Let Your Browser Do the Saving

One of the easiest wins in smart shopping is installing free browser extensions that work quietly in the background. They test coupon codes automatically, alert you when prices drop, and even pay you back a percentage of what you spend. Here are seven worth installing today.

1. Honey (by PayPal)

Best for: Automatic coupon testing at checkout

Honey is one of the most widely used shopping extensions. When you reach checkout on thousands of supported sites, it automatically tests available coupon codes and applies the best one. It also has a "Droplist" feature — add items to it, and Honey will notify you when the price falls.

  • Available on: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
  • Also earns: Honey Gold points redeemable for gift cards

2. Rakuten (formerly Ebates)

Best for: Earning cashback at thousands of stores

Rakuten activates whenever you visit a participating retailer and offers a percentage of your purchase back as real cash. Payments are made via PayPal or check quarterly. It also surfaces any available promo codes.

  • Works with: Amazon, Walmart, Nike, Macy's, and thousands more
  • Bonus: New user signup bonuses are frequently offered

3. Capital One Shopping

Best for: Comparing prices across retailers instantly

Capital One Shopping (formerly Wikibuy) notifies you when an item you're viewing is available cheaper at another retailer. It also tests coupon codes and offers rewards on qualifying purchases. You don't need to be a Capital One customer to use it.

4. CamelCamelCamel (via browser add-on)

Best for: Amazon price history

The Camelizer is CamelCamelCamel's browser extension. On any Amazon product page, it shows you the full price history graph so you can see whether the current price is genuinely low — or if it was lower last month. Essential for avoiding fake "was $X" Amazon pricing.

5. Coupert

Best for: Coupon codes with cashback

Coupert combines automatic coupon testing with a cashback program. When you visit a supported store, a small popup appears showing available deals and your cashback rate. It's a strong alternative to Honey with a growing retailer list.

6. PayPal Honey's Price History (Built-In)

Best for: Seeing whether a deal is real

Beyond just applying coupons, Honey now includes a price history graph similar to CamelCamelCamel, but across a wider range of sites beyond just Amazon. This is useful for verifying that a "sale" is genuinely below the typical price.

7. RetailMeNot Genie

Best for: Coupon codes from a large database

RetailMeNot's extension draws from one of the largest community-maintained coupon databases on the web. When you visit a supported retailer, it notifies you of available codes. It's particularly strong for fashion and home goods retailers.

How to Use These Together (Without Conflicts)

You don't need all seven — that would cause pop-up overload. A practical combination for most shoppers:

  1. Honey for coupon testing + price alerts
  2. Rakuten for cashback (activate it before big purchases)
  3. The Camelizer if you shop Amazon frequently

Note: Using a cashback portal (Rakuten) and a coupon extension (Honey) together can sometimes conflict — if Rakuten's cashback doesn't track, try disabling Honey before clicking through from Rakuten.

Are These Extensions Safe?

All seven extensions listed here are from established companies and are widely used. As with any extension, they do have access to browsing data on shopping sites. Read privacy policies if this is a concern, and only install from official browser extension stores.

The Bottom Line

Installing even two or three of these extensions takes under five minutes and can save you meaningful money on purchases you were already planning to make. They're one of the highest-ROI moves any online shopper can make.