OneTab earned millions of users with one trick: click once, every tab collapses into a list, and your RAM breathes again. The reasons people leave are just as consistent: restored sessions lose their tab groups, and the data lives only in your browser profile, so a reinstall or reset can wipe it.
If that sounds familiar, here's what to demand from a replacement, and how the main options compare.
What to demand from any tab manager
- Tab group fidelity. Group titles, colors and collapsed state should survive a save and restore.
- Automatic snapshots. Crashes don't ask permission.
- Local-first storage with optional cloud sync. Your sessions should work offline and shouldn't disappear behind a login or a cap.
- Honest limits. Know what's free and what isn't before you've saved 500 tabs into it.
- An easy way out. Export or copy your data in a standard format.
The main alternatives
Session Buddy is the long-time default for named sessions and crash recovery. Some users reported lost sessions after its major storage migration in 2024, so keep your own backups.
Tab Session Manager is free and open source, with scheduled auto-save and tab group support. Power users like it, though some report rough edges with sync.
Workona is workspace-first and built for teams. It's polished, but the free plan limits the number of workspaces and paid plans cost noticeably more than a solo user usually wants to spend.
Toby is a visual board that replaces your new tab page. Its free tier has a saved-item cap and requires an account, which is the usual complaint.
KeepIt sits between a one-click saver and a full workspace tool:
- Saves a window in one click or one shortcut (Alt+Shift+S), and preserves Chrome tab group titles, colors and collapsed state.
- Auto-saves snapshots in the background (every 3 minutes on Free, every minute on Pro).
- Keeps unlimited local sessions on the free plan, with optional cloud sync.
- Recovers recently closed windows and tabs.
- Imports OneTab exports, one URL per line, so you can switch in minutes.
Always check each tool's pricing page, as limits and prices change.
How to switch from OneTab
- In OneTab, open Import / export and copy the exported text.
- In KeepIt, open Tools → OneTab Import, name the session and paste.
- Check the imported session, then restore it in a new window.
Do this before uninstalling OneTab. Removing the extension can delete its stored data.
The short version
If you only ever want a dump list, OneTab is fine, as long as you export regularly. If you've been burned by lost tabs or flattened groups, pick a tool that treats groups and automatic backup as core features, not extras.