7 Chrome Extensions That Make Online Reading Less Exhausting

If you've ever saved an article "to read later" and never touched it again, you're not alone. The internet is designed for skimming, not reading. But the right Chrome extension can transform the experience from exhausting to enjoyable.

Here are the 7 best Chrome extensions for focused reading in 2026, tested and compared.

What Makes a Good Reading Extension?

Before the list, here's what to look for:

• Content extraction — Can it cleanly pull the article text from a messy webpage?
• Typography control — Can you change fonts, size, spacing, and colors?
• Focus features — Does it help you stay on track (not just remove clutter)?
• Format support — Does it handle EPUBs, PDFs, and web articles?
• Price — Is it free, freemium, or subscription?

The 7 Best Reading Extensions

1. Nook — Best for Focus and Guided Reading

Price: Free 7-day trial, then subscription

Best for: People who struggle to finish articles, lose their place, or re-read constantly

Nook goes beyond just cleaning up articles. It actively helps you read with features like:

• Autopace — text moves at your chosen speed so you never lose your place
• Bionic reading — bolds the beginning of words for faster recognition
• Paragraph and line chunking — breaks text walls into manageable pieces
• 7 specialized fonts — including OpenDyslexic, Lexend, and Atkinson Hyperlegible
• Calm backgrounds — sepia, dark mode, and low-contrast options

Unique feature: Autopace is genuinely unique — no other extension offers guided reading that moves text at your rhythm. It's the closest thing to having someone pace you through an article.

Limitations: Subscription required after trial. Focused on long-form text — not ideal for heavily illustrated content.

2. Mercury Reader — Best for Simplicity

Price: Free

Best for: Quick, no-fuss article cleanup

Mercury Reader strips away ads, navigation, and clutter to show just the article text. It's fast, simple, and completely free.

What it does well:

• One-click article cleanup
• Clean, minimal interface
• Adjustable font size and theme (light/dark/sepia)

Limitations: No focus features (no guided reading, bionic text, or chunking). Limited font options. Can't import EPUBs or PDFs. Development appears to have slowed.

3. Reader View — Best Free All-Rounder

Price: Free

Best for: A free option with decent customization

Reader View is an open-source extension that mimics Firefox's built-in reader mode with extra features.

What it does well:

• Article extraction from most websites
• Custom CSS support
• Text-to-speech
• Multiple themes

Limitations: No focus-specific features. Extraction can fail on complex layouts. Interface feels dated.

4. Just Read — Best for Custom Styling

Price: Free (donations welcome)

Best for: People who want fine-grained control over appearance

Just Read lets you heavily customize the reading experience with your own CSS.

What it does well:

• Deep customization via CSS
• Page selection (choose what to include)
• Dark mode
• Keyboard shortcuts

Limitations: Requires CSS knowledge for full customization. No active focus features. Can be finicky with certain websites.

5. Readwise Reader — Best for Highlighting and Notes

Price: Subscription ($7.99/month)

Best for: Researchers and heavy note-takers

Readwise Reader is more of a read-it-later service than a simple extension, but it includes browser integration for capturing articles.

What it does well:

• Excellent highlighting and annotation
• Integration with note-taking apps (Notion, Obsidian, etc.)
• Newsletter and RSS support
• Search across all saved content

Limitations: Expensive for casual readers. Not focused on reading difficulties or accessibility. More of a knowledge management tool than a reading aid.

6. Bionic Reading — Best for Bionic Text Only

Price: Free tier, premium subscription

Best for: People who specifically want bionic text formatting

The official Bionic Reading extension applies the bionic reading method to web pages.

What it does well:

• Official bionic reading implementation
• Adjustable fixation intensity

Limitations: Only does bionic reading — no autopace, chunking, fonts, or other focus features. Limited free tier. Can conflict with some website layouts.

7. Dark Reader — Best for Eye Comfort

Price: Free (donations welcome)

Best for: Reducing eye strain across all websites

Dark Reader isn't a reading extension per se, but it's invaluable for anyone whose eyes tire quickly from bright white backgrounds.

What it does well:

• Applies dark mode to any website
• Adjustable brightness and contrast
• Doesn't break most website layouts
• Works everywhere, not just articles

Limitations: Not a reading tool — no article extraction, focus features, or typography control. Some websites look odd in dark mode.

Comparison Table

Which One Should You Use?

• You lose your place or re-read constantly → Nook (autopace + chunking)
• You just want clean articles → Mercury Reader or Reader View
• You take lots of notes → Readwise Reader
• You want custom styling → Just Read
• Your eyes hurt from bright screens → Dark Reader (combine with any other)

Can You Combine Extensions?

Yes, and it's often a good idea. Dark Reader works well alongside Nook or any reader extension. Just avoid running two reader-mode extensions simultaneously — they'll conflict.

The Bottom Line

The best reading extension is the one that addresses your specific struggle. If you just need clean pages, a free option works fine. If you struggle with focus, tracking, or finishing what you start, you need something designed for that — which is why tools like Nook exist.

Most of these have free options or trials. Install two or three, test them for a week each, and see which one changes your reading experience.

Many of the challenges these extensions address — rereading, fatigue, losing focus — come down to how digital text is presented. For the science behind it all, see why reading online feels so hard.

Related reading:

• Why Reading Online Feels So Hard — the root causes of digital reading struggles
• How to Focus While Reading Online — techniques that work with or without extensions
• Best Fonts for ADHD Reading — why font choice matters more than most people realize