Why it's a strong pick

Auto Tab Discard keeps your tabs and frees the memory behind the ones you are not using. It is open source under the MPL-2.0 license, and its code is public on GitHub. It uses Manifest V3, Chrome's current extension format. The repository's latest release came on 24 August 2026, a repo release date rather than a store date.

What it does

The extension uses Chrome's native tab discarding method to reduce the memory use of inactive tabs. The README claims this is more efficient and should be less buggy than extensions that use DOM replacement. That is the developer's own claim, and we did not test it. A discarded tab stays in your tab strip.

Key features

Native discarding. It uses chrome.tabs.discard, per the README.
Keyboard commands. Discard the current tab, a tab tree, the window, other windows, or tabs to the left or right.
Tab movement. Commands move you to the previous or next tab.
Popup and options page. Control it from the toolbar and settings.
Admin policies. A managed storage schema lets admins set options.
Open source. The code is public under MPL-2.0.

Who it's for

It is for people who keep many tabs open and want to free memory without closing them. If you only have a handful of tabs, you may not notice a difference. The extension is open source under MPL-2.0. The README does not state a price.

What permissions does Auto Tab Discard ask for?

Its manifest asks for idle, storage, contextMenus, notifications, alarms and scripting. It also asks for access to all sites, and it runs a content script on every page. That is how it can see page activity. Read the install prompt before you add it.

How does it differ from closing tabs?

A closed tab is gone from your tab strip. A discarded tab stays there, but Chrome unloads its page from memory. When you click it, the page loads again. That is the idea behind the README's aim of reducing memory use of inactive tabs.

Can discarding lose my unsaved work?

We could not confirm this from the files we read. To be safe, save forms and drafts before you leave a tab idle. Look in the options page for whitelist and protection settings that keep chosen tabs from being discarded. Check them before you rely on it.

What does it do with my data?

We could not read the developer's privacy policy when we checked; read it before installing. The README links to a policy on the developer's website. The manifest shows a content script on every page and access to all sites. We did not read the linked policy, so we cannot say what it covers.

FAQ

Is it open source? Yes, under the MPL-2.0 license.

Does it use Manifest V3? Yes. The repository has a v3 folder with a service worker.

Who makes it? The repository is under the rNeomy account, and its homepage is on webextension.org.

Good to know

Because it runs on every page, review its settings after you install it. Add the tabs you never want discarded, such as web apps and tabs with open forms, to its whitelist. Try the keyboard commands on a test window first.

Other tab managers to compare

Auto Tab Discard is one of 8 picks in our tab managers guide:

OneTab: Turns all your open tabs into one list you can restore later. Free to install.
Toby: Save tabs into collections and spaces, and keep them in a side panel. Account required.
Workona: Save tabs into project spaces that sync through the cloud. Free plan, paid plans.
Session Buddy: Save open tabs into collections, search them and recover them after a crash. Free to install, no account.
Tab Wrangler: Closes tabs you have not touched for a while and keeps them in a list you can search. Free and open source.
Tab Session Manager: Save your windows and tabs as sessions, by hand or automatically, and restore them later. Free and open source.
The Marvellous Suspender: Suspends idle tabs to free memory and CPU. Open source, based on The Great Suspender. Asks for access to all sites.

Compare: Auto Tab Discard vs The Marvellous Suspender