Best AI for building Chrome extensions

Go from 'there should be a button for this' to a working browser extension.

This featured slot is available to tool makers who fit this use case. Clearly labeled, always separate from our picks.

Our picks

1. Cursor
AI-first code editor (VS Code fork) with chat, inline edits and an agent mode.
Verdict: Top pick: generates the manifest, scripts and popup, and fixes errors in context while you reload and test.
2. Claude Code
Anthropic's terminal-based agentic coding tool.
Verdict: Great at scaffolding the whole extension and iterating on Manifest V3 permission issues.
3. ChatGPT
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant with chat, images, voice and search.
Verdict: Fine for a tiny single-file extension. Check that it uses Manifest V3, since older examples are everywhere.
4. Plasmo
Open-source framework for building browser extensions with React and TypeScript.
Verdict: Not an AI tool, but pairs well with one: React/TS framework that removes extension boilerplate.
5. GitHub Copilot
AI pair programmer built into VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub.
Verdict: Good autocomplete for Chrome APIs if you'd rather write it yourself.

Picks are editorial and not paid. Pricing and features change often — check each official site.