Tab Manager Plus Alternative: 7 Options for Chrome (2026)

Looking for a Tab Manager Plus alternative? Compare 7 options for tab groups, session history, keyboard switching and saved project sets in Chrome.

The best Tab Manager Plus alternative depends on the gap you hit: Tab Session Manager for tab groups, Session Buddy for crash recovery, Tabli for keyboard switching, and SuperCommands if you reopen the same pages every day. Tab Manager Plus is not abandoned, though: version 7.0.0 shipped October 15, 2026, so you may not need to switch.

Why do people leave Tab Manager Plus?

Usually for one of three specific gaps. Tab Manager Plus shows every window and tab in one popup, with regex filters, duplicate highlighting, per-window tab caps and drag between windows. It is MPL-2.0 open source on Chrome, Edge, Brave and Firefox.

No tab groups: the README says Chrome tab groups are not supported yet.
No session history: saved windows are manual only.
No library: nothing ties a saved window to notes or a to-do.

Tab Manager Plus alternatives compared

User counts are from the Chrome Web Store, October 2026. "Not stated" means the listing and site do not mention tab groups; test before relying on it.

Alternative	Fixes this gap	Tab groups	Open source	Users
Chrome built-ins	No install	Native	n/a	Built in
Tabli	Keyboard switching	Not stated	Yes	50K
Session Buddy	Crash recovery	Not stated	No	1M
Tab Session Manager	Auto saves, groups	Yes (7.2.0+)	MPL-2.0	100K
Tabs Outliner	Tree with notes	Not stated	No	100K
Workona	Project spaces	Resource sections	No	200K
SuperCommands	Reopening tab sets	No	Yes	n/a

Seven alternatives, by the gap they fix

Chrome's built-in tab search and vertical tabs

Best for: trying before installing anything.

Chrome now covers search across windows and a full list of titles.

Scenario: press Ctrl + Shift + A (Cmd + Shift + A on Mac) or type @tabs and Tab in the address bar; right-click the tab strip for Show Tabs Vertically (Google). Edge toggles vertical tabs with Ctrl + Shift + ,.
Skip it if: you rely on tab caps, regex filters or all windows side by side.
Price: free.

Tabli

Best for: a lighter keyboard switcher.

Tabli is a searchable popup of all windows and tabs with saved windows; updated October 18, 2026, rated 4.5, and its listing says it sends no data externally.

Skip it if: you need tab limits or layouts.
Price: free.

Session Buddy

Best for: getting yesterday's tabs back.

Session Buddy adds a history timeline, collections and one search across open tabs, collections and history.

Weakness: local only, no sync yet; 3.3 rating, the lowest here.
Price: free.

Tab Session Manager

Best for: staying open source with tab groups.

Tab Session Manager saves sessions when windows close and on a timer (every 0.5 minutes at most under Manifest V3), with tags, cloud sync and Session Buddy import.

Weakness: a session tool, not a live grid; pair it with tab search.
Price: free, MPL-2.0.

Tabs Outliner

Best for: a tree instead of a grid.

Tabs Outliner nests new tabs under their opener, lets you annotate items, and "close and save" turns a window into a saved branch.

Weakness: shortcuts and automatic backups need a one-time payment, price not listed.
Price: free core.

Workona

Best for: one space per project.

Workona autosaves spaces and suspends tabs to save memory.

Weakness: needs an account and is the biggest habit change here.
Price: unlimited spaces and 90-day session backups are on Pro (plans).

SuperCommands

Best for: windows you save over and over, like "monthly report".

SuperCommands does not list open tabs; you save a set once and reopen it by command (Links docs).

Scenario: open five month-end tabs, press Alt + S, type c link, pick Current Tabs, set the shortcut monthend; next month type c, Space, monthend. c duplicate and c merge tidy live tabs.
Weakness: saves addresses only, and no grid view; Chrome, Edge and Brave only.
Price: free and open source; the local version is 100% free, forever.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Tab Session Manager if you only need tab groups to work.
Pick Tabli if you want something lighter, or Session Buddy if you lost a window once too often.
Pick Tabs Outliner for trees or Workona for project spaces.
Pick SuperCommands if you keep saving the same windows. See the best tab manager Chrome extensions and Session Buddy alternatives.

FAQ

Is Tab Manager Plus still maintained?

Yes. Version 7.0.0 reached the Chrome Web Store on October 15, 2026, though over 100 GitHub issues are open.

Does Tab Manager Plus support Chrome tab groups?

Not yet, per its README. Tab Session Manager and Toby both list tab group support.

Is there an open-source alternative to Tab Manager Plus?

Yes: Tab Session Manager (MPL-2.0), Tab Wrangler (GPL-3.0) and SuperCommands.

Does Tab Manager Plus work in Firefox?

Yes. It ships builds for Chrome, other Chromium browsers and Firefox.