Browser Extension Directories: Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera Stores Compared
A browser extension is distributed through the browser maker’s own store: the Chrome Web Store, Microsoft Edge Add-ons, Firefox’s addons.mozilla.org and Opera’s add-ons site. The Chrome store charges a one-time registration fee and reviews most items within a few days, though it can take weeks. Chrome’s editors choose what to feature and the docs say it cannot be bought. Start with Chrome, then port to the others.
Why is the store itself the directory for an extension?
A browser will install extensions from its own store, and most users never look elsewhere. There is no side route like a download page that most people trust, so the stores are both the distribution and the discovery. That changes what you optimise: your listing page, your reviews and your approval record matter more than any outside directory.
Outside the stores, a handful of places add visibility: launch boards, communities and your own website, each linking to a store page. Those matter once the store listing exists and converts. The Chrome Web Store submission checklist covers the upload; this page covers where an approved extension can be listed and found.
Everything quoted below was read on 13 November 2026 from the stores’ own documentation. Confirm each point on the current page before you upload, because policies change.
Which stores and directories should you list in?
01 Chrome Web Store
Google’s store for Chrome extensions, with a developer dashboard and a documented review process.
- Fee
- A one-time registration fee; the amount is shown at registration
- Review
- Most items within a few days, up to a few weeks
- Featuring
- Chosen by editors; the docs say developers cannot pay to be featured on the home page
The review page names the signals that slow an item down: new developers, new extensions, dangerous permission requests and significant code changes. A first extension from a new account will trip two of these, so ask for the narrowest permissions you can and write test instructions a reviewer can follow in a minute.
Its discovery page says search results are ranked using criteria including the listing’s metadata, and that badges such as Established Publisher mark developers who verified their identity and complied with the policies. Treat the listing’s title, summary and description as the only SEO you control there.
02 Microsoft Edge Add-ons
Microsoft’s store for Edge extensions, published through Partner Center.
- Steps
- Register as an Edge extension developer, package a .zip, upload it, then it is reviewed
- Needs
- A Partner Center developer account
The documentation walks through the same shape as Chrome: a developer account, a package and a listing form with a description, permissions and images. If your code already runs in Chrome, the work is mostly forms.
We did not read a registration price on the page, so check the registration steps first and see whether a fee applies.
03 Firefox Add-ons (addons.mozilla.org)
Mozilla’s add-on site, with an Extension Workshop that documents listing and self-distribution.
- Account
- A Mozilla Account, then a developer account on AMO
- Routes
- List on AMO, or self-distribute the signed file
- Docs
- Covers both Manifest V2 and V3, and porting a Chrome extension
Mozilla’s workshop has a page on porting a Google Chrome extension, which is a good reason to build with the WebExtensions API in mind from the start. Review and source-code submission are documented separately, so read them before you minify or bundle your code.
Self-distribution is useful if you do not want a listing, but you then handle discovery and updates yourself, which defeats the purpose here. Choose a listing.
Visit Firefox Add-ons (addons.mozilla.org) (extensionworkshop.com) →
04 Opera add-ons
Opera’s add-on catalogue, with a developer area behind an Opera sign-in.
- Catch
- Our check only reached a sign-in page; we cannot state its fee or review rules
It is a small add-on after Chrome and Firefox, worth doing if your users plausibly run Opera. Read its developer rules after you sign in, and do not assume Chrome’s policies apply to it.
05 r/chrome_extensions
A subreddit about browser extensions, where people ask for them and show their own.
- Catch
- Reddit refused our automated check; read its rules before you post
Answer a request for an extension that does what yours does and mention it once. A bare post saying “I built an extension” is the pattern most self-promotion rules are written against.
06 Post your build ideas (our launch board)
A free launch board, ours, that gives an extension a web page you can link from the store and elsewhere.
- Cost
- Free; one verified email
- Catch
- Not a store, no install button
Extensions have no website unless you make one, and stores link out poorly. A board page gives you a public URL to put in a post, a tweet or a README. Launch it here for free with the store link in the description, and see the Chrome extension ideas guide if you want to compare scopes.
How do the stores compare at a glance?
Before you submit to any store, check four things the same way: what registration costs, how long review is said to take, whether a listing can be edited after approval, and whether the store is still maintained. Stores do not use nofollow in the sense a directory does, since the install button is the point, so the link question belongs to your own website’s page instead.
| Store | Account | Fee | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome Web Store | Developer account | One-time registration fee | Most within a few days, some weeks |
| Edge Add-ons | Partner Center | Not confirmed | Review after upload |
| Firefox (AMO) | Mozilla Account | Not confirmed | Review; source-code submission documented |
| Opera | Opera sign-in | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
In what order should you submit?
- Chrome first, since the other stores’ guides assume a Chrome extension as the starting point and its review can take up to a few weeks. Plan around the wait.
- Firefox second, using the porting page, because its review looks at source code and bundling choices.
- Edge third, once the code is stable, because it is mostly a repeat of the Chrome forms.
- Opera last, only if you have evidence that your users run it.
- After approval, put a short link on your own site, publish the board page, and ask each happy user for a store review.
A first release should be small. A narrow extension with one permission passes review sooner and is easier to explain. Use the MVP scope planner to cut it down, and the open-source launch checklist if the code is public. The Chrome extension launch page covers places to promote it. For ideas, browse the productivity ideas on the board.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to publish a Chrome extension?
There is a one-time registration fee for a Chrome Web Store developer account, according to Google’s documentation, and the amount is shown at registration. Publishing items after that does not repeat the registration page. Check the current fee on the registration page, since it can change.
How long does the Chrome Web Store review take?
Google says most extensions are reviewed within a few days but it can take up to a few weeks. New developers, new extensions, dangerous permission requests and significant code changes can make it longer. Request only the permissions you need and give reviewers clear test instructions.
Can I pay to have my extension featured?
Not on the Chrome Web Store home page. Google’s documentation says editors choose featured items on criteria such as performance, design and usefulness, that there is no checklist that guarantees it, and that developers cannot pay to be featured. Build something useful and keep the listing accurate.
Do I need separate code for Firefox and Edge?
Often not. Mozilla documents porting a Chrome extension and supports Manifest V2 and V3, and Edge’s publishing steps resemble Chrome’s. Differences still exist, so test in each browser before you submit. Treat the second and third store as a smaller job than the first.
Where else can I list a browser extension?
Beyond the stores, use a web page you control, a free launch board, and communities that discuss extensions, such as r/chrome_extensions, after reading their rules. Each should link to your store page. Directories that list software may accept an extension, but check their rules before submitting.
Post your build ideas publishes this page and runs a free launch board that competes with some of the sites it names. Facts about other sites came from their own pages on the date shown above; terms, queues and prices change, so confirm on their sites before you decide. About the publisher.