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Save Tabs

A small, single-purpose extension. Click the icon to save the current tab, then search your saved tabs and reopen them later.

Reviewed by Xplorekit's independent developer · Last checked · How we choose

Add to Chrome No price listed · Open source (MIT) · Chrome Web Store · Source on GitHub

Why it's a strong pick

Save Tabs does one job: it saves a tab so you can close it and come back later. It is open source under the MIT licence and uses Manifest V3. The Chrome Web Store version is 1.3.0, updated 9 March 2026, and the repository shows the same version. It asks for only two permissions. The trade-off: it is a saved-tab list, not a session manager.

What it does

Click the icon to save the active tab. You can choose save-and-close or save only. Hold Ctrl and click the icon to save without opening the popup. Click a saved tab to reopen it. By default it is removed from the list, and an option keeps it. You can search saved tabs by title or URL.

Key features

  • One-click save. Save the active tab from the icon.
  • Save and close, or save only. You choose.
  • Fast save. Hold Ctrl and click the icon to skip the popup.
  • Reopen from the list. The tab leaves the list by default; an option keeps it.
  • Search. By title or URL.

Who it's for

Save Tabs is for people who want a plain "read later" list of tabs, without folders, sessions or accounts to manage. It suits you if you close tabs to cut clutter but want to find them again. For full sessions and windows, see Tab Session Manager. For a one-click list, see OneTab.

Is Save Tabs open source?

Yes. The repository's LICENSE file is the MIT licence. You can read the source on GitHub. The store listing says the developer will not collect or use your data. That is the developer's own statement, not an audit by us. We found no statement about needing an account.

What permissions does Save Tabs ask for?

The manifest asks for tabs and storage. It also runs a small script on every page. We read that script: it only listens for the Ctrl key so fast save works, and it sends no page data. Chrome will show access to all sites at install because of this script. Chrome shows the final list.

Is Save Tabs free?

The store listing shows no price, and no paid plan is mentioned in the repository. So we say: no price listed. We do not call it free because the developer does not print that word. The project is small and open source under the MIT licence.

FAQ

Does Save Tabs work with Manifest V3? Yes. The manifest sets manifest version 3.

Does it save whole windows or sessions? No. It saves single tabs. Use a session manager for windows.

Does opening a saved tab delete it? By default the tab is removed from the list when you open it. An option keeps it.

Good to know

Limit: Save Tabs is a saved-tab list, not a full session or window manager. If you want to restore a whole window layout, pick Tab Session Manager or OneTab. Practical tip: since a saved tab leaves the list when you open it, turn on the keep option if you want a permanent reading list.

Other tab managers to compare

Save Tabs is one of 10 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: A free, open-source extension that saves your windows and tabs and brings them back later.
  • Auto Tab Discard: Cuts the memory use of inactive tabs with Chrome’s native tab discarding, without closing them. 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.
  • TabTabTab: An open-source tab manager with one list for all windows and tabs, search, and automatic grouping by domain.

Sources

This is a third-party extension, not built or maintained by Xplorekit. We link to the official Chrome Web Store listing — install and permissions are entirely between you and the extension's own publisher.