Leaf Browser was the premier Chrome extension for students and professionals who needed high-level tab management. Its unique hierarchical tab system and network restriction bypassing features helped the leaf browser gain immense popularity within educational environments. Sadly, the last development on the extension was completed in 2018, thus prompting users to search for decent leaf browser alternatives.
In this comprehensive guide, I will explore the best Leaf Browser alternatives currently available in 2025 that perfectly fulfil your browsing needs. Whether you’re a student looking to access a Leaf Browser clone or a professional seeking advanced tab management, we’ll cover options that match or exceed Leaf Browser’s capabilities.
Table of Contents
What Made Leaf Browser So Popular?
Leaf Browser first hit the Chrome Web Store on May 11, 2016, under the title Leaf Browser Alpha, by Sam Lanning. This lightweight Chrome extension has gained much popularity over time for a variety of skills promoting student and professional use:
Advanced Tab Management Features:
- Organize tabs in a hierarchy: tabs, subtabs, and sub-subtabs
- Rename tabs for easy identification
- Use colours for visual organization
- Quick access sidebar navigation
Performance Benefits:
- “Turn off” inactive pages to reduce memory usage
- Better browser performance through resource management
- Lightweight so as not to burden Chrome
Network Bypass Capabilities:
Leaf Browser enabled many users, especially students, to access school websites that had previously been banned. Thus, the extension was very popular in educational environments.
Despite all its popularity, however, Leaf Browser is not without shortcomings. The counterargument against its casual ease of use is that it is restricted to Chrome and ChromeOS, hasn’t been updated since 2018, and lacks security features that modern browsers have. These drawbacks, of course, prompted many users to look for better alternatives.
Top Alternatives to Leaf Browser
Horse Browser: The Ultimate Leaf Browser Successor
The Horse Browser is the clear winner among Leaf Browser alternatives. It was developed specifically as a successor to Leaf Browser while further developing and polishing the elements that made the original extension famous.
Key Features:
- Trails Technology: Horse Browser allows newly opened links to be organized into pages within an organized, structured system called “Trails,” just like Leaf Browser’s hierarchical tabs.
- Custom Icons: In place of color-coding used by Leaf Browser, Horse Browser permits custom icons and Emojis for ease of visual identification.
- Sidebar-Side Improvements: Note-taking tools and drag-and-drop for folder organization are tightly integrated.
- Productivity Integration: The included password manager, ad blocker, dark mode, and the capability of exporting to Notion are just a few of the features useful for productivity.
- Superior Resource Management: It can keep many pages open without taxing system resources.
Horse Browser improves on all the shortcomings of Leaf Browser, albeit the products follow a design familiar to the users they served so well. This software will be regularly updated with security updates and greater customization options.
Vivaldi: Customization Powerhouse
Vivaldi is known for the advanced features it provides users with, including comprehensive customisation tools and highly effective tab management.
Notable Features:
- Two-layer organization through tab stacking and tiling
- Syncing across devices makes built-in notes very useful
- Reader mode for distraction-free browsing
- Highly customizable interface
Limitations:
- Overwhelming for new users
- It consumes more memory compared to lighter alternatives
- Some feel that the clutter of options makes the interface confusing to use
Opera: Feature-Rich All-in-One Solution
Opera provides a comprehensive and valuable browsing experience, complete with privacy and productivity tools built right into it.
Notable Features:
- An in-built VPN service, which is free, for increased privacy.
- An in-built ad blocker that makes surfing the web quick and smooth.
- Touch on the sidebar for quick access to workspaces and messaging apps.
- Turbo mode improves performance over slower connections.
Limitations:
- Not all users require all features.
- The way it organizes Workspaces is not hierarchical, as found in the Leaf Browser.
Brave: Privacy-Focused Alternative
Brave entices users who value their privacy and speed, along with some organization.
Notable Features:
- Better organization through vertical tab layout
- Further speed enhancement through built-in ad and tracker blocking
- Maximum privacy with zero data collection
- Support for Web 3 technologies
Limitations:
- Inferior tab management to Leaf Browser
- Fewer built-in productivity tools in comparison with the other alternatives
Chrome Extensions: Basic Tab Management
There are many Chrome extensions that allow for very simplistic organization of tabs. For instance:
Tree Tab Sidebar:
- This simply displays tabs as a long vertical list within Chrome’s sidebar.
