Dream Afar vs Momentum: Complete Feature Comparison 2025
Detailed comparison of Dream Afar and Momentum new tab extensions. Compare features, pricing, privacy, and performance to find the best Chrome new tab extension for you.
Choosing the right new tab extension can significantly impact your daily browsing experience. In this comprehensive comparison, we'll examine how Dream Afar and Momentum stack up across every important category.
Overview
Momentum has been a popular choice since 2013, known for its clean design and motivational focus. Dream Afar is a newer, privacy-focused alternative that prioritizes local data storage and free access to all features.
Let's dive into the details.
Pricing Comparison
Momentum Pricing
- Free tier: Basic features with limitations
- Momentum Plus: $5/month or $36/year
- Premium features include: custom photos, unlimited todos, focus mode, integrations
Dream Afar Pricing
- Completely free: All features included
- No premium tier
- No subscriptions
- No in-app purchases
Winner: Dream Afar — Everything is free, forever.
Privacy & Data
How Momentum Handles Your Data
- Requires account creation
- Stores data on cloud servers
- Collects usage analytics
- Syncs across devices (requires cloud storage)
How Dream Afar Handles Your Data
- No account required
- All data stored locally in your browser
- Minimal anonymous analytics (can be disabled)
- Chrome Sync available (optional, via Chrome)
Winner: Dream Afar — True privacy-first design.
Wallpaper Features
Momentum Wallpapers
| Feature | Free | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Daily wallpapers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom photos | ✗ | ✓ |
| Wallpaper history | Limited | ✓ |
| Choose wallpaper | ✗ | ✓ |
Dream Afar Wallpapers
| Feature | Available |
|---|---|
| Unsplash integration | ✓ |
| Google Earth View | ✓ |
| Custom photo upload | ✓ |
| Wallpaper favorites | ✓ |
| Collection selection | ✓ |
| Refresh intervals | ✓ |
Winner: Dream Afar — More wallpaper sources and all features free.
Productivity Features
Todo Lists
Momentum Free: Limited todos, basic functionality Momentum Plus: Unlimited todos, recurring tasks, integrations
Dream Afar: Unlimited todos, completely free
Focus Mode
Momentum: Premium feature ($5/month) Dream Afar: Free, includes site blocking
Notes
Momentum: Basic notes (Plus for advanced) Dream Afar: Quick notes widget, free
Timer/Pomodoro
Momentum Plus: Focus timer included Dream Afar: Pomodoro timer, free
Winner: Tie — Both offer solid productivity features, but Dream Afar offers them all for free.
Customization
Momentum Customization
- Limited font options (free)
- Theme customization (Plus)
- Widget positioning (Plus)
- Custom backgrounds (Plus)
Dream Afar Customization
- Widget positioning (drag and drop)
- Multiple wallpaper sources
- Custom photo uploads
- Theme options
- All free
Winner: Dream Afar — More customization options available for free.
Performance
Both extensions are lightweight and performant, but there are differences:
Momentum
- Requires network requests for account sync
- Loads wallpapers from Momentum's servers
- Slightly longer initial load time
Dream Afar
- No account sync overhead
- Loads wallpapers from CDN sources (Unsplash, Google)
- Fast initial load
- Works offline (with cached wallpapers)
Winner: Dream Afar — Slightly faster due to no account overhead.
Browser Support
Momentum
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Edge
- Safari
Dream Afar
- Chrome
- Edge
- Brave
- Other Chromium browsers
Winner: Momentum — Wider browser support including Safari and Firefox.
Integrations
Momentum Plus Integrations
- Todoist
- Asana
- Trello
- Google Tasks
- GitHub
Dream Afar Integrations
- None currently (standalone design)
Winner: Momentum — More third-party integrations (Plus required).
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Dream Afar | Momentum Free | Momentum Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | $5/month |
| Account Required | No | Yes | Yes |
| Local Data Storage | Yes | No | No |
| Daily Wallpapers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Photos | Yes | No | Yes |
| Unsplash Integration | Yes | No | No |
| Earth View | Yes | No | No |
| Unlimited Todos | Yes | No | Yes |
| Focus Mode | Yes | No | Yes |
| Site Blocking | Yes | No | Yes |
| Pomodoro Timer | Yes | No | Yes |
| Weather Widget | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party Integrations | No | No | Yes |
| Offline Support | Yes | Limited | Limited |
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose Dream Afar If You:
- Value privacy and local data storage
- Don't want to create another account
- Want all features for free
- Prefer Unsplash/Earth View wallpapers
- Use Chrome, Edge, or Brave
Choose Momentum If You:
- Need third-party integrations (Todoist, Asana)
- Use Safari or Firefox
- Don't mind cloud-based data storage
- Are already invested in the Momentum ecosystem
The Verdict
For most users, Dream Afar offers better value with its privacy-first approach and free access to all features. Momentum remains a solid choice if you specifically need Safari/Firefox support or third-party task manager integrations.
If privacy and cost are your top concerns, Dream Afar is the clear winner.
Ready to try Dream Afar? Install free from Chrome Web Store →
Try Dream Afar Today
Transform your new tab into a beautiful, productive dashboard with stunning wallpapers and customizable widgets.