0) | Not stated |
| Cost | Free plan and paid plans. See Toby's pricing page | Check the store listing. The developer mentions donations |
| Best for | Tabs organised by project | A private safety net after a crash |
Which is better, Toby or Session Buddy?
For most people who want a safety net, Session Buddy. It needs no account, and by default its data stays in files on your device, which suits recovering tabs after a crash or restart privately. Toby is the better pick for project work, but it needs an account and server storage. The catch with Session Buddy: backups are on you.
Does Session Buddy need an account?
No. Session Buddy's vendor says it works without a login and that no signup is required. Its privacy policy says your collections, history and settings stay in files on your device, with nothing sent to an outside service. Version 4.2.0 adds optional premium cloud collections, which we did not test, so read the policy again if you turn them on.
Where does Toby store my tabs?
On Toby's servers, tied to your account. Toby's help center says all users must create an account. Its privacy policy says it stores the tabs and lists you add, not the sites you visit. On request it sends an export within 14 days, and in all events within 30. Our Toby safety check has the detail.
How do I back up Session Buddy?
Use its import/export page, and do it often. By default Session Buddy keeps data only on your device, so a wiped browser profile can take your sessions with it. The developer strongly recommends backing up regularly and explains the risks on a data-reliability page. Save the export file outside the browser. See our Session Buddy safety check for more.
Do both work with Manifest V3?
Both vendors say so, in their own words. Toby's help center says it moved to meet MV3 standards. Session Buddy's site says its v4 rewrite follows Chrome's new extension rules and that the old v3 will stop working soon. We have not read either manifest. Check the version you install in the Chrome Web Store.
Good to know
Tip: whichever you pick, test a restore once with a few throwaway tabs before you rely on it. Limit of this page: the store privacy tab lists data types for both, and Session Buddy's list includes payment info because of donations, as its developer explains. We do not rank them on that. Neither publishes a permissions list we could check, so read the install prompt. Also see Toby vs OneTab and OneTab vs Session Buddy.
FAQ
Is Session Buddy open source?
We found no public source code for it. We don't claim either way.
Does Session Buddy sync between computers?
Not by default. Its data stays on one device unless you use the optional premium cloud collections added in version 4.2.0, which we did not test. Export and import also move data.
Can I use Toby without an account?
No. Guest mode has ended, and all users must create an account.
Read more
Both are third-party extensions, not built by Xplorekit. We link to the official Chrome Web Store listings. We don't show ratings or user counts because we can't verify them.