- It features a straightforward interface with just a few basic functionalities.
- No dragging and dropping or renaming is possible.
Tab Outliner:
- Hierarchical organization of the open tabs.
- Has a more complex interface that might confuse the fledgling user.
- Better suited for tab organization than Tree Tab Sidebar, but has less charm than the Leaf Browser.
Comparing Leaf Browser Alternatives
| Feature | Horse Browser | Vivaldi | Opera | Brave | Chrome Extensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hierarchical Tabs | ✓ (Trails) | ✓ (Stacking) | ✓ (Workspaces) | ○ (Vertical) | ✓ (Basic) |
| Tab Customization | ✓ (Icons) | ✓ (Colors) | ○ (Limited) | ○ (Minimal) | ○ (Basic) |
| Resource Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ○ |
| Sidebar Navigation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ○ | ✓ |
| Note-Taking | ✓ | ✓ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Built-in VPN | ○ | ○ | ✓ | ○ | ○ |
Choosing the Right Leaf Browser Alternative
For Students and Educators
Best Recommendation: Horse Browser
- Direct successor to Leaf Browser with a familiar interface
- Improved productivity tools for research and study
- Resource management to manage several assignments
- Export function for academic workflow implementation
Other Options:
- Brave: When the most important point is privacy
- Vivaldi: Who is for maximum customization for users
- Chrome Extensions: Slight impact on the current existing setup of Chrome
For IT Professionals
Best Recommendation: Vivaldi or Horse Browser
- For total “hold” and “look” customization, go for Vivaldi.
- Horse Browser is good for productivity-oriented workflows.
- Both have robust tab management for complex projects.
For Privacy-Conscious Users
Best Recommendation: Brave
- Tight built-in ads and tracker blocking
- Default data collection is Nil
- Speedy performance due to content blocking
- Crypto rewards are like cherries on the cake
Other Option: Opera
- Free built-in VPN in combination with
- Integrated privacy tools,
- Balance well between features and privacy
For Chromebook Users
Since many people searched for “how to download Leaf Browser on a school Chromebook.” The alternative worked fairly well on Chrome OS, although they all seemed to be based on the same.
Best Options:
- Chrome Extensions (Tree Tab Sidebar, Tab Outliner)
- Horse Browser (via Chrome extension)
- Opera (available for Chrome OS)
- Brave (Chrome OS compatible)
Enhancing Your Browsing Experience
Stopping Leaf Browser does not inform you that you have to settle for poor tab management or limited functionality. All of these alternatives are better, more secure, and, most importantly, actively supported, while the original extension couldn’t offer that.
Horse Browser, with its advanced tab management supported by an unconventional Trails methodology, emerges as a firm winner when seeking a replacement for Leaf Browser, offering a workflow very close to what you are familiar with. For maximum privacy, opt for Brave; Vivaldi alluringly calls to those who want supreme customization.
What you want is to get an alternative that fits your specific needs or workflow. Whether that means organizing research, study materials, or working on several tasks at once, these alternatives provide you with methods to work efficiently.
FAQs
No browser fully clones the Leaf Browser, but Horse Browser is its prototype, remaining faithful to the original spirit. It follows the core concepts of hierarchical tabs, incorporating modern features wherever possible and providing ongoing support.
It’s still possible to download Leaf Browser Alpha and its extensions from various archives. However, you might not find anything suitable amongst these for reasons such as the risk of security breaches in the future and a total lack of compatibility with current Chrome versions.
Most alternatives are compatible with Chromebooks; however, school policies may limit their installation. Horse Browser and Chrome extensions are often the most compatible with educational networks.
Certainly, while an alternative may aid in your access to blocked content, its primary purpose is for tab management and productivity, which will not help you bypass network restrictions.
Since Leaf Browser is no longer supported, manual migration steps must be taken to transfer apps, programs, and services. Horse Browser’s import features help collect all your bookmarks and frequently visited sites.
Horse Browser, Brave, Opera, and the Chrome extensions listed here are all free. Vivaldi also offers a free version, but it provides some premium features through partnerships.
