Privacy-First New Tab Extensions Ranked: Protect Your Data

Your new tab extension sees every tab you open. That's a lot of browsing data. Not all extensions handle this responsibly. Some store your data in the cloud, require accounts, and track usage for analytics.

This guide ranks new tab extensions by privacy so you can make an informed choice.

Why Privacy Matters for New Tab Extensions

The Access Problem

New tab extensions have significant browser access:

What Can Go Wrong

With bad privacy practices:

• Browsing patterns sold to advertisers
• Data breaches expose your habits
• Usage analytics reveal personal info
• Account credentials become targets

With good privacy practices:

• Data stays on your device
• No servers to breach
• No accounts to compromise
• Nothing to sell

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Privacy Evaluation Criteria

We evaluated each extension on:

1. Data Storage Location

2. Account Requirements

3. Tracking & Analytics

4. Permissions Requested

5. Source Code

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The Rankings

#1: Dream Afar — Best Overall Privacy

Privacy Score: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Dream Afar leads in privacy with zero compromises:

Privacy Highlights:

• 100% local storage — Nothing synced to servers
• No account — Can't create one even if you wanted
• No analytics — No usage tracking whatsoever
• Minimal permissions — Only what's necessary
• Clear privacy policy — Straightforward documentation

Why It Wins: Dream Afar was designed privacy-first from day one. There's no cloud infrastructure, no user accounts, no analytics. Your data physically cannot leave your device because there's nowhere for it to go.

Trade-off: No cross-device sync (because no cloud)

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#2: Tabliss — Best Open Source Privacy

Privacy Score: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Tabliss matches Dream Afar's privacy with the added bonus of open source:

Privacy Highlights:

• Open source (GitHub) — Anyone can audit the code
• Local storage only — Data stays on device
• No account — Never required
• No tracking — Verifiable through code
• Community maintained — Transparent development

Why It's Excellent: Being open source means Tabliss's privacy claims are verifiable. Anyone can check the code to confirm there's no hidden tracking.

Trade-off: Fewer productivity features than Dream Afar

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#3: Bonjourr — Minimalist Privacy

Privacy Score: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Bonjourr's minimalism extends to data collection — there is none:

Privacy Highlights:

• Open source
• Local storage only
• No accounts
• Minimal footprint

Why It's Excellent: Bonjourr collects nothing because it needs nothing. Its minimalist philosophy means minimal data.

Trade-off: Very limited features

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#4: Infinity New Tab — Good with Caveats

Privacy Score: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Infinity offers good privacy by default, but cloud features reduce the score:

Privacy Highlights:

• Local storage by default
• Account is optional
• Cloud sync available (reduces privacy if used)

Concerns:

• Cloud sync sends data to servers
• Account creation enables tracking
• More permissions than necessary

Trade-off: Better features, less privacy certainty

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#5: Momentum — Privacy Concerns

Privacy Score: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Momentum's premium model requires cloud infrastructure that impacts privacy:

Privacy Concerns:

• Cloud storage for premium users
• Account required for full features
• Usage analytics collected
• Data used for "improvement"

From their privacy policy:

• Collects usage data
• May share with service providers
• Account data stored on servers

Trade-off: Good features if you accept privacy compromise

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#6: Homey — More Privacy Trade-offs

Privacy Score: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Homey's cloud-first approach means more privacy concerns:

Privacy Concerns:

• Cloud storage default
• Account encouraged for features
• Less transparent about data practices

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#7: Start.me — Account Required

Privacy Score: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Start.me requires an account, which fundamentally impacts privacy:

Privacy Concerns:

• Account required to use
• All data stored in cloud
• Syncing means server storage

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Privacy Ranking Summary

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Privacy Feature Comparison

Data Storage Methods

Account Requirements

Tracking Practices

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How to Verify Privacy Claims

Check Network Traffic

1. Open DevTools (F12)
2. Go to Network tab
3. Use the extension normally
4. Look for suspicious requests
5. Good: Only wallpaper CDNs
6. Bad: Analytics endpoints, trackers

Review Permissions

1. Go to chrome://extensions
2. Click "Details" on the extension
3. Review "Site access" and "Permissions"
4. Fewer = better

Read Privacy Policies

Look for red flags:

• "We may share with third parties"
• "For advertising purposes"
• "Analytics and improvements"
• Vague language about data use

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Recommendations by Privacy Priority

Maximum Privacy (No Compromise)

Choose: Dream Afar, Tabliss, or Bonjourr

All three store data locally only with zero tracking. Pick based on features:

• Dream Afar: Most features
• Tabliss: Open source
• Bonjourr: Most minimal

Good Privacy with Features

Choose: Dream Afar

Full productivity suite with perfect privacy practices.

Privacy Acceptable, Need Integrations

Choose: Momentum (understand the trade-off)

If you need Todoist/Asana integration and accept cloud storage.

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Final Thoughts

The Privacy-Feature Trade-off

In most categories, privacy and features are trade-offs. New tab extensions are an exception:

Dream Afar proves you can have both:

• Full feature set (todos, timer, focus mode, weather)
• Perfect privacy (local only, no tracking, no account)

There's no reason to compromise.

Our Recommendation

For privacy-conscious users: Dream Afar

You get everything — wallpapers, productivity tools, focus mode — without any privacy sacrifice. It's the rare case where the best privacy option is also the best feature option.

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Related Articles

• Chrome New Tab Extensions Compared
• Dream Afar vs Momentum: Complete Comparison
• Best Free Alternatives to Momentum
• Chrome New Tab Privacy Settings

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Ready for private, full-featured browsing? Install Dream Afar free →